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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Memories Imortalized





Don't Milk `Em…Race `Em!

by Chad Ison

Extremz Magazine is based near Louisville, KY — home of the world renown Kentucky Derby. Every year during the first Saturday in May the city comes alive with people from all over the world waiting to see the fastest three minutes of racing. Some place their bets on a winner and some find out that their pick is a loser. Like Louisville, the residents of Ithaca, Michigan are hoping they have a winner with the hottest new sport to hit the racing scene —

COW RACING!

Cow racing was created by Pete Ondrus and his wife, Barb Lambert, of North Shade Township, MI after they retired from dairy farming and sold their 500 herd of cattle. The idea for the race came from years of helping organize state fairs and noticing their dwindling attendance. Pete thought a cow race would be a fun way to bring new people to county fairs. However, no one seemed interested his idea. He checked the Guinness Book of World Records and found listings for the fastest snail and ostrich — but no listing for the fastest cow.

After selling his herd, Ondrus decided that he'd put his idea off for too long — he was going to do it! Pete and Barb soon founded the Mid-Michigan Cow Racing Association (MMCRA) and called for entries into the first, official, world-record cow race — dubbed by Barb "The Udder Race!" They put up over $2,000 for prize money and six would-be cow racers signed up for the first race which was held at the 2000 Gratiot County Ag Expo on June 21.

Brian Nielsen, a professor of animal science at Michigan State University, heard about the race and felt the urge to saddle-up. Nielsen had a lot of previous experience with race horses as an owner, trainer and exercise rider. Unfortunately, standing at 5 feet 6 1/2 inches and weighing 137 pounds, Wayne was too big to be a race-horse jockey.

When some of the students at Michigan State University heard that Nielsen had entered the race, they urged him to consider Taffy, a three-year-old Holstein. They wrote him a letter, supposedly from Taffy, boasting of her athletic abilities. The 1,500-pound bovine had never raced before. However, she had been training for several months by working out on a treadmill as part of an MSU research project to determine the impact of exercise on milk production. Nielsen was convinced of Taffy's potential, so he bought her. His hunch paid off when he rode Taffy two laps around McNabb Park's half-mile oval track in front of about 500 curious spectators to place first in the finish.

When the race started, one cow immediately bucked her rider off. Another bolted across the infield with handlers and track officials on horseback scurrying to chase it down. But Taffy plunged ahead at a fast walk, occasionally breaking into a gallop, for the two laps around the half-mile track, pausing to sniff a wet spot and once veering toward the rail, apparently hoping to be petted.

The racing duo eventually crossed the finish line in 8 minutes, 55.4 seconds, about two minutes ahead of the second place finisher, Big Bodacious Bertha. "That's a very respectable time," said Nielson. "We kept up a pretty consistent pace the whole way."

Another rider, Dennis Vanderhoff of Vermontville, was bucked off shortly after his heat began. Vanderhoff ran about an eighth-of-a-mile to catch up to his mount, jumped back on, and rejoined the race.

Nielson received $1,000 as the winner's share of the $2,500 purse, a gold medal, trophy and ceremonial bottle of milk he consumed in the winner's circle.

Pete and Barb not only had their world record, which has been submitted to Guinness, they've also garnered nearly worldwide attention. Comedy Central Network's "The Daily Show" sent a correspondent to do a feature on the cow race, and "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" also sent a TV crew to catch the story. Nielson was also featured on "To Tell The Truth." The 2000 Cow Race has also been mentioned on CNN, Paul Harvey News, and in other national news media.

Only the Ag Expo race is sanctioned by the MMCRA, but Pete and Barb have also formed the World-Wide Cow Racing Association (WWCRA) to carry the cow-racing sport further.

In August 2000, the Whitecaps Baseball team brought the Mid-Michigan Cow Racing Association to the ballpark for a contest between games of the doubleheader. A Crowd of nearly 9,000 people stomped and cheered for a thrilling come-from-behind victory, not for the Whitecaps, but for cow racing! The cows have also raced at Mt. Pleasant Meadows before the featured horse races.

So what's next for the future of cow racing? Lambert says the Whitecaps have invited the cow racers back next year, and word has spread to the Fort Wayne Wizards, who want their own cow race. She's also had inquiries from the Kalamazoo Fair Board, and another fair in Pennsylvania.

However, you can only set a world record at the Gratiot Ag Expo in Ithaca, MI. The next world record attempt takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, June 22, 2001. Cow jockeys from around the state are preparing their racing bovines for the big event. Preliminary events during the week of Ag Expo will also include a Cow Barrel Race, Corn Silage Throwing Contest, Milk Can Rolling Contest, Straw Stacking Contest, Youth Race and a Cow Costume Contest.

So moooove over Kentucky Derby — Cow Racing is hot on your hooves! Place your bets and cheer for the "fastest cow" to the winner's circle. And what about the losers? Well — there's no use crying over spilled milk!

For more information and rules for official cow racing, check out their website at www.cowrace.com or contact Pete Ondrus or Barb Lambert at 9517 S. Warner Rd, Carson City, MI 48811.



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