Judges and How They Look at Rabbits Differently

I was planning on writing about this after the Gridley show, but I have an English assignment on developing paragraphs by giving examples.

 

As you may recall, we were at the West Coast Classic in May 2014.  That was our first ARBA show and our first experience with multiple shows in a single day.  There we had an eye-opening experience.  

At all our 4-H shows, Snowball was always in the best condition, meaning she always got Best of Breed.  No matter what I did with Ninja or Indy, Snowball always won.  She always had the density and texture.  So I thought that most judges were the same and all was lost for Ninja and Indy.

When we went to the West Coast Classic in May, we all thought Cookie was in the best condition and thought he would win the leg in the youth show.  And indeed, Cookie was favored over Indy in the first show.  The judge detested Indy.  (Indy was a little stressed and it showed, if you know what I mean.)  The next three shows that day, Indy was highly favored over Cookie, to the point where he got the leg in the youth show.  That day I learned that I shouldn’t take only the rabbits I thought were best, but all of them, so I can see what the judges have to say.  The judges all look at rabbits so differently.

At the Truckee Meadows show in July, Snowball won Best of Breed in the first show, beating out her brother Ninja, who still got a leg for Best of Variety.  But surprisingly, in the second show, Ninja trumped and won a second leg for Best of Breed and Snowball got nothing.  

At the Stockton show last month, Muddy was favored in the first show.  He had great wool but lacked a little in density.  He has a great body.  So he got the leg.  However, in the second youth show, Honey got the leg.  The judged was almost drooling over her wool and density.  He was ready to whip out his spinning wheel right then and there.  

So in conclusion, don’t lose heart if your bunny isn’t favored.  He could win a leg in the next show. 

West Coast Classic

Indiana--"Indy"--proud recipient of his first leg

 
(Note:  This should have been posted two weeks ago, right after the show.  Unfortunately, while my sister brought home a new blue pearl doe, I very foolishly brought home a flu bug that knocked me out for two weeks.)

The West Coast Classic held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno May 2-4, 2014, is the 2^nd largest rabbit show in the country.  Next year’s show will be in Las Vegas.

All of the angora breeders usually stay together and close to the doors so that they can use their blowers on the bunnies.  And it helps keep the rabbits cooler.  It was quieter where we sat, which I liked.

We were the only French angora breeders in the youth contests.  Pretty amazing considering that this is one of the largest rabbit shows.  Because there was only one all-breed show on Saturday, we also entered the open specialty shows for angoras. 

The first angora specialty show was held Friday night.  Cookies and Cream was placed the highest of our rabbits in that show.  Indy was stressed and had a dirty bottom.  Judges don’t look favorably on such a sight.  And the judge for that show very condescendingly said he was giving a gift in not DQing Becky’s newly acquired blue pearl doe for being a “sable point” which he asserted was an unshowable color.  Which is apparently the case with satin angoras, but not with French angoras, as the rest of the show judges and French angora exhibitors confirmed. 

The second and third angora specialty shows on Saturday went much better, if your name is Indy, as both judges favored him over Cookie.  And the youth all-breed show was the best, because Indy won that as well, and got his first leg.