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Hi Ho Hi Ho, Its off to show we go!!!

So you think you might want to check out the world of show rabbits? Excellent!!! Let me take you on a guided tour!

Some times rabbit shows can be very overwhelming at first, but there are many things you can do to get ahead of the game and make things smooth sailing. One of the easiest ways is to just go to a show without rabbits, and hang out to see how it runs and meet breeders. This article is gonna pretend you’re so excited you jump right in!

Pre show.

There are many different kinds of shows ARBA sanctioned shows, Fairs, etc, We’re going to focus on ARBA sanctioned shows. These are put on by local clubs and have to adhere to ARBA rules. Easiest way to find out about these Shows is to do a show search at arba.net. Another good source is FB. Either on state rabbit groups, breed groups etc. Usually in those groups you can get show fliers and network with other breeders going on (great for potluck!).

Once you’ve picked a show and have the flier, you want to check a few things, You want to know what rules it follows, you’ll usually see ARBA right bold some where. You may also want to see if your breed is sanctioned. That just means if it is your wins will count in points for sweeps in your breed club if you are a member. You might not be a member of the breed club at the beginning (awesome if you are), but sanctions also draw more breeders, which equals more competition and experience. You’ll also see other useful information like cull buyers/cage dealer, if food is available etc. Also many shows are double or triple or quad shows, so you could earn multiple legs in a day and get multiple judges opinion in one go. Another key thing to look for is registration times and if it is a pre register show or a register day of show (most common).

Next you want to decide who you’re showing an pre groom if you can. Make yourself a list with ear#, class, sex, variety and breed. You’ll have to do some touch up grooming day of show, but you can do things like nails ahead of time. Make sure your rabbit is healthy and DQ free. Any eye or nose discharge animals should be left at home. Slicker stones work great for brushing rex, and baby wipes are good for touching up fur. be careful about getting the fur too wet it can cause it to wave up and that ruins the texture.

Day of the show

so your rabbits are groomed, you’ve got your list, you’ve got the rabbits in carriers for the day(ideally with food and water cups, hay is great too). the flier says registration ends at 8, so you’re going to try and get there for 7! perfect! I aim for at least an hour early, bigger shows i try for more as floor space can be crowded. There is usually not assigned seating, so you want to get there early to avoid being piled in a corner. Most people bring carriers, a cart to wheel said carriers around on, a grooming table (or carpet square and grooming kit), folding chairs, and snacks.

You want to register or check in first thing, then set up and groom your rabbits, then hang out and wait for your breed to be called.

Most shows rely on volunteers to “write” for the judges, which is basically doing the paperwork. When you register you fill out rabbit remark cards, every show is different, but in general they want you to write open or youth at the top and which show it is (a, b, c etc), a simple O/A in top left or right corner will usually suffice. Ear # is critical. also fill in your name, breed, variety, age and sex….Tris are shown as brokens.

They will call them up in order… Ambers, Black, Blue, Broken and so on. and every variety will judge sr bucks first followed by Sr. Does, then jr. bucks, jr. does… then the 1st place from those 4 classes compete against each other for best of variety, then the opposite sex competes for best opposite. after all the varieties are judged to that point, all of the best of variety and best opposite sex variety compete against each other for Best in breed.

This can take many hours to complete, and gives lots of time to net work with other breeders, go over stock and a million other things lol.

The judge will go over the strengths and weaknesses and usually say why the next rabbit beat it. Even if you don’t think your rabbit will beat everyone elses, its still a good idea to go to shows to get fresh perspective on what you need to fix on your line. All too often we can get blinders on in the barn.

After shows

Always be aware that taking your rabbit out could subject it to disease, many people quarantine their show stock to prevent the spread of infection in the chance case that they pick something up. Others do not and breed for resistance.

Shows are a great way to get feed back on your rabbits ( both from judges and from fellow breeders), You’ll learn a lot just watching the judging happening, and its a great way to keep an eye out for barn blinders. Its also a great place to network with other breeders. So weather you decide to go full hog, or go without rabbits, i highly recommend hitting up at least a couple shows a year 😀