This here is a little story about a boy and his cow.
They may not have won a ribbon at the Iowa State Fair, but Mitchell Miner and his heifer Audri won the internet after a photo of them taking a nap together went viral.
"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."
Miner, 15, of Williamsburg, Iowa and Audri entered the Iowa State Fair's youth dairy cattle show. They prepared for weeks with Miner leading, clipping, walking and bathing Audri nonstop up to the competition. On the day of the show, Miner woke up at 3 a.m. — his third straight early-morning rise — putting the final touches on Audri.
The heifer ended up placing fifth out of seven contestants, but after hard-fought competition, the two took a nap together. Miner’s father, Jeremey snapped a few photos of the two and posted them on Facebook the next day.
By early afternoon, the photo racked up over 15,000 interactions and nearly 800 shares.
"I was asleep. I think she was, too," Mitchell said to the Register.
Miner's mother, Laura, told the newspaper that she believes people are usually won over when they see a bond between a kid and their animal.
"I think it's just when you spend that much time with them, they get really comfortable with you," she said.
Laura Miner added that the family borrows most of these animals for the summer. Audri will be heading back to a dairy farm in Blairstown later this fall — after the family's final showing in September.
Mitchell Miner and his heifer, Audri, have spent nearly every day together for the past two months. They've developed an unspoken connection during that short period of time.
So when a photo of the pair nestled close to each other sound asleep made its way to social media, it was evident to witness their special bond.
"She likes to lay down quite a bit," Miner told the Register on Monday. "I don't really understand the bond with my animal either.
"She just enjoys my company."
Miner, 15, of Williamsburg, and Audri have been preparing for the Iowa State Fair's youth dairy cattle show. He has led her, clipped her, walked her and bathed her nonstop up to last Saturday.
On show day, Miner and Audri woke up at 3 a.m. — his third straight early-morning rise — putting the final touches on Audri.
She ended up placing fifth out of the seven contestants, Miner said. But needless to say, the two were exhausted. So they took a nap following their showing together.
Miner's father, Jeremy, saw his son and Audri. He snapped a few photos and posted one on Facebook the next day.
As of 1:30 p.m. Monday, the photo has more than 15,000 interactions, 790 shares and 290 comments.
"I was asleep. I think she was, too," Mitchell Miner said.
Laura Miner added that the family borrows these animals for the summer. Audri will head back to a dairy farm in Blairstown later this fall — after the family's final showing in September.
Jeremy Miner said both he and his wife grew up on farms but are the first generation to be removed from living on one today.
"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."
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