CASSOPOLIS — Just like riding a bicycle, one never forgets how to wrangle a 1,000-plus pound farm animal after learning how as a child, as demonstrated by the participants in the 2017 Dairy Alumni Show Saturday at the Cass County Fair.

Nearly 50 former 4-H members returned to the show arena that evening for the event, which served as a fundraiser for the fair’s dairy barn. Participants were sorted into different age and cow-type classes, and showed animals loaned to them by youth exhibitors who participated in the fair’s regular dairy show earlier in the week.

A number of familiar faces took home ribbons in their second crack at fair glory, including Dowagiac’s Dave Accoe, who won best showman in the senior (citizen) class.

Accoe, a longtime farmer in the area, said Saturday marked his first return as a competitor in the Cass County show arena since 1974, when he was a member of the 4-W 4-H Club.

“I know everyone here,” Accoe said. “It was a lot of fun. It was exciting to get a chance to come back here and show again.”

Accoe is no stranger to winning ribbons at the Cassopolis fairgrounds. On top of his success in showing dairy, beef and pigs during his heyday, the Dowagiac man is a former winner of the fair’s showman sweepstakes, he said.

Dave was not the only Accoe to throw his hat in the show arena Saturday, though.

In addition to competing against his brother, Mike, in the senior division, two of his daughters, Amy Pike and Randi Cady, also showed, in the intermediate (yearling) and junior (senior calf) classes respectively.

Working with dairy cows runs in the Accoe blood, Dave said. Since his family moved to the Dowagiac area in the 1950s, at least one member of the family has shown in the fair every year — this year, his granddaughter, Carlee Cady, won best beginner showman and came in third place for overall best showman at the Youth Dairy Show earlier in the week.

“It’s kind of a family tradition,” Dave said.

On top of getting a chance to relive their days of fairs past, the Accoe family also used the alumni show to honor the family’s matriarch, Dave’s late wife Joyce, who died cancer in April, Dave said.

A fellow family member joined Dave in the winner’s circle Saturday, as his niece, Judi Kidman, won reserve champion in the senior class. The Dowagiac woman is another former member of 4-W 4-H, who last showed at the fair in 1984, she said.

“It was cool,” Kidman said. “I got a chance to show against my dad and uncle, and got to beat my sister [Sherri Eichler]. She always did better than I did when we showed when we were younger. It took me 30 years, but I finally beat her.”

Both Dave and Kidman said they would love to participate in another alumni show in the future.