Fair girls on TV.

State fair comes complete with TV appearance

“So we knew what to expect. But I was still pretty nervous.”

They say fame is fleeting. They also say everyone deserves at least 10 minutes of fame. Well, Cheyenne Moorse of Minneota and Kaytlin Hoffman of Canby both experienced their brief moment of fame last Thursday when they were appeared on television live at the Minnesota State Fair.

The local 4-H girls were interviewed by KARE 11 reporter Lindsey Seavert regarding the rabbits they qualified to show at the fair. While neither 4-H girl appeared nervous despite it being the first time they had ever appeared in front of a camera, they both admitted that wasn’t necessarily the case.

“I was so nervous,” laughed Moorse. “I was really, really nervous,” Hoffman echoed. Moorse and Hoffman, both sophomores, were approached by a KARE 11 worker as they were entering the rabbit barn at the fair on Wednesday.

“He asked us if we would come to their barn the next day and talk about our rabbits,” Moorse explained. “And he told us to bring our rabbits with and to meet there at 10:30 a.m.” “Their fair booth was about four blocks from the rabbit barn.”

There was also another 4-H student interviewed along with them. He was from Waseca and was showing his goat at the fair. “(Seavert) told us some of the things that she would ask us before the actual interview,” said Moorse.

“So we knew what to expect. But I was still pretty nervous.” The three young fair-goers each received a complimentary 4-H T-shirt from KARE 11, which they all donned during the interviews.

As the young man was being interviewed first, the girls clutched their rabbits as a way to ease their nervousness.

Then it was time for Cheyenne to speak next. “And who do you have here?” the reporter asked.

“This is Cleo, my Mini Rex rabbit,” Moorse responded politely. Moorse finished answering a few other questions and the interview switched to Hoffman for similar questions about her rabbit. Moorse's black rabbit Cleopatra, a two-year-old Mini Rex; and Hoffman's white rabbit Penelope, a nine-month-old Mini Lop, qualified for the state fair following impressive showings at the Lyon and Yellow Medicine County fairs, respectively.

Moorse, who also shows dairy goats and dogs, received a red ribbon at the state fair showing Cleopatra, while Hoffman garnered a blue ribbon for showing Penelope. The girls have known each other for several years through 4-H and even traveled together to the fair.

“We stay in touch through Snapchat,” said Hoffman.

The girls also share a similar somber story in regards to their rabbits. Two years again, the Moorses had an electrical fire at their farm and lost all their animals.

Concerned friends, family and farmers donated several rabbits and pigs to assist them. That eventually led to Cleopatra being born and then ending up being shown at the State Fair.

The Hoffmans also had a fire a little over a year ago caused by a spark from garbage burning nearby and lost three of their six rabbits, and also their rabbit barn.

The remaining rabbits were taken in and housed by the Greg Moorse farm outside of Minneota. Penelope was born at the Moorse farm just before Christmas on a frigid 30-below day.

It was a “happy accident” as the buck was Rudy, who belongs to the Moorses, while the doe was Daisy, one of the three rabbits rescued in the fire.

Although Cheyenne and Kaytlin’s interviews were brief, they each can now boast that they have had their “15 minutes of fame”. Or, in this case, more like 15 seconds of fame. The television appearance didn't lead to any endorsement deals, autograph sessions or groupies following them around the fair, but it did give them a perspective of what it's like in front of the camera.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Cheyenne.

“It was a great experience,” Kaytlin remarked.

Minneota kids have made lots of news at the fair in the past. But this may have been the first time one of them was chosen for an on-air interview.

And so, this goes down as one of the top experiences at the State Fair for the two young ladies.

KARE 11 reporter Lindsey Seavert, Kaytlin Hoffman and Penelope and Cheyenne Moorse and Cleopatra. Special photo.

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