Despite hours of hard work and dedication, a boy and his cow finished fifth out of seven other competitors at the Iowa Youth Dairy Cattle Show on Sunday.
Mitchell Miner, 15, and his cowboy friend Audrey decided to reward themselves after long weeks of preparation, so they took a nap together inside the barn. Her father, Jeremy Miner, took pictures of the two cuddling in their sleep. His father then posted the photos to Facebook on Sunday evening, with the caption: “Our son Mitchell and his calf after they arrived yesterday.” The photo instantly went viral and garnered over 15,000 likes the next day.
Miner’s mother Laura said people love to see this kind of relationship with a child and their pet.
“I think it’s only when you spend that long with them that they really feel comfortable around you,” she said.
They have become very close since spending almost every day together for the past two months preparing for the competition. Mitchell drove Audrey, showered, turned around and walked regularly before the competition.
The family borrowed animals for the summer so their children could get used to farm life.
“We learned a lot from the farm,” said Mitchell’s father Jeremy Miner. “These values have been instilled in us and we are trying to do what we can to maintain them.”
As for the cow Audrey, she will be back at the dairy farm once the shows are over in September.
