Virginia’s annual beauty pageant
Michelle Taite
The ladies were lined up, hair gleaming and nails cut to perfection, only hours away from competition time.
No, we’re not talking about this year’s Rose of Tralee. It is, in fact, the hotly contested 2022 Baileys Cow Competition at the Virginia Agricultural Show.
“They could be washed three or four times,” says competition Head Steward, Patrick Gaynor, watching as one bovine hopeful relaxes in a shower courtesy of a man deftly handling a power washer. “[They] have to be washed, clipped, you have to get the udder right on her. You can’t have too big an udder... or too small! You have to get it right. It takes a lot.”
Upon entering the shed turned open-plan dressing room, the Celt is met by countless Holstein Fresians undergoing makeovers in preparation for the big show.
Serial competitor Philip Jones from Gorey is on his hunkers beside ‘Hollow Ashwood Twizzle’. “We want to enhance her natural beauty,” he coos, softly cutting hair away from her udder. His son Will holds a purple-coloured hairdryer, identical to one owned by this reporter.
Philip had been preparing ‘Hollow’ for her big debut for close to two months now. “She calved the end of June so she’s been getting ready ever since,” he says.
The Wexford-native described the Virginia show as a high point on the calendar year. “It’s a really important competition in the year and it’s really exciting to see. Especially seeing as we haven’t been out in the last two years so there’s different cows around that haven’t been shown before. It’ll be an exciting show,” he offers earnestly.
A second Wexford man, Jim Sinnott, is taking a break from the cow salon sitting on a festival-type fold-out chair nearby. He arrived in Virginia on Monday night, which meant he would spend two nights in town focusing on his preparations. His cow is lying down, catching up on some well deserved beauty sleep after a morning of being pampered pretty.
“We’ve slept with the cows before,” he laughs, his wide smiling face turning slightly red as he thinks over the seriousness with which he and his fellow rivals take their business. “Skelly’s is a bit more comfortable though.”
From speaking to Paul Murphy there’s no doubt the Cork native knows how to treat a lady, after giving a run through of his cow’s beautification process.
“Everything’s important. Her daily diet and waxing, keeping her clean and making sure she’s healthy.”
The dedicated young man is pulling out all the stops to make sure his Fresian feels her most beautiful when she takes the stage. “We’ll probably be up at five o’clock [AM] to wash her, that’ll be the first thing to do.”
All 25 ladies will strut their stuff in the main competition ring this afternoon (Wednesday, August 24) at the famous Virginia Show hopeful of being crowned Bailey’s Champion cow.
Tickets for the show are available on arrival.