CASSOPOLIS — For as long as she can remember, Elizabeth Carpenter has wanted to compete for the chance to become the Cass County Fair’s top showman.

To get into Friday’s Showmanship Sweepstakes, competitors have to be the best showman in one of the large animal sweepstakes held throughout the week.

The Buchanan woman did not have to wait long to punch her ticket as she took home the title of grand champion dairy showman Monday in the show arena.

“I am super excited,” said Carpenter, who will be a sophomore at Southwestern Michigan College in the fall.

Carpenter said she is studying pre-med with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. As a longtime fair participant, Carpenter has been working with animals for the majority of her young life and she said she is looking forward to helping them stay healthy.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said.

Carpenter credits her well-tempered cow, Brandy, for Monday’s big win.

She said Brandy stayed calm and did what was asked of her — no doubt a result of the long hours Carpenter put in preparing for the fair.

“I worked with her all summer,” she said.

Dowagiac’s Christina Preston came up just short of her bid to enter Friday’s Showmanship Sweepstakes as she finished one spot behind Carpenter.

The 2014 Dowagiac Union High School graduate said she was a little nervous the morning of the competition.

“After I got into the ring I calmed right down and I thought I did well,” said Preston, who will be a sophomore studying business at Southwestern Michigan College in the fall.

In addition to finishing one/two, Carpenter and Preston also took home other titles in Monday’s dairy show.

Carpenter’s animal was grand champion in the Any Other Breed category, while Preston’s finished second as reserve grand champion.

Brett Bowman, of Niles, showed the grand champion Holstein, while Samantha Pauley had the reserve grand champion in the same category.