Cullman County 4-H hosts Youth Pet Show at fair

CULLMAN, Ala. – With great pets comes great responsibility to show them to the world. Contestants showed up to the Cullman County 4-H Youth Pet Show at the Cullman County Fair, eager to showcase their wonderful pets to the community. From a cat dressed as a pirate to a rabbit sporting a hot dog, pets provided a fun spectacle across multiple categories.

The competition was divided into two main divisions: “Pets Other than Dogs” and a “Dogs” division, each featuring several classes. Pets were judged on different criteria depending on the class they entered, with awards given to the top three in each class.

The judge for the event was Shelley Byrd, a veteran of the AKC (American Kennel Club) dog show world, with over 30 years of experience. Byrd, who hails from Morgan County, co-owns a Border Terrier ranked in the top 20 in the United States.

The competition kicked off with the Best Dressed category in the “Pets Other than Dogs” division. Five contestants made their way to the center arena, where they had the opportunity to explain their costume concepts to Byrd. Each pet was carefully judged on creativity, presentation and how well they embodied their unique outfits.

From left to right: Nella Randall with Einstein Albert Randall (third place), Aspen Bales with Kitcat (second place) and Austin Bales with Cosmic Brownie, the first-place winner for Best Dressed in the “Pets Other than Dogs” division. (Gauge Day)

Austin Bales claimed first place with his rabbit, appropriately named Cosmic Brownie, with their tandem hot dog vendor and hotdog getup. The final standings for the Best Dressed class were as follows:

• 1^st – Austin Bales with Cosmic Brownie (Rabbit)
• 2^nd – Aspen Bales with Kitcat (Cat)
• 3^rd – Nella Randall with Einstein Albert Randall (Cat)
• 4^th – Cynthia Nail with Effie (Guinea Pig)
• 5^th – Lydia Biggs with Soft Paws (Cat)

From left to right: Jax Holmes with Hazel, the first-place winner for Most Unusual in the “Pets Other than Dogs” division, Cynthia Nail with Effie (second place) and Austin Bales with Cosmic Brownie (third place). (Gauge Day)

Next up was the Most Unusual class. Jax Holmes, with his larger-than-life rabbit, Hazel, secured first place. The final standings for the Most Unusual class were as follows:

• 1^st – Jax Holmes with Hazel (Rabbit)
• 2^nd – Cynthia Nail with Effie (Guinea Pig)
• 3^rd – Austin Bales with Cosmic Brownie (Rabbit)
• 4^th – Nella Randall with Einstein Albert Randall (Cat)
• 5^th – Aspen Bales with Kitcat (Cat)

Nella Randall with Einstein Albert Randall, the first-place winner for Best Trick in the “Pets Other than Dogs” division.

The final class for the “Pets Other than Dogs” division was the Best Trick class. Nella Randall, alongside her cat Einstein Albert Randall, took home first place after some entertaining attempts at a trick, which eventually turned into the table-sniffing curiosity that Einstein simply couldn’t resist.

The “Dogs” division followed, with three distinct categories: Conformation, Best Trick and Best Costume. Luci Randall, alongside July Fourth Randall, secured first place in the Best Costume class with an eye-popping cowgirl costume. Alyssa Sams took home first place in the Best Trick class with Nala, who wowed everyone with her variety of tricks, especially the “whisper” barks when asked to talk. Lastly, Julia Biggs won first place in the Conformation class with River. The final standings for each division were as follows:

From left to right: Luci Randall with July Fourth Randall, the first-place winner for Best Costume in the Dogs division, Zaila Hight with Gucci Man (second place) and Makenna Kreps with Treasure (third place). (Gauge Day)

Best Costume:

• 1^st – Luci Randall with July Fourth Randall
• 2^nd – Zaila Hight with Gucci Man
• 3^rd – Makenna Kreps with Treasure
• 4^th – Zaila Hight with Axel
• 5^th – Alyssa Sams with Nala
• 6^th – Noelle Zoppi with Roo

From left to right: Luci Randall with July Fourth Randall (second place), Zaila Hight with Axel (third place) and Alyssa Sams with Nala, the first-place winner for Best Trick in the Dogs division. (Gauge Day)

Best Trick:

• 1^st – Alyssa Sams with Nala1
• 2^nd – Luci Randall with July Fourth Randall
• 3^rd – Zaila Hight with Axel
• 4^th – Makenna Kreps with Treasure
• 5^th – Zaila Hight with Gucci Man

From left to right: Julia Biggs with River, the first-place winner for Conformation in the Dogs division, Alyssa Sams with Nala (second place), and Makenna Kreps with Treasure (third place). (Gauge Day)

Conformation:

• 1^st – Julia Biggs with River
• 2^nd – Alyssa Sams with Nala
• 3^rd – Makenna Kreps with Treasure
• 4^th – Zaila Hight with Axel
• 5^th – Luci Randall with July Fourth Randall
• 6^th – Noelle Zoppi with Roo
• 7^th – Zaila Hight with Gucci Man

For more information on Cullman County 4-H and its schedule of events, contact 256-737-9386 or www.aces.edu. A full 2024-2025 schedule has been posted on the official Cullman County 4-H Facebook page.