A 'grand' day for Buttercup

At just about any county fair, it is not uncommon to see a variety of different animals ranging from swine to poultry to steer. The Carbon County Fair is no different and, every year, children and young adults throughout the county work to raise their chosen animal in the hopes of winning an award for their hard work and, maybe, make a sale. Despite the rural area that encompasses most of the county, and the state, not everyone has the space to raise larger animals. Other animals, meanwhile, may not fit into the categories available at the fair.

Welcome to the Pocket Pets division.

"One year we had a lemur that came and they showed a lemur because it wouldn't fit in the rabbit and poultry," said Valley native Korbyn Barkhurst.

This year, Barkhurst took home the Grand Champion ribbon for his age group in the Pocket Pets division for the second time with his hamster, Buttercup.

Barkhurst, who is 11, has been involved in 4-H since he was 8 years old and has competed in the Pocket Pets division along with also showing swine and steer. When his older brothers bought a hamster, this one named Axel, it eventually fell upon the youngest Barkhurst to care for the small mammal.

"I started taking care of him and, one year, I was thinking 'What else can I do other than a pig?' and I saw the Pocket Pets, so I just decided to do it and I really liked it. Just a fun extra thing to do," said Barkhurst.

The first two years that Barkhurst showed Axel, he came in as Reserve Champion. Last year, Barkhurst had Buttercup and won his first Grand Champion.

"I was more surprised than anything because the last four years I've done it, I've gone up against a high schooler and he beat me the two times I did it with my other hamster. I was Reserve Champion both those times and then I beat him last year and then this year and I was just more surprised than anything," Barkhurst said. "I didn't really, at the time, think 'I'm double grand champion'. I was just more proud of myself and happy."

A significant reason that Barkhurst was able to claim Grand Champion was his knowledge of his animal. As he presented Buttercup on Thursday afternoon, he was asked questions about the diet of a hamster, the proper care of the diminutive rodent and how to determine the sex of the animal. Barkhurst admits that he still isn't sure how to do the latter.

"It's not really about the hamster. It's more about how much you know about the hamster. How much time you're willing to put into it and studying," said Barkhurst.

This year, Barkhurst learned that hamsters are omnivores in the wild and will eat snakes and frogs. Buttercup, however, has a much different diet as she is fed only seeds and vegetables.

The young fair-goer is an advocate for the Pocket Pets division, especially for those who don't have the space to raise the larger animals normally seen at the week-long event.

"It's pretty easy. You can show the same animal for multiple years because you don't sell them and they have a pretty long lifespan. Most animals do, most pocket pets. If you don't want to spend money on an animal every year ... it's just easier," Barkhurst said. "You buy a cage, you buy an animal and then you say what you know about that animal. You do research on it and you can do it for however many years that animal's lifespan is."

While he has hopes of showing Buttercup next year, Barkhurst admits that it may not be possible due to the short lifespan of hamsters. With a lifespan of approximately 3 years, and having shown two years in a row, it's possible that there may not be a third year as Grand Champion. Still, Barkhurst is sold on hamsters and the Pocket Pets division.

"They're just easy to take care of, so I like them. It's not like a steer, you have to walk them everyday. You just give them a wheel and they run around it for exercise," said Barkhurst.

"Soon as we get a hamster wheel figured out for the steers ... maybe more kids will be doing it," joked his father, Byron Barkhurst.