Mitchell Miner and his heifer cow, Audri are internet sensations after a photo of the pair went viral. The two were competing in the Iowa State Fair together. After a long day, Mitchell’s dad snapped a photo of their much-deserved nap.
“She likes to lay down quite a bit,” Miner told the Des Moines Register on Monday. “I don’t really understand the bond with my animal either. She just enjoys my company.”
The pair had spent several days waking up early and working hard to prepare for the youth dairy show. The day of the competition, Mitchell, 15, rose at 3a.m. to put the finishing touches on Audri. While Audri didn’t place as high as Mitchell would have liked, the experience was bonding for them both.
The cow, Audri, does not belong to Mitchell. The family rents the animals for the summer and then they return to their home on local farms. The months working up to the Fair are spent with daily connections between the youth and their animal. Mitchell spent almost every waking moment with Audri at his side. He spent hours grooming, walking, feeding the cow until they were both comfortable with each other.
Both of Mitchell’s parents were raised on a farm and grew up with livestock and participating in 4H competitions. Mitchell is the first generation to not have the first-hand farm experience. That’s why his parents encourage his summer State Fair participation.
“We learned a lot from the farm,” he said. “We have those values instilled in us and we are trying to do what we can to preserve that.”
We’re sure that Audri loved every minute of her time with Mitchell. Both seem to really have a love for the other.
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