Three Bartholomew County girls who have enjoyed recent success showing rabbits will participate in a national convention Monday through Thursday in Indianapolis.
Leana Shrader, 12, a Columbus Christian School student; Gracie Compton, 12, a Northside Middle School student; and Grace Ann Compton, 10, a Rockcreek Elementary student, will show their rabbits at the 94th American Rabbit Breeders Association convention.
More than 25,000 rabbits from all over the country and other countries will be at the event.
Leana has been raising rabbits for 10 years. She raises three breeds: Florida whites, New Zealand whites and mini lops.
She has been in the Bunny Bunch Rabbit Club, showing her rabbits for the last three years. Leana also shows rabbits on weekends with her younger brother, Gavin, 8.
Leana finished first in the state of Indiana and fifth in the nation in points for the 2016-17 rabbit showing year. She also has won the Grand Champion Meat Pen title at the Bartholomew County Fair for the last three years.
Gracie Compton is a newcomer to 4-H, experiencing her first year. She began going to rabbit shows and fell in love with the English Spot breed, and later discovered the Thrianta breed.
She has won grand champion awards for her rabbits, and one of her Thriantas won the Junior Buck competition at the American Thrianta Rabbit Breeders Association competition the same day one of her English Spots won best doe of a color variety award.
Grace Ann Compton, Gracie’s cousin, shows the Lionhead breed, and has won awards in Indiana and Ohio. Three of her Lionheads have earned grand champion awards.
