Lilliput's eight-year-old Pyper Jennings has won a grand junior champion award

The little runner duck is Pyper's favourite of a menagerie of ducks that helped the St Mary's School Rutherglen student dazzle the judges.

The pair has taken out several prizes in recent weeks, the highlight being the grand junior champion at The Royal Melbourne Show.

That came before wins at the Corowa and Wangaratta shows on the weekend, where she beat more than 70 entries and won the champion junior and waterfowl award.

"I won $50 and bags of feed for the ducks," Pyper said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"The first thing I said when I got the cash was 'It smells like the most successful junior'.

"And, I'm going to spend the money on book club. I was so excited to win."

Pyper's mother, Shannen Hocking said previously, when she's won cash prizes Pyper has had to put money back into caring for the waterfowls. But to win a cash prize this time around plus duck food, was "extra special".

"I've said she can spend the money on whatever she wants to spend it on this time and she is tossing up between craft and book club," Ms Hocking said. "It's huge getting money. She's very excited and doesn't know where to spend it."

Ms Hocking said Pyper was obsessed with ducks after watching their friend's poultry show earlier this year.

"Pyper has autism and she's very animal-focused," she said. "The poultry world is a nice, calm and welcoming community. We went and looked at a couple of shows, and that was it - she was hooked from then on."

The Lilliput girl said her favourite thing about the day was meeting new friends and keeping the ducks well-groomed.

"It's so funny when they're in the water flapping their wings because they flap water on me," Pyper said.

When she is not entering competitions, she said she enjoyed being home with her family and farm animals.

She has a horse, a lamb and a goat.

"The joy it brings her is so cool and she's so happy doing it, it's long days but we're so proud," Ms Hocking said. "We like doing the poultry shows because it's an environment where she feels comfortable."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

FacebookTwitterWhatsappEmail