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Something extra to crow about Photos by Bob Pennell Amy Burrow-Mosley of Junction City gave her all Saturday and won the human crow contest, a new component of the annual Rooster Crow in Rogue River. Some humans join birds in Rogue River annual noise fest BY KELLY STEWART ROGUE RIVER -- In the warm afternoon sun, contestants at Rogue River's Rooster Crow pressed against a yellow rope fence to shout their best "cock-a-doodle-doo." But the contestants weren't roosters -- they wanted to cackle for the crowd in the first human crow contest, which took place Saturday afternoon before the real roosters took the stage. At the 46th annual Rooster Crow, crowds covered the bleachers at Rogue River Elementary School, waiting to hear the 50 roosters and about 20 humans belt out their best crows. Shaley Shafer of Grants Pass is the owner of the winner of the Rooster Crow -- Henry Rooster. During the human crow, Rogue River Chamber President Dave Ehrhardt nudged a microphone into contestant Pat Allen's face. Allen grunted out a hearty "cock-a-doodle-doo." "I declare!" Ehrhardt crowed back. Two-year-old Jordan Sanislow of Rogue River stood clutching the rope fence with one hand, her other planted on her head. When Ehrhardt passed the microphone her way, she squealed "eh-ah-eh!" to the crowd's laughter. But it took a loud, confident crow from Junction City's Amy Burrow-Mosley to take the crown in the contest. As Ehrhardt handed Burrow-Mosley the trophy, she tucked her hands under her arms and pranced like a chicken. While the human contestants were crowing, rooster owners tried to pep up their pets. Harold Fitzsimmons of Medford enclosed his rooster, Iron Head, in a cage covered with thick, green cloth. "This is his first year," he said, explaining why he kept his bird in the dark. Chad Tucker of Rogue River brought his gleaming orange but strangely silent rooster, Alaska, to the event. "He crowed 10 times in a minute, one morning," Tucker said. "I haven't heard him crow once here." Sparked by a countdown by the crowd, the Rooster Crow contest began. Roosters had 30 minutes to crow as many times as possible. White Lightning set a record of 112 crows in 1978. This year, the birds were not nearly as eager to shout. Rogue River resident Dan O'Neill urgently prodded his speckled rooster, Will E. Crow, every minute of the contest. Will E. Crow was one of the leaders at the 15-minute mark, with 19 crows. "Take a deep breath," O'Neill told his bird. "Come on, pal. You are right up there. Reach up there and get it." Some contestants had a family history with the Rooster Crow. Buff and Hank Jr. were relatives of the 1998 champion, Hank. Medford's Will Ankeny, 11, encouraged and counted Buff's crows. "I've been trying to scare him, but that doesn't seem to be working," he said. Instead, Buff seemed to be more interested in kicking up the straw in his cage. Hank Jr. and a Grants Pass rooster named Bad Boy were neck-and-neck halfway through the contest. But 2-year-old Henry Rooster was able to crow his way to the top. Henry's owner, 11-year-old Shaley Shafer, spoke sweetly to her bird and raised her arms to cheer with each crow. She said the key to his frequent crowing was "just talking to him." Henry Rooster, a shiny blue, green and brown bird, crowed more than once a minute to reach a 42-crow count in the contest. Bad Boy and Hank Jr. tied for runner-up with 38 crows each. Shafer, a Grants Pass resident, said she will share her $150 award with her brother and friends. Several roosters participating in the contest were no-crows. "We still have not determined the secret to crowing," Ehrhardt said during the contest. "If we do, we'll bottle it and sell it." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA