COEUR d'ALENE — Enthusiastic children surrounded Ashlynn Sullivan in the rabbit barn as they reached up to pet Mae, the chestnut Holland lop she held in her arms.

"She has an amazing showman personality," Ashlynn said Friday while exhibiting her rabbit at the North Idaho State Fair. "She won me two awards last year and this year."

Ashlynn, 12, of Coeur d'Alene, has been a member of the Cloverfield 4-H Club for three years. She joined because her friend was showing rabbits in 4-H, and as a lover of the smaller critters, she thought she'd give it a try too.

“Raising a rabbit is quite interesting. It depends on the type of rabbit you have. For Holland lops, they tend to be on the more docile side for the does, which are females," she said. "(Mae) is used to me, and she knows when it's show time."

Besides learning to be a rabbit whisperer, Ashlynn said she's noticed a positive change in herself in the time she's been in the club.

"In my first year I was very shy," she said. "I was very quiet. But in the three years that I’ve done 4-H, I’ve learned to speak up and have more confidence."

Hundreds of hardworking youths have spent the year raising animals and conducting different projects to present and/or sell at the North Idaho State Fair. These range from knitting and photography to environment projects and expressive art.

"It's a lot harder than it looks," said Colton Gregg, 17, of Athol, who is presenting a more than 1,400-pound steer named "Jaeger." "It's a lot of work, a lot of work. You have to be consistent with (steers) because if you don't, they go backwards and get a little wild."

Colton is in his fifth year of 4-H and third year showing steer. He wakes up early and spends countless hours tending to Jaeger. While many teenagers are out with friends and enjoying free time outside of school, 4-H participants dedicate themselves to their animals and club activities.

"It's a lifestyle at this point," Colton said. "I’m always the kid that’s like, ‘Nah, I got to go home and work with the animals.' But in the end, it’s’ pretty rewarding. You get to learn a lot of money and time management, a lot of life skills."

4-H, which stands for "head, heart, hands and health," is a worldwide network of youth organizations to teach children and young adults responsibility, citizenship and life skills. Those who raise and sell livestock learn about agriculture, the life cycle, the market value of their animals and how to overcome emotional attachments that may make it difficult to say "goodbye."

"It's always tough, but you get to the point where you have to look at them not as a pet but more as a project," Colton said. "The little ones have the toughest times. But the older I get, not necessarily the easier it gets, but the more it makes sense."

Many of the show animals are personal pets. Kehra Pennington, 19, of Spirit Lake, is in her 14th and final year of 4-H and has spent several of those years showing goats. She said she prefers goats and enjoys spending time with them.

"It's kind of like having a dog," she said. "They're really neat. They're very personable, and they pick their one person they kind of bond with. They'll be your best friend."

Kehra and her friend, Beatrice Cheevers, 13, of Post Falls, belong to the Klassy Kritters 4-H Club. They were looking forward to taking Kehra's goats — 10-year-old pygmy, Tweed, and 6-month-old mini-Nubian, Baize — through the new goat obstacle course at the fair.

"4-H has taught me so much," Kehra said. "Learn from your mistakes, always be a good sport and remember, there’s always next year."

The North Idaho State Fair 4-H stock sale of sheep, swine, beef and goat opens at 8:15 this morning in the Jacklin Building at the southeast side of the fairgrounds.