DES MOINES, Iowa — It's almost time for the Iowa State Fair and for the well-known butter cow to make its appearance. The beloved butter sculpture has been a staple at the fair since 1911 when it was first made by J.K. Daniels. Its current sculptor, Sarah Pratt, has been creating the cow since 2006 and was the fair's fifth butter sculptor.
Every year the buttery cow gets a companion to keep it company in the Agriculture Building coolers. Standing alongside it this year will be three sculptures of famous Iowa athletes including Caitlin Clark, Jack Trice and Kurt Warner. Pratt, with the help of her apprentices, will be creating the new sculptures gracing the fair this year.
Standout player for the University of Iowa women's basketball team and 2023 Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark will be among the butter versions of Iowa athletes. Clark has made a name for herself in Iowa. Standing alongside the Iowa State Fair butter cow is just one more way the athlete is cementing her legacy.
Jack Trice is another famous Iowa athlete and was the first African American to play at Iowa State. He died during a football game in 1923 and his sculpture at the fair is one way the state is commemorating him 100 years later. "His likeness in butter will be a testament to his impact on not only Iowa State but on college athletics across the country," according to the Iowa State Fair's website.
The final butter sculpture for this year's fair will be Kurt Warner, who is the only person that has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Hall of Fame. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1993 and has played for the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. "Warner's likeness in butter is the perfect testament to his calm, cool and collected demeanor," the Iowa State Fair's website said.
Each year the butter cow weighs in at around 600 pounds. It would butter over 19,000 pieces of toast and would take the average person two lifetimes to consume, according to the fair's website.
Previous butter companions include Elvis Presley in 1997 and Harry Potter in 2007. More information on the history of the Iowa State Fair butter cow can be found here.
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