COFFEYVILLE, KAN. (August 14, 2019) – The third generation of showmen in the rabbit is making his appearance.
Bryson Phillips, four-year-old son of Krissy Phillips and Benjamin Haddox, and the grandson of Clemo and Berneta Phillips, won the Best of Breed mini-rex title with his doe at the Rabbit Show during the Inter-State Fair in Coffeyville.
His dad, Benjamin, showed rabbits as a youngster, his aunt Lizbeth showed, as did his paternal grandparents.
Bryson’s rabbit was given to him by his aunt, Benjamin’s sister, Lizbeth Edwards, when the boy was six months old.
Edwards has helped Bryson with feeding and caring for his rabbits, including a second rabbit he also showed at the fair.
The Haddox family got started in rabbits when Lizbeth was nine years old.
“She came home carrying a rabbit that somebody had given her, and it just exploded from there,” her dad, Clemo, said.
The whole family got into showing, traveling across the country, from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Louisville, Kent., and all over Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. “We met a lot of good people,” Clemo said.
He believes that caring for and showing rabbits has taught his kids, and will now teach his grandson, a lot. “It teaches them responsibility,” he said. It’s learning about the real world, he thinks. “Not everybody’s going to be a winner, and if you want to win, you’re going to have to work hard. That’s a fact of life.”
At their peak the Haddoxes had 300 rabbits. Now they’re at about 100. Lizbeth, who lives in Cherryvale, raises and sells for shows and as pets.
The rabbit show is sponsored by the Coffeyville Rotary Club and DC Juntiques. The judge was R.C. Crowe, Fordland, Mo.
Rabbit Show Results, Inter-State Fair, Coffeyville, Kansas
Open Breed Champions:
Mini rex champion: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Mini lop champion: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Mini satin champion: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Satin champion: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Best of Class 4 Mini lop: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Best of Class 6 Satin: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Best of Show Mini lop: Lisbeth Edwards, Cherryvale, Kan.
Junior Breed Champions:
Hotots: Halle Hayes, Coffeyville, Kan.
Dutch: Halle Hayes, Coffeyville, Kan.
Mini rex: Bryson Phillips, Coffeyville, Kan.
Grand Champion, Best of Class 4 and Best of show mini rex: Bryson Phillips, Coffeyville, Kan.
Reserve grand champion hotot: Halle Hayes
Junior showmanship
Halle Hayes
Bryson Phillips
