Harrisburg cow-milking contest crowns 3-time champ

HARRISBURG, N.C. — Ron Arnette fought off Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever just so he could compete in Harrisburg’s annual cow milking competition.

Despite getting out of the hospital just the day before, defending champ Arnette led his team to victory in the Mayor’s Pro Am Invitational Cow Milking Contest, an event that has become a cherished tradition during Harrisburg’s July 4th festival.

“It’s just a tradition now,” Arnette said. “By winning two years in a row, I just had to be here today. And I kept telling the doctors at the hospital, ‘I’ve got to be here. You’ve all got to get me well.’”

Billy Arnette, congratulated his father after the win.

“You remember when Michael Jordan played with the flu?” Billy Arnette said. “(This is) the Michael Jordan of cow milking, right here.”

This year’s competitors had Harrisburg Mayor Tim Hagler and his son, Justin, on one team; U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson with Todd Adams, chairman of the Kannapolis City Board of Education; as well as State Rep. Larry Pittman with Mike Rose, Harrisburg town administrator.

Each team had 30 seconds to pull as much milk as they could from the cow.

Carolyn Carpenter, a member of the Cabarrus County Board of Education, was teamed with Ron Arnette, and shared in the glory of victory. Before the milking began, the participants’ names were placed in a hat to determine who would team up with whom.

“I lucked up and got me a jewel here,” Carpenter said. “Because I had one of them udders and it wasn’t working today. He got most of the milk today!”

Together the two won by coaxing about two cups of milk from the cow, named Harriet.

Arnette isn’t a farmer, but he has managed to win three years in a row thanks to his past experience. When he was growing up, he worked on a farm in Mallard Creek, and milking was one of his duties.

“It’s like riding a bike, I reckon,” he said. “You don’t forget.”

These days, Arnette operates Mallard Creek Garage.

“Same spot where I milked cows is where I run the garage,” Arnette said.

It was a clear win for Arnette and Carpenter, but there was a dramatic fight for second place.

Hudson and Adams tied with the Haglers, with each team pulling a cup of milk. So, the teams had a “milk-off.” The result -- a second tie -- with each pulling a cup and a half of milk for force a second milk-off, a first for the competition.

The Haglers squeezed out a win the second milk-off, pulling a cup and an ounce of milk, edging Hudson-Adams by an ounce.

“Clearly this competition was rigged in favor of the mayor, since he is the host, so we had a real uphill battle to climb, but I think we overcame a lot to come in third place,” Hudson said with a laugh. “I think having the first ever triple milk-off in the history of the competition — a couple of rookies who’ve never participated versus the mayor who is the host of the event — I think we did pretty darn well.”

Rose and Pittman finished last, but everyone had a fun time. Rose said he knew it was going to be difficult to win going in, since he had a limited knowledge about milk.

“If you count taking it from the freezer at Harris Teeter into my refrigerator, that’s the extent of my milk experience,” Rose said.

But in the end, it’s the humor of watching these dairy amateurs that brings out a crowd each year.

“It’s an opportunity to see politicians humiliate themselves, so I think that’s very popular,” Hudson said with a laugh. “I think it’s a great way to create some excitement and get folks to come out here early and enjoy the good times in Harrisburg.”