New Page Added

We added current pictures of Snowball's kits today, along with sex and weight info and the price of each kit. 

There are a few factors in determining what price we ask for each kit.  One factor is sex.  Does are in greater demand than bucks.  That's life.

Another factor is color.  Some colors are more desirable than others.  Most everything is more desirable than REW.  Too many people saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  In the movie, a REW rabbit attacks some guy and bites him in the neck.  My oldest daughter saw the movie and refuses to own a REW.

Having a good show body is a third factor.  Wool is the most important factor in showing rabbits, but many judges still have a hard time recognizing that when judging angoras.  So a good show body is important as well. 

And, as mentioned above, wool is an important factor--density, texture, and crimp.  Unfortunately, this is the hardest factor to judge in young rabbits who still have a baby coat. 

This is why there is a range of prices set on the kits.  After their first ARBA show, the price of those who were awarded legs will increase. 

Reno Rabbits 4-H Show, 8 November 2014

We arrived really early so we could set up and so Charlotte could help with the health check.  My mom helped with the snack bar.  We arranged things we were selling on our table. 

I was asked by our 4-H leader to show a young girl how to do showmanship.  I basically gave my presentation.  Showmanship just has to be practiced a lot.

And then our friends arrived.  They brought some games for us to play, which we did, but Charlotte had to help with getting ready for judging.  Then we looked at some of the prizes for Best in Show and Best Reserve, and so on.

Showmanship started around 10:30, and Charlotte wrote all about that on her post.  There was also the hurdle contest, which we didn't do, but it is fun to watch.  Then there was the costume contest.  Finally, the showmanship results came.  After that we started getting our rabbits groomed because the French angora would be up soon. 

The rabbit judge was super slow, so finally we had to go to the cavy judge, because the other judge was still doing mini rexes and we were supposed to be out of the building.  Ninja wasn't very good when the judge was trying to flip him.  Then came Stanley.  He was horrible.  He was almost DQ'd because he hurt the judge.  And then Maple was up.  And then Remy, our friend's buck.  The judge said that Maple was a little light, so he was in third.  Then Remy was in second, and Stanley in first.  Then Panda and Lola, our friends' junior does, were judged.  Lola got Best of Breed.  Stanley got Best Opposite. 

Waiting for the Best in Show judging

Finally the rabbit judge finished with mini rexes and we were able to move on the Best in Show judging.  The best French angora got mentioned by the judge in her final remarks, which we have never had happen.  Then we packed up and left. 

What do you do at shows?

First, check in.  For 4-H shows, check-in lasts about an hour.  For ARBA you can check in whenever, but they are busy, so you will want to arrive earlier rather than later.  If you are late and you miss your show, you miss your show.

After we’ve checked in, we look for the other angora breeders.  We are almost always together.  When you find the others, you always politely ask where you should set up, unless there is some obvious space for you.  It’s nice to have a table to set your cages on so that you don’t have to bend over so much.  

After you’ve located a spot and set up your table, give all your rabbits water and food. Next, find the table where your rabbits will be judged and determine where your rabbits are in the line-up.  Then set up your chair and grooming table.  French angora people usually set up their tables outside because of the blowers and blowing wool.  As soon as you can, start blowing and grooming.  French angoras are normally last, but occasionally the judges switch up the order.  This happened at the Gridley show.  We hadn’t started grooming soon enough, and not all the rabbits were ready when we were called up.  This cost Duchess a leg.  Don’t make the same mistake we did.

After you have blown your rabbits, you can hope it is close to show time.  Use the slicker comb to spruce them up just before taking them to the table.  If there are comment cards already placed on the table, match your rabbit to its card and put your rabbit in its designated space and then turn the card over.  When all your rabbits are at the table, move to the opposite side and let the judging begin.  

Following the judging, give your rabbit a treat while you look at what the vendors have to sell.  You can find cages, water bottles and crocks, treats, hay, feed, cage repair items, brushes, books, nesting boxes, grooming tables, gifts and more.  Breeders will also sell used items, cheaper than retail.  While your rabbit is still on break, also walk around and look at the rabbits for sale.  For yourself, you can usually find sodas and sandwiches at the snack bar.

Whether or not you are participating in the show, you will find some breeders that you can talk to. We have learned so much from going to shows.  We learn from breeders about grooming and feed.  We learn from judges about the disqualifications for French angora.  For example, we thought Blue would be DQ’d for her torn ear.  However, we also thought the judges might not even notice it.  One judge didn’t even notice it; none of them DQ’d her.  I learned about rabbit health from showmanship and about rabbit breeds from preparing for royalty contests.

Gridley Show--11 October 2014

There were a lot less people than we expected at a double triple show (triple youth show and triple open show).  It was a smaller building, so we were all very cozy.  Strangely enough, this triple show went faster than any double show we’ve ever been to.  We were done by 3:00.  It was indoors, unlike the last Stockton show, and probably the nicest place we’ve shown—the AC was going for the rabbits, there was a large grassy parking area for letting rabbits out (and parking), and it was right outside the building.  All the angora judging tables were right next to each other, making it so much easier for us to find them.  We were so used to long shows and always being last that we didn’t have all our rabbits groomed when it was time to go to table.  That did cost Duchess a leg, but it was ok since Becky’s other doe, Honey, got the leg.  They switched up the order, which we had never seen done before, so the youth French angora went up sooner.  

 

If we had to choose between going to Gridley or Stockton, we would choose Gridley any day. 

We had our best friends who are also raising some nice French angoras with us, so it was lots of fun.  At the show, we met some other French angora youth.  They had a beautifully colored buck—a self-chocolate, but he had a lot of reddish tint.  My mom is still drooling over him.  It was really fun to meet them, and we hope to see them at other shows.

Tootsie was way overweight, and Muddy just turned senior and was underweight.  I didn’t want to spend money to enter them—even though they both had nice coats—and risk getting DQ’d.  So I took Ninja who had very uneven coat, just so we’d have the numbers for getting two legs per show.  Two significant things I learned this time—1.  If rabbits are DQ’d for weight, it doesn’t take away from the count for legs, so I should have taken Muddy and Tootsie, because the judges sometimes don’t even notice the weight;  2.  Senior does usually win best of breed.

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. 

Truckee Meadows Rabbit Breeders Show

By Lydia

The ARBA double show was held at Cold Springs Middle School on July 26.  Before the show, as my sisters and I were deciding which rabbits to take, I was debating whether to enter Snowball.  I was considering leaving her at home because her wool was not in the best condition.  She was in a molt.   But I decided to take her because, if one of the other rabbits got disqualified, we would only have four, and there wouldn’t be enough rabbits for a leg to be awarded.  

Snowball (with Douglas County 4-H Best of Breed ribbon)

The first show of the two, the judge loved her and awarded her best of breed.  I was so surprised that she won a leg.  I was really glad I took her.  My mom and my sister Charlotte were so surprised that Duchess, who is Becky’s rabbit, did not win.

In the second show, the judge did not like Snowball, and totally ignored her.  She checked out the other rabbits and picked Snowball’s brother, Ninja, as best of breed.  Duchess got best opposite.  

Ninja, Best of Breed at TMRB show July 26.

In this show, only the most popular breeds got ribbons, so sadly, Snowball has nothing to show for her achievement.   So for this blogpost, I took a picture of her with one of her other ribbons.

I learned that judges may have very different opinions of what is best in rabbits. 

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.