XENIA —There’s six Greene County area calf wranglers who are probably feeling very sore this morning. Three of them might still be smiling.

Kane Odon, 14, of Cedarville, Brad Eakle, 17, of Jamestown and Nick Shaw, 16, also of Jamestown successfully captured their respective calves during Sunday’s July 30 Greene County Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair.

Kendall Spitler, Devan Lypchynski, and Jordan Gerhardt were the other three contestants who are likely nursing sore ribs and muscles today. While they didn’t come away with a coveted calf, their efforts are to be applauded for even getting up the nerve to try and tackle a running 200-pound animal in the mud.

Lypchynski was the hard-luck story of the evening. The Xenia 15-year-old had tackled a calf, and had him harnessed with his halter, but competition officials ruled Lypchynski’s halter was backward and said it needed to be re-harnessed in order for his capture to count.

As a visibly exhausted Lypchynski was trying to re-apply the harness, the cow scurried away. Shaw then tackled the calf to claim the third and final cow.

Shaw was greeted with a muddy hug from Greeneview High School buddy Eakle, who had nabbed the second calf earlier in the competition.

“It feels awesome. I didn’t give up. I knew that cow could get lose, so I was just ready to try and get it,” Shaw said. “This is my second year doing this, and I learned not to give up. Now I’m going home to sleep and take a shower, maybe party it up a bit.”

Probably not in that order.

“Nothing else describes this,” Eakle said. “That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The toughest part is just holding on. They’re slippery. We’re slippery. It’s a lot to go on with. … It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever accomplished. To put my name onto something like this, it’s a great feeling. It’s awesome.”

Dave and Jody Campbell, of Campbell Company provided the scramble calves.

The annual county fair event is sponsored by the Greene C0unty Cattlemen’s Association and the County Fair Board with the help of 67 area businesses.

Odon was limping away with some of his friends after the competition. Likely bruised and covered in mud, he was still smiling.

“That was pretty fun,” said Odon, who tackled, roped and pulled the first calf into the center circle to win. “The toughest part is just trying to get the halter on and get a hold of it.”

Asked what was going through his mind, after tackling a cow and dragging it through the mud in front of a near-capacity grand stand crowd, Odon’s answer probably summed up that of all of the contestants.

What was he thinking of?

“Getting sleep and a shower.”

Probably not in that order.

Event announcer and auctioneer Doug Middleton of Mike’s Auction Service talks with a muddied Brad Eakle of Jamestown after Sunday’s July 30 Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia. Eakle grabbed one of the three calves that were literally up for grabs.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/08/web1_Calf00.jpgEvent announcer and auctioneer Doug Middleton of Mike’s Auction Service talks with a muddied Brad Eakle of Jamestown after Sunday’s July 30 Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia. Eakle grabbed one of the three calves that were literally up for grabs. Barb Slone | News-Current

Xenia’s Devan Lypchynski wrestles to control a calf while attaching a harness around its head, Sunday July 30 at the Greene County Fair.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/08/web1_Calf01.jpgXenia’s Devan Lypchynski wrestles to control a calf while attaching a harness around its head, Sunday July 30 at the Greene County Fair. Barb Slone | News-Current

Devan Lapchynski, of Xenia, hangs on to a calf during Sunday’s July 30 Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia. Lapchynski did not have his halter attached properly to the calf, and lost the cow when he tried re-attaching the harness.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/08/web1_Calf02.jpgDevan Lapchynski, of Xenia, hangs on to a calf during Sunday’s July 30 Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia. Lapchynski did not have his halter attached properly to the calf, and lost the cow when he tried re-attaching the harness. Barb Slone | News-Current

Jamestown’s Brad Eakle rolls in the mud as he applies his halter to his cow, before guiding it to the center circle, during Sunday’s Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/08/web1_Calf08.jpgJamestown’s Brad Eakle rolls in the mud as he applies his halter to his cow, before guiding it to the center circle, during Sunday’s Calf Scramble at the Greene County Fair in Xenia. Barb Slone | News-Current
Greene County Fair fun

By John Bombatch

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You won’t find John Bombatch chasing cows. You can reach him at 937-372-4444, Ext. 2123.