Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World

Beaver, Oklahoma

The town of Beaver should be proud of its undisputed title: Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World. It is here that the World Championship Cow Chip Throw was first held in 1969, and every year ever since the town has been ready to hurl.

King Cow Chip, a leering cartoon of a dried bovine fecal wad wearing a tilted crown, is the town's registered trademark. This "Dried-in-the-Sun King" has brought notoriety -- and prosperity -- to Beaver. But, as with any long, unchallenged reign, the populace has become inured to their own charm. King Cow Chip's royal entourage keeps the claim alive, cranking out commemorative gift boxes of cow chips, entertaining foreign dignitaries, and dragging the beaver trailer around town for parades.

In 1994, Randy Campbell, then mayor of Beaver, was obligated to greet us with open arms, not to mention some gift-boxed cow chips. He assured us he has only tossed a chip once before, yet his mean curve pitch at our Sony Handicam betrayed a suspiciously-practiced skill. He tossed underhand, a Frisbee-flick, bounding off the bumper of a car on the opposite side of the wide, paved main street.

"I think that's my mother-in-law's car," he said.

In 2015 the old world record cow chip toss was shattered by novice Drew Russell, who entered the contest on a whim and hurled his chip 188 feet, six inches.

More info on current 50th anniversary Cow Chip event.

Cow Chip Moment in History

July 8, 1994, CBS This Morning: Post-trip we popped in on a network TV morning show. Host Paula Zahn tossed Roadside America's gift cow chip at co-host Harry Smith. The throw was a 6-meter power lateral -- Harry attempted to block, but the chip partially fragmented into his face. The moment was replayed endlessly on the best of Talk Soup that year...