It's raining rabbits

Even rain couldn't damper the excitement at the Allen County Fairgrounds today. Opening day at the fair featured Horse Completion and Showmanship, the 4-H Swine, Sheep and Llama Entry, and my favorite, the Rabbit Show.

As a first time spectator I never could have imagined how many categories of rabbits there are. On the docket this afternoon were Dutch, Lops, Spotted, Rex, New Zealand, and the heavyweights of the rabbit kingdom, the Flemish Giant, weighing in at a whopping 30-40 pounds! The competitors brought their rabbits to the center of the ring at the show barn ten or so at a time, where a certified judge inspected each for criteria like weight and appearance. Around 100 spectators turned out to watch the show, some, like me, out of sheer curiosity. A day at the fair would not be complete without a trip to the Small Animal Barn, where you can check out all the winning rabbits this week.

Today was also the Horse Completion and Showmanship, which took place at the Horse Arena. Horses typically don't mind the rain, keepers told me, but some will roll in the mud to dry off their wet backs. The competitors did their best to keep their horses clean and out of the mud during the competition, but some still gave in to the temptation. A trip through the horse barn is well worth it to see all the different decorations put up by kids around the horse stalls. This year there was both a jungle theme and horse movie theme going on, and some of the stalls were lavishly decorated. I understand they will be judged for decorative awards later in the week.

The last place I visited was the Llama Barn, where about a hundred or so llamas beat the heat by enjoying the cool breeze of electric fans. With all that wool, llama owners have to be on the lookout for any signs of over heated llamas. Some will shave a strip of wool around the llama's midsection to keep them cool, while others use the fans. If they get too hot they will get dizzy and disoriented owners tell me, which would not be good for the llama obstacle course coming up in a few days. I can guarantee you I won't be missing that!