SEMO FAIR: ANIMALS MAKE APPEARANCES

There was enough primping and grooming going on at the SEMO District Fair Tuesday to put even the busiest beauty parlor to shame.

Hands were kept busy washing, brushing and blow-drying animals in preparation for various competitions scheduled through the rest of the week. Students from area 4-H clubs and Future Farmers of America chapters worked hard throughout the morning and afternoon putting the finishing touches on a wide variety of animals including cattle, rabbits, guinea pigs, roosters and even pigeons they would enter into club competition.

Nonmembers of the two agricultural groups were also able to get involved in the contests. These students entered their animals in open competitions against other nonmembers.

Judges will prod, stroke, blow and otherwise evaluate animals through the last day of the fair on Saturday. Special livestock sales will also take place on Thursday.

Brandy Boyd, a college freshman and member of the Oak Ridge 4-H club, said the SEMO Fair's livestock competitions are a family affair. Her father and an uncle compete yearly at the event, she said, and getting involved "just seemed natural."

Boyd said preparation for competition takes a lot of work. A lot of time must be spent getting the cattle halter-broken, said Boyd, who is in her third year of cattle showings. After they are used to wearing a halter, a person has to make sure the animal will remain calm and allow itself to be led around, she said. The animal's grooming is also very important, she said.

Judges can tell when people only put in a couple of months with the animals, Boyd said. She has worked with the two bulls and one heifer she brought to this year's showing since last November.

"It takes a lot more work than people realize," she said. "I think it's a lot of fun. I'm a social person, and this is a family thing for us. I just like meeting new people and working with the animals."

Raising rabbits is a family hobby for Andrea and Kyle Kieninger of Jackson. Both siblings competed in an open rabbit showing Tuesday afternoon. Andrea said her hobby began with four rabbits while she was a member of her local 4-H club, and now she has more than 30. Kyle enjoyed being around her rabbits, she said, and later decided to get his own.

Although there are small cash prizes, ribbons and trophies for winning animals, the Kieningers said they simply enjoyed raising rabbits, and bringing them to competition allows them to compare their pets with other people.

Their reason for raising rabbits as opposed to another pet was simple: "They're easier to take care of than dogs," Andrea said.