Hare-raising experiences at the McHenry County Fair

"You touch. You get bit! Your problem!" reads the admonition on a makeshift sign near the entrance of the rabbit barn at the McHenry County Fair.

Of course it should be no surprise to those who visit that the usually calm animals were a bit on edge Thursday morning.

Twitching in their cages, perhaps from pre-judgment nerves, the animals awaited their turn to be showcased in the junior rabbit show.

Cary resident Eileen Overbye was just relieved that Elvis, her son Dakota's rabbit, still had his shiny coat of hair.

"Last year he just blew his coat overnight in the heat. I was so happy when I came in this morning and saw that he still had hair," Overbye said.

Elvis redeemed himself this year and was rewarded with a bright blue first-place ribbon on his cage.

Many of the children who had entered their rabbits in the competition were members of 4H.

This youth organization encourages its members to learn about a variety of topics, including agriculture.

"It's great ... the parents get involved and the kids get to do so many different projects," said Crystal Lake resident Gayle Beirau.

Beirau's 12-year-old son, Tom, had entered his pet rabbit, Lucky.

The rabbit, which is brushed and groomed before the show, had already lived up to his name and won in his category at a show exclusive to 4H members held the previous day.

"We'll breed Lucky so Tom has babies to show at the fair next year," Beirau said.

The McHenry County Fair, at Route 47 and Country Club Road in Woodstock, will continue through Sunday.