| Showing your Dutch |
| Showing tips: Things to do before the show: Make sure your rabbits have a permanent tattoo in their left ear. Check to be sure all of their nails are present and are not too long. Enter the shows on time, many shows don�t allow same day entries. Get a carrier that is made for rabbits, cat carriers are not very safe for rabbits since they don�t offer any traction. Things to bring to the show: First Aid/Grooming kit for your rabbits blood stop powder brushes nail clippers tattoo kit (including a tattoo touch up needle) hydrogen peroxide (to remove stains on white markings) cotton balls unscented baby wipes BandAids (for people) A black permanent marker for writing coop #s in the right ear of your rabbit Drinking water for the rabbits Something for the bunnies to munch on Grooming table or a carpet square that you can set on your carrier Small towel that can be wetted for removing loose hairs Binder with your pedigree papers Business Cards for your rabbitry (easy to print up from home) Chairs, rabbit shows can be long, you�ll apreciate the chairs a lot, especially if you�ve ever forgotten them! Food and Drink for yourself or money to buy some Extra money for all the new rabbits and equipment you will end up getting just because you can�t resist Small notebook for writing down phone numbers of people you meet. Hot Weather Shows: Frozen 20oz bottles of water to cool the rabbits Comfortable clothing Cold weather shows: An old Afgan (not a blanket) to cover carriers for warmth. Afgans breath better. Layers of Warm clothes for yourself, better to be too warm and take off layers than to end up cold and miserable! The showing process: When I got to my first show it seemed like unorganised chaos. Now I know that it is more like organised chaos ;-) When you first arrive at a show there is usually a sign-in table. Go there first, before getting you rabbits out of the car, and find out where you are to put them. In most shows you just find a spot on the floor to set up. Early arrivals get the best spots. Some shows have a coop assigned to each rabbit, meaning a cage assigned to him or her. In those shows your rabbits may be split up by breed, sex, and/or variety. Your rabbit will be given a coop number in any type of show, this number should be written in th right ear of the rabbit, using a black permanent marker. In a box show or carry cage show you keep your rabbits in their travel carriers. When your class is called you bring your rabbit up to the allotted table. Give your card to the writter and put the rabbit in an empty slot on the table, from there the judge takes over. After the judging, unless your animal is BOV or BOSV you can remove it from the table and return it to it�s carrier. When the whole breed has been judged and BOB and BOSB has been determined all rabbits go back to their carriers. Most one day shows are box shows. In a coop show cages are assigned to each rabbit, usually by breed, sex, and variety. When the judging begins "runners" go to the coops and bring the showing animals up to the judge's table. The judge then places the class and keeps the top placing animals in a cage behind the table. When the breed is done all animals are returned to their coops. Most coop shows are done over several days like fairs, nationals, and conventions or are arranged for very large shows. Showing Terms: Coop Show: A show where wire cages are assigned to each rabbit being exhibited. Box Show: A show where each rabbit must have it�s own self-contained carrier. BIS: Best in Show (the best of the BOBs) BRS: Best Reserve in Show (second to BIS) BOB: Best of Breed BOSB: Best Opposite sex of Breed BOV: Best of a variety, variety being color in Dutch or type (as in broken or solid) in some breeds BOSV: Best opposite sex of variety DQ: Disqualification GC leg: a certificate issued by the ARBA when a rabbit has won a class, variety, group, breed, or show with at least 5 rabbits and 3 breeders. A rabbit with 3 legs can become a Grand Champion as long as at least one of the legs was earned as a senior. |
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