Miranda Jackson Shows Off Her Favorite Rabbit, Cookie

Miranda Jackson hails from a small town just an hour west of Wichita Falls, where those living in the city liken it to rural dwelling and activities for children are slim pickings. Luckily for Jackson, when she joined the local 4H club in the 3rd grade, she had a real love for animals.

For the past six years, Jackson has been actively showing rabbits at stock shows and American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) events, but Friday morning marked her first “big show”, when she and numerous other children lined tables with rabbits of various classes in one of the barns on the San Angelo fairgrounds.

When asked what inspired her to begin showing initially, Jackson responded, “We didn’t know what we were doing at first, and rabbits were small and they were easy, and I love them all!”

Her mother Monica Jackson explained that she herself had not shown in animals in the past, and that rabbits seemed like a good starting place. “For any children going into something like this, I think rabbits are a good starter project to teach them the responsibilities of taking care of them, and it helps them to be able to go to different things,” she said. “She shows pigs and stuff now too, and next year we’ll start lambs.”

Currently, Miranda and her sister Chayla have five rabbits and two pigs at home, which they excitedly refer to as pets. None of the Jacksons’ animals are “sent to truck” after shows, meaning they won’t be sold off or terminated, but rather return back home and live out their lives after ‘retirement’, Monica Jackson explains. The pigs are bred and Miranda shows the next generation each year at events. This year she’ll be showing pigs from the fourth generation.

“Her heart’s so big, she doesn’t do well when she knows they go to slaughter, so knowing that they’re breeding and she gets to keep showing them, that’s what she wants to do,” Monica Jackson said. Miranda, who loves animals, reiterated the point. She says she doesn’t think she could be a veterinarian because she’d have to put animals down.

In San Angelo, Miranda brought three rabbits to show, including her favorite Mini Rex “Cookie”. She said she was excited to be at the show although some things are done differently than what she’s used to.

In order to inspire others to share in her passion for rabbits, she occasionally takes hers to the local Headstart programs to encourage younger children to participate in 4H programs when they are old enough, her mother said.

Above all, Miranda’s favorite thing about showing is “I get more animals!” she exclaimed, with Cookie in her arms.