CONNOQUENESSING TWP — The Butler Farm Show opened Monday with young competitors clipping, grooming and rinsing their animals for show.

Emily Speer, 13, of Portersville was busy clipping her older brother's 1,100-pound Ayrshire dairy cow, Summer, that's scheduled to be shown today and Thursday.

“She's just getting a haircut,” she said.

Her 10-year-old brother, Hunter, also helped with clipping. Summer's owner, Zach Speer, 20, watched nearby while caring for another animal.

Emily also is showing two cows and a calf of her own. They're named Natasha, Spade and Navy.

“(The judges) are looking for their 'dairy-ness,'” she said.

Everything from udders, legs, and a straight back are examined.

Emily, who has been competing in the farm show since she was 8, enjoys competition.

It's a learning process, she said: “Just seeing everyone else's animals. If you do something different ... you can learn off someone else.”

In the rabbit barn, Dylan Eyth, 11, of Butler carefully brushed his American fuzzy lop bunny, Java. Its hair is soft and fine, almost like cotton candy. But the beauty comes at a price: Dylan's orange Luke Bryan T-shirt was covered in hair.

“You brush them a lot,” he said. “They're high maintenance.”

Despite having to brush his bunny at least once a day, he said it's a worthwhile effort.

“When I saw one of these, I melted. I fell in love,” he said.

He held the bunny up from his lap, and added, “Look at this and tell me one reason not to (have one).”

Dylan has entered American fuzzy lop bunnies in competition for the past two years. His bunny Java won first place in best opposite sex and best opposite variety at the farm show on Monday.

He also competes in the horse and cow competitions.

“You have a lot of fun,” he said. “It's cool when you're competing against your friends. ... You never know who wins what.”

Out by the horse stables, Aurora Ray, 11, of Gibsonia was rinsing off her miniature horse Prince, which is black with a white spot on his forehead. Aurora is competing for her first time today.

“I just started doing this three or four weeks ago,” she said.

She practiced what's done on the field during show: The horse is taken to the middle for inspection, the number is called to go up front, and the judge asks them to trot.

Competing with horses is something she's learning from her grandparent.

Heidi Scheerbaum of West Sunbury said two of her other granddaughters and a niece also are competing. Altogether they're competing with 10 horses.

“Once we all retire, somebody needs to carry it on,” Scheerbaum said. “So we have to get the kids interested.”

The 66th annual Butler Farm Show continues through Saturday on Route 68 west of Butler.