ROME TOWNSHIP — Feeling speechless could best describe the emotions of the duo who took the top prizes in the rabbit competition at the Lawrence County Fair.

The winners were announced after the mid-morning judging of the animals.

Taking the grand champion trophy was Shelby Belville, 15, of Waterloo and a member of the Starlite 4-H club. Shelby is a student at Symmes Valley and this was her sixth year competiting in the rabbit category.

“I was real excited,” Shelby said when she heard the judges’ decision. “I didn’t know what to say.”

Pulling in the reserve champion prize was Joseph Williams, 11, of South Point and a member of the Soaring Eagles 4-H club.

“This is pretty amazing,” Joseph said. “I’ve never really got something this big before.”

Joseph is a member of the 4-H club that his mother, Donna Williams, started about three years ago. Joseph’s father, Steve Williams, and Jeanne Schneider, are also advisers of the club.

At first keeping up with feeding and watering the animals proved the main challenge for Joseph.

But after a while, you get used to it,” he said. “And it becomes fun.”