More than 7,000 Minnesota youth are with their animals at the State Fair this year. They come with their families, their 4H clubs or FFA chapters. It takes a lot of time and some money to get yourself and your animal to the fair and be part of a competition and hopefully win that blue ribbon.
A little extra financial help goes a long way. So the Minnesota State Fair foundation has a grant program for first time fair goers to bring their animals to show at the fair. They are called BELLE grants, which stands for Beginning Exhibitor Livestock Learning Experience. The $250 to $500 grants defray the cost of travel, feed and animal show supplies.
This year Denica Sleiter of Morris, Minn. is one of those lucky grant winners. On Friday, Cathy talked to Denica and her mentor, Kianna Dolezal. Kianna is an experiences hand at showing all kinds of livestock. Both young women showed rabbits at the fair this weekend.
Tell me about your rabbits.
Denica: I have a Flemish giant here at the State Fair. It's light gray and it weighs 10 pounds.
I'm kind of curious, as the mentor in this team, how do you help Danica?
Kianna: So I went to her house and I helped her with some showmanship tips. So in showmanship, you present yourself to show your animal off the best. And so there are a lot of tips and little tricks to like do that really well.
Showmanship is not easy. I think people think that it's all the animal you know, you're obviously the animals being judged. Right? The showmanship is a big, big deal.
Kianna: Yes. I've shown every animals showmanship. And rabbit is the hardest, like, in my opinion, my personal experience, rabbit is the hardest because there's a book that they can ask you anything in that book about any of the breeds, and they can know the right answer. And so it's it's quite a challenging thing. But it's also a lot of fun when you do well.
Was it what was the biggest surprise to you?
Denica: I learned that when you're bringing your rabbit up to the table for it to get judged. I thought the people that standing there with their rabbit in their arms were just like, didn't know what was happening. But I learned now that people know what they are doing.
So you're allowed to hold the rabbits?
Kianna: So when you get to the table generally you won't set the animal down until the judge invites you because it shows you're a bit more professional and you're waiting for the judges. Because maybe the table the previous rabbit peed on it so they want to clean that off first. Maybe they're switching tables or something, so if you stand there and wait until you're invited then the judge is ready to judge and do stuff.
It must be really hard
Kianna: It can be yes because you don't know what questions you're gonna be asked, you don't know who's in the ring with you,
Danica, what has been the hardest question so far?
Danica: They've all been pretty hard especially when you're under pressure. You completely forget everything you know.
Has your mentorship been done before?
Kianna: I think it's been done previously one year before in the BELLE Grant program and I think they’re trying to keep it going because it's really good to get somebody who’s been to the State Fair and can tell you a little bit more.
When you get in the ring what are you judged on? What is the rabbit judged on?
Kianna: So when it's not showmanship the rabbit can be judged on what the standard says the perfect breed is for that rabbit. So I have satins and so when I go into the ring, the judge is looking to make sure my satins have their guard hairs and their hairs is shiny, which happens because of a mutation, it's what they're known for. And that the body type that their back arches the correct way.
So as your as you said previously, any questions fair game that the judge might ask you?
Kianna: Only in showmanship in the normal classes you put your rabbit on the table immediately. You immediately pose them, it's to get them to show off the best thing. And then the judge will come in, they'll feel the rabbit and they'll pose them their way.
What would you tell kids nowadays about being afraid of entering?
Danica: Well, first, that's really fun. And you learn a lot of different skills with different kinds of animals. It's fun, really enjoyable,
What would you say to a young person who might be thinking about 4-H?
Kianna: It lets you get out there, meet people and try new things. Get out of your comfort zone in a good way. That's fun. And if you decide to do livestock or horses, anything like that, you can just try things.
