By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
BERRIEN SPRINGS – Hanna and Hunter Dickinson seem to have their hands full at the Berrien County Youth Fair – literally.
The siblings from Buchanan are part of the Rabbit Habit Club and on Tuesday, they had two of their rabbits win Best of Show and one won Best of Opposite (sex).
"It was exciting to win," Hunter said.
Talking about their rabbits, Hanna explained that Maggie and Elizabeth both earned the Best of Breed honors, while Lucky won the Best Opposite.
The two also had three market rabbits, not including Maggie, Elizabeth and Luckey.
Six rabbits may seem like a lot, but that's only the beginning. The brother and sister duo also had Pepper, Maggie 2, Midnite, Rachel and Oliver, meaning all together, they have 11 rabbits at the fair.
"And we still have another one at home," Hunter said.
Both agreed that they keep very busy taking care of their hoppity friends, but the work itself is actually not too hard.
"We have to do even more before the fair, like make sure they are clean and we can't overfeed them," Hanna said. "But we take care of them and it actually isn't that hard because they are so small."
The two began showing rabbits just two years ago. They started with just two rabbits.
"They do such a good job, I am so proud of them," Tammie Garmire, mother of Hanna and Hunter, said Thursday. "They do most of the work and they really enjoy what they do. I would love to see them become 4-H leaders someday."
The two were quick to talk about their rabbits and the different personalities they have.
Oliver is a "very lazy rabbit and he likes to lay on your shoulder," Hunter continued. "Maggie 2 is shy and doesn't like to be held. Midnite loves to be out and is very friendly. Rachel is the shyest and just stays in the corner and Pepper, well, he's very curious."
It was clear to see all of the personalities of the rabbits as the siblings, along with the help of a few others, tried lining up all 11 rabbits at once at a table.
One rabbit would stay in place just fine, while another tried an Olympic leap to the other end of the table. One tried eating the award ribbons and another appeared to be dancing in a circle.
"This is the fun part," Hunter said as he tried to keep four rabbits in place. "They just have minds of their own."
The rabbits were a hit with visitors to the rabbit barn, as a crowd of people gathered to watch as five people tried to control 11 rabbits.
"These are all yours?" one girl asked. "Yes, all of them are," Hanna answered.
After the rabbits were safely put back in their temporary homes, Hanna and Hunter both admitted they would love to continue showing in the years to come.
"It gives us something to do and we really like our rabbits," Hunter added.