PHOTO GALLERY: 11-year-old shows off the animals he will enter in the Boone County Fair

July 23, 2012 | 10:19 p.m. CDT

Matthew Barnes, 11, won last year’s Rabbit Show and will bring his two rabbits and a few chickens to participate in this year's Boone County Fair.

Matthew Barnes, 11, brushes his rabbit to get rid of the knots in its fur Friday. Barnes, the winner of last year’s rabbit show, will bring two 5-month-old rabbits to this year’s show.

| Yi Gan

This photo taken Friday shows the grooming tools Matthew Barnes uses to trim his rabbits’ toenails and brush their fur. Matthew said that on the day of the show, the participants will brush their rabbits and cut the animals' nails to prepare them for the competition.
| Yi Gan

Matthew feeds his chickens bread as a treat Friday in his backyard. Since 2009, Matthew has participated in the chicken show in Boone County Fair. This year, he will show chickens for the fourth time. It will be his second time showing rabbits.
| Yi Gan