Lucky shirt gives local boy edge at state fair

DES MOINES — When he was a boy, Ed Machin showed animals at the Iowa State Fair while wearing a red T-Shirt that read “IOW-Shire,” the name of his family farm, and “Newton, Iowa” on the back to represent his hometown.

One of his aunts held onto that shirt and now his 11-year-old son, Ethan, wears it is as his lucky shirt when he shows at the state fair.

“I wore it last year, but we cleaned it,” Ethan said.

Ethan said his late grandmother had stored it in his aunt’s old closet at the family home, which has surprisingly  left the more than 20-year-old shirt in pristine condition.

At this year’s fair, Ethan brought three cows to show and one of his heifer’s gave birth the day before he was scheduled to show last Thursday.

“We have been expecting it for a month of two now,” Ethan said.

His younger sister, Ella, has already laid claim to the new calf and named it Moose.

Lucky shirt or no lucky shirt, Ethan said it’s a difficult process to get to the state fair, but it’s rewarding.

“It takes a lot of work but it’s really fun. It doesn’t matter what you show, it’s all fun,” Ethan said.

Ethan also offers some advice for those who aren’t coming to show but are curious about an animal. He said not to be afraid to ask the exhibitor if you can pet the animal. Ethan said he’s encountered shy guests at the county fair, where he shows a number of other animals including sheep, chicken and rabbits.

While he loves his other animals, his focus at the Iowa State Fair has been on his cattle. This method, and his lucky shirt, seemed to pay off for him as he was rewarded with ninth place in the ayrshire senior yearling class.

He’s hoping for a return trip in 2015, and a chance to earn even more accolades.

“Plans are that I will be here next year,” Ethan said.

Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6532 or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.