Milk Maid

With graduation around the corner, that means that hot summer weather is rapidly approaching. Once summer arrives, so does the summer show season.

To prepare for upcoming 4-H and youth shows, many clubs and organizations like to host clinics, similar to sports clinics, just with animals.

A few months ago, I was visiting with family friends of ours from Murray County. We discussed how Pipestone and Lyon Counties used to host 4-H rabbit clinics every spring, but for one reason or another, they stopped holding those clinics.

As a result, there’s been an increase in unshowable rabbits exhibited by 4-Hers and an increase of 4-Hers that don’t know how to properly show rabbits. I remember when my brothers and I got our first rabbits, we didn’t know anything about what makes a good show rabbit and how to show rabbits at the fair.

My parents took us to clinics and shows at other counties so we could learn. We spent a lot of time practicing with judges and learning from other 4-Hers and parents.

The lessons and information they shared with us really helped us build a solid foundation so we could be successful in 4-H.

Without learning from those clinics, I doubt that my herd would be nearly as successful as it is today and I always take the time to share my knowledge with 4-Hers and their families. I feel it’s important to pay it forward and I remember what it was like in their shoes.

Our Murray County friends agreed and we banded together with some volunteers from other Southwest Minnesota counties and decided to do something about it.

On Sunday, May 6, the first annual Southwest Minnesota 4-H Rabbit Fun Show will be held at the Murray County Fairgrounds in Slayton.

Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and the clinic begins at Noon. There will be a show, showmanship demonstrations and classes, a breed identification contest, judging clinic and a costume contest!

The show has a slight cost, but everything else is free and open to any 4-H family that wants to learn and have fun. Plenty of knowledgeable people will be there to answer questions too.

I hope to see many excited and curious youth from the area there. It’s the perfect way to hop into the summer show season!