Storm Lake Mini Rex is a State Fair Champion

Sara Eddie’s rabbit hops ahead of competition

By DOLORES CULLEN

Sara Eddie’s black and white Mini Rex rabbit beat out all the other show rabbits in the 2014 Iowa State Fair FFA Rabbit Show Aug 7.

Then it beat out all the meat rabbits, and finally, head to head with a 15-pound brown Flemish Giant. Sara’s small furry competitor was judged Best of Show out of all 236 rabbits in this year’s contest.

Who can’t resist a Mini Rex though? It’s a 3½- pound bunny with a sweet personality and a coat that feels like deep velvet.

They come in a dozen colors, including Sarah’s black and white spotted variety called “broken.”

Winners like Sara’s have a nice, round body and fur shorter than 7/8-inch. Judges check for these things.

Her purple banner and accompanying ribbons join the collection at the Eddie farm just east of Truesdale.

Sara, a senior at Sioux Central High School, is the only member of the school’s FFA program who raises rabbits competitively.

She’s been showing rabbits since she was in fifth grade. Her first rabbit was named Bob, her second, Snowflake.

Sara’s rabbits don’t have names now, although she said she’d make one up if necessary.

The Mini Rexes are quiet, and appear happy, housed in clean, well-ventilated cages stacked upon one another in a homemade building under a tree on the farm.

Rabbits come in bucks and does. Sara brought eight to the state fair. Out of around 30-some Mini Rexes entered, she won first and second in Fancy Senior Buck, first and second in Fancy Senior Doe, first and second in Fancy Junior Buck and first and third in Fancy Junior Doe.

From there she won: Champion and Reserve Champion Mini Rex; Champion Four Class Breed, Champion Fur and Wool and Champion Color Fur.

It’s Sara’s fifth year entering the state fair.

Raising rabbits isn’t profitable money-wise for the Eddies, although it probably could be if they got into the marketing end of it, says Sarah. With their reputation for Mini Rexes, their farm would be the likely go-to place for 4-Hers looking for project animals.

To see how her animals compare to the bigger breeders in the state, Sara has entered the Rabbit Open Class competition at the Iowa State Fair this weekend. She’ll also enter the Clay County Fair.

A few more ribbons or maybe even a banner would be a hoppy ending for a successful year.