Three Decatur Co. 4-H'ers help boy with disorder compete in rabbit show

Find out how he did at the rabbit show!

(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – A first-year 4-H member is having a memorable experience at the Decatur County Fair this week. 

9-year-old Oliver Hunter has Epilepsy and another disorder that causes some mobility issues with his arm. 

He didn’t let those obstacles scare him away from submitting his name for the rabbit show. 

Oliver has worked this entire year preparing his rabbit, TT, for the competition which was held on Saturday morning.

Veteran 4-H Members step up 

In the rabbit barn, some longtime 4-H members noticed Oliver and other new members setting up in the rabbit barn, and they wanted to help him out.

Anna Marie Hackman and Jenna Meyer have both been involved in 4-H for several years. 

Hackman and Meyer spent several days helping Oliver practice his showmanship before the competition. 

Another member, Madelyn Bedel, also helped Oliver get ready for the show by teaching him how to groom his rabbit, along with other aspects of showmanship. 

Bedel was also by Oliver’s side during the rabbit show on Saturday as she assisted him and even carried his rabbits to the judges. 

"She had all of her rabbits to be judged, plus his to help get them up on the table. She helped to just make sure the rabbits were safe and secure, as she also helped get some bunnies out of the cages as Oliver struggles with that," his mother, Jessica said.

The hard work of Oliver, and those who assisted him paid off, as he won Best In Show! 

“There are just a lot of great helpers in the rabbit barn that helped throughout the show, especially Madelyn, as she not only helped him but also had her own rabbits to show,” Jessica said.

“Anna Marie, Jenna and Madelyn are just so sweet and they just helped him out every step of the way,” she added. 

Oliver’s mother is also thanking Mary Beth and Josh Meyer, along with Kim and Andrew Gauck who oversee the rabbit barn. 

Mary Beth and Kim both helped Oliver during the ambassador test and the Breed ID test.