ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Showing animals at the fair doesn't always have to be serious. In one event Saturday, kids could express their creativity alongside their projects.
Competitors and cows suited up in colorful themed costumes for the Allen County Fair's Best Dressed Bovine Contest. From Barbie to fishing, kids could choose and create any outfits they liked.
Some aspects of showmanship stay the same, like training and directing the animal and utilizing public speaking skills. But competitors say the event is mostly just fun, and not a lot of pressure.
"I would have a helmet, riding boots, and then I would have all the gear for dirt biking and then on my cow I just paint a picture of a dirt bike on the cardboard and put it over him," said 11-year-old Bentley Webb.
"I think it's more about how tame your animal is, maybe more desensitizing, because you have to put different materials on your cows or steers or whatever you're taking or using," said 15-year-old Riley Herriman who dressed herself and her cow in a Mardi Gras theme.
The kids added that one of the best parts of the contest is that creating designs and having a good time is far more important than winning.
