Every bunny loves this competition

Eleven-year-old Pebbles Barton broke into a grin as her rabbit, Smokey, reared back on his haunches and lifted his front legs.

His nose gave a little twitch.

“He’s so cute,” she said, breaking into a grin even though she’s seen him stand up hundreds of times before.

Fellow 4-H members Alexia Yates, an 11-year-old at Gene Witt Elementary School, giggled as well as the pair stood in the bunny area of East County resident Sue McGonegal’s farm.

 McGonegal keeps rabbits of her own and lets 4-H’ers use her animals for show if they don’t have rabbits of their own. And, if 4-H’ers don’t have a place for their rabbits, they, too, can stay at McGonegal’s.

Both girls have spent at least an hour each day caring for and working with their rabbits, which they will show in the Manatee County Fair, which starts Jan. 12, at the Manatee County Fairgrounds, in Palmetto.

 The rabbit showmanship competition is at 5 p.m. Jan. 13.

Pebbles, a student at Haile Middle School, watched her older brother, David, now in college, show rabbits in the fair starting five years ago.

She would have to go to McGonegal’s farm, where the rabbit was kept, and wait for her brother to care for his rabbit. She would use the time for some bunny snuggling, but hasn’t shown a rabbit until this year.

Smokey was her brother’s rabbit, and she’s had fun learning Smokey’s personality.

“I’ve learned he doesn’t like things in his face, and he’s ticklish in his abdomen,” Pebbles said of Smokey. “He’s fun to snuggle with. I like to hold him.”

Alexia keeps her rabbit at home, but still spends plenty of time at McGonegal’s property, where she can learn about rabbits and practice her showmanship. Her love of bunnies is evident.

“There’s just something about them that makes me happy,” said Alexia, who smiles every time you say the word “bunny.”

 She’s showing a Netherland dwarf sable marten rabbit named Martin. “I like that they are like dogs, except smaller. I just like having a rabbit. There’s such a thing as a rabbit leash. I broke mine.”

Manatee County’s 4-H clubs show a variety of animals — rabbits, pigs, sheep and horses.

For rabbit showmanship, students present their animals to the judges and go through a checklist of talking points about their rabbits specific breed and anatomy. 

In essence, they perform a wellness check on the animal for the judges, pointing out things like the fact that their rabbit has no white in his eyes — no blindness — or that it has no misaligned teeth, for example.

McGonegal, who shows rabbits nationally, said showmanship of rabbits is about life skills, teaching children public speaking, eye contact, knowledge of a subject and other lessons.

“It’s all about confidence,” she said. “You engage your audience. You can always tell the ones who work with their animals.”

Pebbles said she’s nervous she’ll forget her routine for the judges at her first fair this year.

And as much as she enjoys Smokey, next year she may like to switch to raising a pig like her brother, T.J.

“I think that’d be fun,” she said.