Dear Editor,
“Connecting the Community through the Arts,” has been the theme of my letters to the editor, but last Saturday, I found a new connection: cows.
I attended the 17th annual Briar Patch Classic Dairy Heifer Show at Putnam County High School. There, Future Farmers of America and 4-H members, ages 9-18, from various counties, connected through their cows. I watched in awe as these young men and women paraded their meticulously groomed cows into the arena.
Yes, they are judged on how well their cows are groomed. I saw on the sidelines, some competitors adding their last-minute touches, which included shaving their cow to smooth perfection but leaving a “top line,” which is a narrow strip of spiked hair about an inch high, running down the cow’s back. Then, there were the teasing combs to style the cows’ tails and hair spray to make sure every lock stayed put.
As I observed their skillful hands and attention to detail, I thought to myself, there is an art to this. I think we can call it, “Cowsmetology.”
Susan Larson, Briar Patch Resident