BERRIEN SPRINGS — When 10-year-old Collin Pinkerton, of Buchanan, notices his cow, Shelby, getting nervous during shows at the fair, he whispers consoling words to her to calm her down.

“I tell her things like, ‘Everything is going to be fine,’” Pinkerton said. “And ‘Do your best.’”

Pinkerton’s heifer seemed to take the words to heart Tuesday afternoon at the Berrien County Youth Fair, and judges awarded the pair the title reserve grand champion in the beef female category. The category recognizes exceptional breeder cows. 

Balancing his trophies in either arm Tuesday afternoon, Pinkerton, a Moccasin Elementary School student, reflected on the win.

“It actually felt really good to be in one of those small pens with my heifer,” Pinkerton said. “And it just feels great. You get to go in the ring and [do] the stuff you love.”

In the weeks leading up to the fair, Pinkerton got some help training Shelby from his older sister Ashley Kuhn, 21. Kuhn, who was home from college this summer, said her little brother put in a lot of hard work preparing for the exhibition. Together they worked with Shelby four to five times a week, washing her and walking and caring for the animal.

“Morning, night – he’s [been] doing an awesome job,” Kuhn said. “This is [Shelby’s] last show, and she went out with a bang.”

Pinkerton acknowledges that it was not always easy work.

“We had to clean her … and sometimes it was very, very gross,” he said.

Pinkerton has been showing animals at the fair for five years. Two years ago, he also won reserve grand champion in the same category. In addition to cows, he also shows pigs. According to Paula Pinkerton, Pinkerton’s mom, showing animals at the Berrien County Youth Fair is a longstanding tradition that has been part of their family for generations.

Paula said Pinkerton’s great-grandfather, Ralph Swartz, was pivotal in helping the fair to get its start and was among the first to put up a tent and begin showing animals in 1947.

“Grandkids, great-grandkids — they have all showed,” Paula said.

After their victory Tuesday afternoon, Pinkerton prepared to take Shelby to the barn and cool her down with a bath. He said the cow’s temperament in the show arena makes a big difference.

“I like how she’s calm and you can actually walk her in,” Pinkerton said. “She’s just a very great heifer.”