MOSES LAKE — Remmi Reffett and her rabbit Domino did pretty well at the 2026 Grant County Fair, all things considered. 

“We won Grand Champion in showing,” Reffett said. “And he got Best of Breed and Reserve (Champion) Best in Barn. This is also only my first year showing rabbits.” 

While it was her first year in rabbit competition, Reffett is a veteran of the show ring. Rabbits seemed like a natural choice when she was looking for something new, she said. 

“I thought they’d be fun. Rabbits were my favorite animals, and still are,” she said. “I have showed chickens and pigs, and I wanted something different. Last year it was a pretty hard year with pigs, so I decided I’m going to change to bunnies. It’s been really good so far.” 

Each animal demands different things from its handlers – pigs, for instance, must be taught how to respond to their owners, she said. Competitors have to keep their eyes on the judge as much as possible while guiding their pig around the ring.  

“The pigs – well, with any animal, you don’t know how they’re going to act, even if you practice with them a lot,” she said. 

Rabbits turned out to be no exception to that rule. 

“In the champion round, he kicked the mat off the table, and I thought I lost it there,” she said. 

Some techniques are required for all showmanship competitors, no matter the animal. 

“You’ll still have to stare at the judge,” she said. “I think looking at the judge still helps you a lot.” 

But when it comes to rabbits some things are very different. 

“In pigs, you don’t do questions. Rabbits, it’s mostly all about questions,” Reffett said.  

The judges are interested in how the competitors handle their animals, of course, but they also want to test their knowledge. 

“They ask a lot of difficult questions. You have to study a lot for them,” she said. “They asked me, “What is the dewlap on a rabbit?’ The dewlap is another flap of skin on the mature doe rabbit. And then they asked me, “Would this rabbit, if it was a girl, would it have a dewlap?” Yes, they will. They ask you different breeds and stuff.” 

Even with the challenges, rabbits are fun, Reffett said. 

“Yes, they are very fun. They are definitely a ride because you have to work with them, you have to groom them, you have to study. You have to practice a lot to get to where you want to go,” she said. 

Rabbit competitors look for certain characteristics when choosing their animals, she said. 

“We found a really good breeder,” she said. Domino fit the characteristics she wanted, with a predominately black coat with white patches. He’s characterized as a “broken black.” 

Domino and his owner will be back for competition in 2027, Reffett said.  

“I think he turned out really good,” she said. “He’s a great rabbit.” 

    Grand champion showmanship winner Remmi Reffett with her reserve champion rabbit Domino.