# A few farm show winners!



## Becknutt (Jan 6, 2008)

S. Lebanon teen âpretty luckyâ for his triumphant rabbit
By CHRIS SHOLLY
Staff Writer
Lebanon Daily News



HARRISBURG â Dylan Lape was anxious while the judge kept coming back to look over his rabbit, a Dutch breed he named Otis. 
âUsually the judges look at the ones they like the best a couple times,â the 15-year-old said. âAnd he looked at mine a couple times, and I got real excited.â 
Finally, the judge picked Otis for top honors at the 92nd Pennsylvania Farm Show yesterday. 
Lapeâs win was the first time the South Lebanon Township student won Best of Four Category â the cream of the crop â in the Youth Division. 
One of the criteria judges consider in selecting winners for the Dutch breed is its markings, said Lape, whose rabbit is black and white. 
âAll the lines where the black meets the white, thatâs supposed to be straight, and it goes all the way around his stomach,â he explained. 
Markings on the face, feet and ears are also checked, he said. Judges also inspect the body type. 
âItâs very hard to raise a Dutch to have very good markings like 
this one does,â he explained. âI got pretty lucky with this one.â 
Lape bought the rabbit two years ago. It was one of five he had in this yearâs show. 
âSomeone told me they didnât think he was that good when I bought him,â he said. âI bought him for breeding, but heâs turned out pretty good.â 
Lapeâs brother, Daulton, 13, also won a couple of awards yesterday, including Best of Variety and Best of Opposite Sex Breed. 
Collin and Emilie Rhoads, children of Teahl and Jennifer Rhoads of Annville, took home some prizes this year, too. Emilie, 11, won Best of Opposite Sex Breed with a mini rex. Her brother, Collin, 9, won Best of Variety with a mini rex and one Best of Variety with a Dutch breed yesterday. The family had 16 rabbits at the show this year. 
âThis is their second year (at the Farm Show),â Jennifer Rhoads said. 
Collin and Emilie received a couple of rabbits as Easter gifts several years ago and decided they wanted to become involved with the 4-H program. Emilie, for one, was excited her rabbit won. 
âI was very happy when she got Best of Opposite Sex Breed,â she said. 
After her morning win, Emilie began to prepare for the showmanship category set for yesterday afternoon. 
âI moved up from junior to intermediate, so Iâm (competing) with some older kids now,â she said. âIâve been studying really hard.â 
In showmanship, contestants tell the judge about their rabbits, then demonstrate their skills in evaluating their animals before the judge. 
Some other Lebanon County winners in the rabbit show were Hannah Kiscadden, whose animal took the Best of Six Youth Division, and Tim Werner, who took a second place in the Meat Pen with his New Zealand black rabbits.


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## pamnock (Jan 6, 2008)

I judged the Dutch at the farm show (as well as the Mini Lops), so was thrilled to hear that one of "my" Best of Breed rabbits was chosen as overall Best In Show 

I judged the Open Best in Show and picked a Mini Satin.

Pam


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