‘Bowie’ Rocks Dickinson County Fair’s Market Beef Show | News, Sports, Jobs

VICTORIA COOPER OF Quinnesec showed Mr. Bojangles, known as “Bowie,” to the grand champion title in the market bull competition at the Dickinson County Fair in Norway on Friday. Dante Stachowicz of Vulcan was reserve champion with Woody, the second year in a row he has earned reserve. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

NORWAY — Mr. Bojangles, known as “Bowie,” was voted Grand Champion at the youth beef market on Friday at the Dickinson County Fair in Norway.

Victoria Cooper of Quinnesec took top honors with her 1 1/2-year-old crossbred bull. Bowie, raised on a farm in Norway, weighed in at 1,334 pounds.

“He was the smallest in the heavyweight class,” said Cooper. “But he wore it very well.”

Cooper noted that Bowie wasn’t exactly friendly when she first got him. “He dragged us along several times,” she said.

But after a lot of hard work to expose him to the environment and show him, he finally became a “big baby,” she said.

Cooper took Bowie to the UP State Fair, where he finished in the top five in the middleweight class. She noted that he was lighter then.

Although Cooper has been involved in 4-H and animal showing for eight years, this is only her second year showing a bull.

Cooper explained that her bull had not gained enough weight last year to be able to show. “He didn’t do so well, but he was my first and a learning experience,” she said.

In addition to her market beef, she also showed a market goat, lamb and pig. This weekend she will participate in the fair with her horse.

She is also president of the Bits & Bridles 4-H Club.

Cooper was pleasantly surprised to be chosen. “Honestly, shocked,” she said.

Her advice to others: Don’t worry if the judges aren’t paying attention, because that doesn’t mean you made a bad impression.

Cooper hopes to return next year with one of her twin bulls.

Dante Stachowicz, 17, of Vulcan, won the reserve champion title with his Angus cross, Woody.

The 1.5 year old bull weighed 570 kilos.

Stachowicz noted that while Woody is smaller and narrower, he was able to carry his weight well. “It was more filled in the middle,” he explained.

Stachowicz was also reserve champion last year. He said he was a bit surprised to be made reserve, since Woody is actually his alternate steer.

Woody has been bottle-fed from day one, since he was born on the Stachowicz family farm, Stachowicz said.

“He is very tame, just like a big dog,” Stachowicz added.

He got his name from the movie “Toy story.”

This is his seventh year showing a bull and his tenth year overall participating in the program. Stachowicz also participated with his market pig.

He felt that the title of Grand Champion was well deserved and that he was generally the most complete bull. “He had more structure and was a bigger boned animal,” he said.

Stachowicz hopes to participate again next year, but since the university is starting the fair at the same time, that could be a challenge.

The small animal auction will take place today at 3pm in the rotunda, followed by the youth cattle auction.