Some girlfriends share clothes. Some girlfriends share make-up. Others share chocolate. But two friends in Wolf Creek Township have at least two things in common: cows, and most recently, awards.

Franchesca "Frankie" Rapp, 14, a freshman at Grove City High School, and Amanda Coulter, 15, a sophomore, became friends when Frankie's family moved to Wolf Creek Township from Clintonville when Frankie was in third grade.

Frankie and her cow O'Colter Leo Marky, competed in the All-American Eastern National Holstein Show in Harrisburg on Sept. 26, which covers 39 states and three Canadian provinces and over 3,500 head of cattle.

Together they placed first, or senior champion, in the junior division, for those age 21 and under. Frankie also received the Reserve Grand Champion in junior division, and sixth in the open division. Marky was also nominated for Junior All-American 4-year-old, so Frankie and Marky will soon be heading to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the junior world championship show.

And though Frankie gives a lot of credit to her family and the Coulter family, her friendship with Amanda is the main reason she stuck it out in her fourth year of showing cows. And that's no bull.

"I am very excited. I cannot believe I would actually make it this far to compete against true professionals. Its just so thrilling," said Frankie. "But I could never take all of the credit, no way. It's really been a group project."

A bout with mononucleosis at the end of the school year and the beginning of summer put a damper on Frankie's cow-showing season. But Amanda didn't want to see Frankie lose her chance.

"I worked her cow for her while she was in the hospital. I worked both our cows, bathed the cows, clipped the cows with my mom's help," Amanda said, referring to her mother Dee Coulter. "I was so afraid she wouldn't do so well because she didn't have much time with the cow to bond."

But at Frankie's first show with Markey this summer -- an open circuit show the last week of July in Stoneboro -- they placed second in the 4-year-old junior division, fifth place in the open division, Reserve Senior champion and Reserve Junior champion in the Junior Division against 300 cows. Reserve champion is similar to second place in other contests.

"I was so thrilled. I was so happy for her," said Amanda. "I told her 'This is really your year.' "

Amanda knows what she's talking about because she has won many awards for showing cows, most recently winning fifth in the state 4-H competition this summer, and she also plans on attending the national competition with her friend.

"I'm going because she wants me too, and the cow is from the farm, and since I'm the next generation for the Coulter farm, I get all these nice responsibilities," she said with a laugh. "Its a great thrill to have my best friend winning this with one of our cows."

The girl's parents agree that the two work well together. "They work things out. Amanda is really good at clipping, so she'll clip the cows while Frankie works on other things with the cows," said Amanda's mother, Dee. "They just get along so well," added Frankie's mother, Anna Marie McDowell.

Frankie, who also recently took first place in the four-year old Holstein Division, Senior Reserve champion, Reserve Grand champion, against 1,000 head of cattle at the state 4-H show, acknowledged that it was her friend, and their families, that helped make it all happen.

"Really, the magic was how we all came together about this cow," Frankie said. "How we learned her weaknesses, the many hours of preparation and feeding. Its totally unbelievable. I've never done anything this great. Its mind-boggling. I really can't believe it to this day."

You can contact Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com