Cow Cleaning Contest gives Clark County Fair kids a chance to have fun, last hurrah
Jul. 28—The Clark County Fair's annual Cow Cleaning Contest on Thursday offered all the contestants, including the "mudders," a good time commemorating the end of the fair and their time with their cows.
The 2023 fair ends today.
The cow contest involves two cleaners to a cow with kids of all ages. After the mudders get the cows dirty, the cleaners then have 30 minutes to get their cows as sparkling clean as they can.
Every group had a different strategy, whether it be to immediately start hosing, brushing the mud off, or simply scooping the mud off with their hands. Some cows seemed very unhappy being smothered in mud, whereas others seemed to not mind at all.
The judge, Brad Spencer, has been judging the Cow Cleaning Contest for about five years, taking after his father, who was did it for 15 years. He hopes his kids will eventually take over as well, taking after the family tradition.
Spencer's favorite memory was when his muddy kids, who often do the mudding, hugged their grandfather, John Spencer, after he said not to get him dirty. Despite the mess, he was smiling and having a good laugh with his family.
John Balzer and Simon Black have been helping out with the mudding for years. Once a cleaner wins the contest, they are then eligible to be a mudder.
Balzer and Black had a mud fight after they were done mudding, which seems to be the best part of the competition.
"People love the mud," said Balzer. "You aspire to be the mudder."
It's also a good opportunity for the kids to have one last fun memory with their cows before they get shipped off. Most of the kids participating, such as Balzer's daughter, took care of their cow for about a year.
"It's a way to get muddy, have fun and enjoy the last minutes with your cow," said Balzer. "It's a fun way to send the cow out and say goodbye."
Balzer and other parents at the contest recommend the pig and calf scrambles, which will be on the last day. It's a popular event that is a fun way to end the 8-day long fair. Some cows that were in the cleaning contest were caught during the calf scramble the year before.
The last day of the Clark County Fair promises to be a warm one, with a heat advisory in effect today.
