Submitted photo | Weaver family

The three Weaver sisters made rabbit showmanship history when each sister placed first in their individual categories on July 30. Pictured left to right are Mercy, Rachel, and Virginia Weaver, who won the intermediate, senior, and junior divisions.

XENIA — To the Weaver girls, rabbits are serious business and they know their rabbits. The three sisters pulled off a rare event in rabbit showmanship July 30.

All three — members of the Creative Christian Clovers 4-H club — won their individual categories. Rachel (16 years old) won the senior division, Mercy (12) won the intermediate, and Virginia (10) won the junior. The “trifecta” of siblings competing and winning in three separate categories in showmanship has not been achieved according to area competitors.

Rachel has been breeding and showing Dutch rabbits since 2019. She won “Best of Breed” (Dutch) at the American Association of Rabbit Breeders (ARBA) National Convention in Reno, Nevada, in November 2002. She passed her interest in raising rabbits on to her younger sisters and has been helping them with their showmanship presentation skills.

“It was really gratifying after all the work they put in for all of us to win,” Rachel said. “I am really proud of them all and how hard they worked.”

For Mercy , who wants to work on her presentation skills for next year’s rabbit show, placing first in her competition was a shock.

“I was so surprised. I did not think I was even going to place,” she said. “It felt good to win after all Rachel did to help prepare us.”

Mark and Samantha Weaver, who own a six-acre property just outside Xenia, are happy to support their daughters’ interest and fascination with rabbits and encourage their involvement in their 4-H group.

“We’re really proud of our girls. They learned a lot of life skills through this whole process,” Mark said. “They’re starting to learn about other animals than rabbits as well.”

Reach Karen Rase at 937-502-4534.