photo by Brie Cohen

Zach Wangen, 18, stands near one of the Wangen family cows at their home in Ellendale on Wednesday. Wangen has won numerous awards showing cattle. He has made it to the Minnesota State Fair every year since sixth grade.

Where the dogies roam

Wangen reaps awards for his beef cattle

Published Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A senior at Glenville-Emmons High School has been swooping up awards for showing cattle.

Zach Wangen, a member of Bancroft 4-H and Glenville FFA, has made it past the Freeborn County Fair to show at the Minnesota State Fair every year since sixth grade.

Wangen said he enjoys showing at the state fair and seeing his friends from around the state that also show cattle that he has gotten to know over the years.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said, “There are a lot of cattle there.”

The competition at the state fair is tough, Wangen said, but this past summer Wangen got high honors. He was named Reserve Grand Champion for beef heifer overall.

Many Wangen family members will drive far to watch him show for the day.

“It’s a good family project,” his mom, Teresa said.

This year, Wangen went to Milwaukee, Wis., to show at the World Beef Expo. There, he won Reserve Grand Champion for beef heifer overall. Wangen said he had a fun time there and got to meet a lot of neat people from all over the country.

Wangen learned how to show cattle from area family friends. The first year he showed was in third grade and he never stopped.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said, “I wouldn’t do anything else.”

He said he enjoys seeing the reward after putting so much work into the cattle.

And work he and his younger brother, put into their show cattle. In the summer, Wangen said he washes and dries the show cattle in the morning, then puts them in a room with fans on them. He feeds them, and then after he comes home from working maintenance for Clarks Grove at about 4:30 p.m., he washes and dries them and feeds them and puts them back in the room with the fans. At sunset he lets them out to drink and starts it all over again the next day.

He said in the winter he doesn’t wash them as often.

Wangen plans to continue his love for animals after graduating from high school. He hopes to go to South Dakota State University and study something in the animal sciences. He said he will most likely study to be a veterinarian.

“I just like working with animals,” Wangen said.

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