Bement seventh-grader's rabbits hop past competition at Illinois State Fair

Joey Wright, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·2 min read

Aug. 20—SPRINGFIELD — Chesney Thornton wasn't in attendance for her first three days of seventh grade at Bement Middle School.

The hare-raising reason why: She was busy showcasing her award-winning pen of rabbits at the Illinois State Fair.

Thornton's identical trio of fluffy white rabbits — Mandy, Lucy and Carl — fetched a fair-record $7,600 after winning the fair's Grand Champion Meat Pen award.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an incredible experience," said Amy Thornton, Chesney's mother. "I never thought we'd ever make it on the floor of the coliseum."

The Thornton family began raising rabbits five years ago, when capturing the state's top prize seemed like a carrot dangling in the distance.

Rabbit raising isn't easy work, and the odds weren't necessarily in the Thorntons' favor entering this year's state fair.

"Typically, you'll have a lot of litters to try to get a meat pen to take to the state fair, because the competition is really stiff," Amy Thornton said. "But (this year) we had one litter to pick from ... if the odds could have been any more against us, I don't know what that would have been like."

Meat pen rabbits have to be under 70 days old and essentially identical in weight, type and appearance. Mandy, Lucy and Carl stood out among about 30 other pens of hares vying for the top spot.

Strong genetics are a major factor in raising a meat pen, but diet contributes a big part as well. The Thorntons own about 100 rabbits in total and each needs its own cage, hay, dish and food.

"They're blowing through feed bags," Thornton said.

In addition to the price of the purchase (which was split by Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, George Obernagel and Robert Nelson), the victory netted Thornton a $5,000 scholarship.

Best of all: she was still showing off Mandy, Lucy and Carl in the hall of champions while her classmates were putting pencil to paper in Bement.

"She's a very good student for us," Bement Middle School Principal Doug Kepley said. "She makes good grades, she's hard working ... it's just a really neat thing that she's able to do.

"It's always difficult to miss the first couple of days, but if there's anyone who can come back and pick right up where she needs to and be successful, it will be Chesney."