ATWATER, Ohio — Claire Coumos always felt like a champion; now she is one. Just a year after her first experience showing a steer, the 13-year-old stunned the crowd again, topping the field to earn grand champion beef on Aug. 19 at the Portage County Randolph Fair.
“It was the greatest day of my life,” Claire said.
She came into the final round of judging feeling confident after her steer, Oreo, was named champion Maine.
“I kind of expected it because I won champion in the breed I showed in, and the judge really liked my cow,” she said.
Watching from the stands in Hamilton Arena, Claire’s sister, Marra Powers, sprang to her feet, jumping up and down and screaming at the top of her lungs, as the judge announced Claire’s accomplishment and the realization settled on the rest of her family.
“It felt very surreal, and I looked down at Marra and all the other kids, and it was their reaction when I realized, ‘Oh, my goodness, she won,’” Claire’s mom Julie Coumos said.
Claire’s family ran down to celebrate with her, knowing just how much it took for Claire to earn the banner. It wasn’t just months of dedication to Oreo, brushing, bathing, feeding and walking him. It wasn’t just spending countless hours learning how to set him up this summer. It wasn’t just one last, busy week at the fair before she had to say goodbye. Diagnosed with Apert syndrome when she was days old, Claire has been challenging expectations and honing her fine motor skills her entire life for the opportunity to show cattle.
Where there’s a will …
Apert syndrome is a rare craniofacial condition that causes the fusion of bones in the skull, hands and feet. Claire has undergone more than a dozen corrective surgeries to allow her to achieve the same milestones as her peers, traveling as far as Dallas, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts, to be treated by surgeons who specialize in Apert syndrome.
Although doctors told her parents she would probably never walk or be able to grasp anything after she was diagnosed with Apert syndrome, Claire defied the odds and showed the largest steer in her debut at the Randolph Fair last year. Farm and Dairy chronicled her journey in a story titled “12-year-old girl with Apert syndrome shows largest steer at Portage County Fair,” posted on Sept. 5, 2024.
Making her first appearance in the show ring required sacrifice. Last year, after an MRI revealed a Chiari malformation during a routine craniofacial clinic, Claire chose to postpone surgery until three weeks after the fair ended, so she could show her steer, Socks. She underwent Chiari decompression surgery on Sept. 16, 2024, to correct the bulging of her cerebellum into her spinal canal, but it didn’t slow her down. She was released from the hospital two days early because her surgery went so well. Within a week, Julie woke up to Cinnabons in the oven because Claire wanted to get back to her routine around the house. By the beginning of October, her dad, Dan Coumos, found the Maine calf they would call Oreo — and Claire started all over again.
“Dan started looking at auctions, just looking to see what it would take, and it was an easy decision,” Julie said.
Despite some uncertainty surrounding Claire’s future showing steers at the end of last fair season, the Coumoses quickly decided it wasn’t over. Guided by advice from friends and the experience he gained watching Claire, Dan chose a Maine calf for her because he noticed their calm temperament in the show ring and believes they’re a little easier to handle.
“When I watch the Maine class go out, that’s usually the one that just seems a little more suitable for Claire,” Dan said.
Claire fell in love with the black and white calf instantly. Oreo’s mostly black coloring and white feet reminded her of her first steer, Socks, which she loved.
Living up to Dan’s expectations of his breed, Oreo captured the hearts of the whole family.
“I don’t know the reason why, but just kind of from what I’ve seen out here, this cow is like a giant teddy bear. And I know that Socks, last year, was good, but I personally wished that I could ride this cow and take it back home and just keep it as a pet,” Dan said.
By November, Oreo was registered for the fair, and Claire was released to start working with him by her doctor. They went to their first show together in April, taking fifth at the Joe Bodnar Memorial Northern Classic Steer & Heifer Show in Ashtabula County.
… there’s a way
Oreo’s docile temperament wasn’t the only thing he had going for him. At the Junior Fair Market Beef Auction on Aug. 23, his body condition caught the eye of Duma Meats owner David Duma.
“The steer was thick. He was nice and thick, and he was prime,” David said.
While Claire walked Oreo into the ring and set him up, David noticed the wide, thick brisket between his front legs, and he was sold. His son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Deanna Duma, who own Duma Ranch Burger Dispatch, were, too.
Duma Meats and Duma Ranch Burger Dispatch bought Claire’s 1,575-pound steer for $8 per pound, and just like David thought, Oreo’s meat was abundantly marbled. The steaks and roasts are for sale at Duma Meats, and the hamburger meat went to Duma Ranch Burger Dispatch, both located in Mogadore, Ohio.
David started attending livestock auctions at the Randolph Fair with his dad more than 50 years ago. Every year, he buys about a dozen animals to help 4-H’ers fund next year’s projects and save money for college and farms of their own. He likes to buy from the kids who work for him, and he has a special place in his heart for kids who are showing for their first time.
“When the little kid comes in, that’s their first year and the beef is dragging them all over the place, or the lamb they can’t hold, I like to help them and buy their first one because it’s their first year, and they need help getting started, and they need as much money as they can get,” he said.
Incidentally, David bought Claire’s first steer last year, and taped her picture to his meat counter, where he displays photos of all the animals he’s purchased at the fair. As an exhibitor, Claire stands out to him.
“She’s so fun — beyond amazing. There’s amazing, and then there’s Claire. She’s a step above amazing,” he said.
For Claire, the prizes are just a perk; the privilege is showing cattle. The night after she and Oreo earned their grand champion title, she helped show cows in the Dairy Open Show at Hamilton Arena. Then, she met her dad at the Junior Fair Market Poultry and Rabbit Auction in Sarchione Livestock Complex to tell him all about it.
“She comes and sits down next to me, and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And she was like, ‘I just showed 16 cows.’ I was like, ‘Where did you find 16 cows?’ She loves to do it,” Dan said.
Winning grand champion this year didn’t change much for Claire. There were no life lessons, just pure excitement. She’s not setting any lofty goals for herself. She just wants to do the work and show again next year.
“We’re steer people now. I would say that with Claire, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I think that she’s shown us that she’s willing to put the work in and she gets it done,” Julie said.
