Sarah Bazell became the first in her family to take home a grand champion livestock prize from the Delaware County Fair this week when her rabbits were named Champion Pen of 2 Roasters.
A senior at Canal Winchester High School and a member of the Barnyard Busters 4-H Club, Bazell said Thursday she wasn’t too nervous going into this year’s Pen of 2 Roasters competition.
“I didn’t really think much of it,” Bazell said. “I knew we had good rabbits this year, but we had never placed with our rabbits before so I thought of it as a normal year.”
Bazell added she’s been involved in 4-H since her older brother, Blaine, became involved in 4-H when she was 6 years old. At the age of 9, she began showing her own animals and has been raising market rabbits and chickens with her brother for years.
Bazell was surprised when she and her rabbits won the grand prize.
“I was just having fun with it and then when it got down to the top 10 and the top 3, I was excited that we placed,” she said.”(After I learned I won) I could not feel my hands. I was shaking. I’m the first in my extended family to every win grand champion in livestock. I was just so happy.”
Bazell said winning the award made this year’s fair “more special” to her.
“It made it seem like all the hard work I’ve done for the past however many years of 4-H made it worth it in the end,” she said. “It made me appreciate going to the fair a lot more. I love riding rides and eating food, so I look forward to that. I’m a race car driver, so I enjoy watching the motorsports.”
Bazell said she’s thankful to parents, Shawntel and Brian, for always providing her with supplies and to her grandparents for always supporting her at the fair. She added she shares the award with her brother since they raise their animals together.
“We do this as a team effort,” she said.
Bazell plans to compete with her pen of rabbits again next year.
“I’m confident with my rabbit breeders that we will do well next year,” she said.
