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HAMILTON, Ohio (WCPO) — Kelsey Harrington wanted a goat.
Or maybe a cow.
Her mom said no.
So, Harrington asked for a rabbit.
That decision, made years ago, eventually led the 19-year-old into a world she never expected, one filled with competitions, friendships and a community she now calls family.
Harrington has been part of Butler County 4-H for eight years. For the past four, she’s brought her rabbits to the Butler County Fair to compete.
This year, she’s doing it one last time.
Harrington is aging out of the competition, making her final year at her hometown fair a bittersweet one.
But on the first day of this year’s fair, the focus was still on the rabbits.
Harrington stood alongside Gamora, Spark and Mr. Grumpy Pants, three of her show rabbits, waiting for the judging process to play out.
The competition isn’t simply about which rabbit looks the cutest.
Professional rabbit shows follow breed standards established by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, with judges evaluating the animals based on those standards.
Harrington keeps a small stock and currently has just three rabbits of her own.
She’s had rabbits win awards in the past, but what she’s found through the hobby goes beyond ribbons.
“It’s just a whole big family in this barn,” Harrington said.
That’s the part she loves most: the friendships and the community.
The Butler County Fair, in particular, holds a special place for Harrington because it’s home.
She said the fair gives younger kids the opportunity to discover the same passion she found years ago.
“This was me a few years ago,” Harrington said.
She remembers being the kid who wanted to show an animal.
Now, she’s the one helping make that possible for someone else, and that’s part of what makes this final year different.
For Harrington, the fair is a place where she found people who shared her passion, and where she hopes to leave that same sense of community behind when she ages out.
Of course, rabbits aren’t the only reason people come to the Butler County Fair.
The weeklong event, which runs through Aug. 1, has something for just about everyone.
There are carnival rides and games, food that tastes good even if it is not good for you, and plenty of animals.
The schedule also includes a pro rodeo, a demolition derby and live music. Later in the week, local brewers and winemakers will compete in a beer and wine competition.
For some visitors, the fair is a chance to make a family memory. For others, it’s something as simple as enjoying the first corn dog of the season.
But for Harrington, it’s a place that helped turn one little rabbit into something much bigger.
A passion. A community. And, eventually, a family.
And even though this is her last year competing at the Butler County Fair, she hopes the tradition continues with the kids who are just now discovering what she found all those years ago.
Maybe they will come here looking for a ribbon.
Maybe they’ll leave with a new friendship.
Or maybe, like Harrington, they’ll find something they never expected.
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