Difficulty of Showing..

[LittleJaws]

Tell me your worst experiences!

I have been looking into showing rabbits for a few months now, I will only be getting one rabbit at the moment. Not sure if I'll be getting a male or female yet.. But just thinking of someone judging something I own, it gets me all nervous.. I was leaning toward Holland Lops or English Angoras, but have also heard that Lops are one of the most common breeds in showing and Angoras are one of the hardest to show! I like to know what can go wrong before I get into something, just a weird reassuring thing I have lol

So please, tell me your worst experiences, what you find to be the most difficult in showing, etc. and your best if you'd like.

AND if your showing these two breeds, would love to hear your experience with them.
Thank you!

 

[woahlookitsme]

I do not show Hollands because they are way too common in this area and just a hard and expensive breed to go into. I also don't show angoras because of the hard work. For show they almost need daily care brushing and definitely invest in a blower. But I show tans and can tell you some of the difficulties I have with them and I think it can be applied to all breeds in a sense.

Some judges just don't know how a rabbit should be judged. Sometimes the meat judges with push down my tans and get scratched up doing it because my tans know this isn't how they are meant to be shown. I've also seen some judges squish down a holland also. With those judges if they don't know how to judge the animal it's best to ignore their comments as well.

Don't listen to every judge and take every comment to heart. Sometimes judges miss things or read things wrong. An example in my tans they have a side marking that differentiates the tan color from the surface color. In juniors this line is very high. That's good you want it high. That means that as the animal grows it will move down because when they get older their skin fits them better. Often judges will fault the animal or make a comment about it. I ignore it because I know it's a good thing just from my experience. Once you learn your breed you will get to know the comments you shouldn't listen to.

Oh and learn the judges. I learned right away about my breed and read the standard multiple
Times. Judges are supposed to do this too and take a test on it but like all our memorie fades when we don't use information. I can tell which judges are more familiar with my breed by how they judge based on the standard and will choose to listen or not to their comments. This part kind of comes with experience as well. Also you can ask other breeders (not around the judging table if they like this judge or not and why or why not). Some judges focus on different breeds just because they know more about them maybe because they raise them. The judges that know your breed are the ones you want to focus on.

find a breed you truly enjoy. I recommend getting a buck or pair to start out so you can see how they react to you. What's the use in keeping rabbits that don't make you excited to go through all this trouble of showing if you don't enjoy them. Bucks are normally less hormonal than does and overall sweeter. Sometimes this isn't true so it's best to chose a buck with good type as well as personality.

I guess my last thing is know your standard. Know the ins and outs of your breed. Don't rely on a seller to give you an award winning rabbit. Some will but some are also keeping them and giving you the last place animal. I learned standards and chose rabbits to the standard. It's possible because I have a Brit that I picked at convention before judging and a tan that same year. The Brit won first in his class and the tan won best of breed. I also picked out my BEW polish from a large amount of juniors (10 or 12) that were for sale. At her next show she won best of breed. Know your standard before getting a rabbit and you won't have such a hard learning curve after the fact.

Good luck!

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Not much can go "wrong." The post above explains some of the obstacles that may arise...you just have to take it in stride and look forward to next time. Shows are pretty relaxed and the attention is never on you, just the rabbit.

If losing bothers you, I do not recommend Holland Lops. Hollands are one of the most popular recognized breeds and are VERY competitive. You're unlikely to happen upon one rabbit that will win consistently for you. Some people get lucky, but for every lucky person...there's the rest of us. If you plan to work with Hollands, you'll likely need to commit to one of two things: 1. Commit to a breeding program of at least 20-30 rabbits and about 5 years to establish your own line and work toward breeding your winners. Or 2. Drop $300-500 to purchase a herd buck from one of the most competitive breeders in the country. If you plan to purchase, you may still run into some trouble. Few of those top breeders will sell one of their best rabbits to someone who doesn't plan to "use" it.

I'm not trying to discourage you, that's just the reality of Holland Lops.

I don't know as much about the particulars of English Angoras. They obviously take a lot more care at home, but I'm not sure how competitive they are. I think their cost tends to be in the hundreds even for fiber or breeding animals, so I suspect show cost may be similar to what I quoted you on the Hollands.

If you're interested in lop breeds and wool, I'd recommend looking at American Fuzzy Lops. They have the type of a Holland Lop with wool like an angora - BUT they are much lower maintenance care and not as highly competitive at the Hollands on a local level. You should be able to find a nicely competitive animal in the $75 range.

Jersey Woolies may peak your interest too. Like AFLs, they are less competitive on a local level but still show in good numbers. Their long coats are lower maintenance than EA, and price would be similar to AFLs. You're probably looking at $75-100 for a young show quality animal.

 

[majorv]

Agree with all of the above! I show Polish, which are pretty competitive around these parts. You can't have a thin skin when competing. If you can start with a good, competitive pair or trio then you'll have a good start. The good part about showing is that you get other's opinions of your rabbits...not just from judges, but you can ask other fellow breeders. That's important when first starting out. Once you know what to look for then you'll be more confident. It's a learning experience.

 

[LittleJaws]

My breeder actually has Jersey Woolies! So they would definitely be an option, I suppose that is the biggest problem I'm facing right now is to actually CHOOSE a breed to go with.. I would be a first time rabbit owner AND my first time showing anything. She also has New Zealand's but I haven't looked into them much, I know they're a meat breed is all really.

& I'm not really interested in breeding.. Is that bad? I know it probably sounds weird, but I just want to show lol. Could I show under my breeders name, and support her rabbitry? I haven't asked her yet.
Thanks everyone for your advice! So far it's just been research research research. But I do plan on going with a buck now!

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It's not bad that you're not interested in breeding. Showing rabbits is just a little bit different than showing dogs or horses, for instance. In that case, there is potential for buying a nice animal and being able to show it for years. It's a little more difficult to purchase a winning rabbit. You really have to know what you're looking for and be willing to pay for it. Then their show prime is only a few years.

It sounds like the breeder you're talking to has quite a number of breeds. Something to keep in mind is that, generally speaking, the people with the most competitive rabbits focus on one, maybe two breeds. Of course, there are people who have more breeds and compete well - and there are people with only one breed who only have pet quality rabbits. So that's just a generalization, but it is something to keep in mind.

I'd recommend traveling to shows within reasonable driving distance and watch the breeds you're interested in as they compete. Follow the winning breeders back to their carriers and ask if they will show you their rabbits. The best way to learn is to see it and feel it for yourself - it's hard to picture good type by only reading about it.

After you start learning more and better recognizing the qualities of the breeds you like, you'll be better equipped to choose your show rabbit.

Having just one or two rabbits to show isn't impossible. It just requires a lot of research and careful planning to succeed.

 

[LittleJaws]

She does have 4 breeds, which I never put a lot of thought in.. I believe there are quite a few shows in the Dallas area, so I will definitely be there! Even if it takes years for me to be comfortable enough to get out there and compete, I will be taking that time to get accustomed to how rabbits need to be cared for, period... They're a bit different than rats lol
I really appreciate your advice! I will getting a bun in the next three months, but I believe he will just be a house bunny for now. Maybe.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

For a first time rabbit owner, I would not recommend an English Angora. They are a fair amount of work and even moreso for a show rabbit. I have seen plenty that are not groomed well and they are just a solid matt. Unless you have a good amount of experience with intense grooming of other animals, an angora is for a more experienced rabbit owner and even then most people are not up for the challenge.
Jersey Woolys are not too much work. I have one, and he doesn't really matt up, just gets some tangles. He does need regular brushing to stay looking good. Of course, breeding does play a role and some lines are easier to care for than others.
American Fuzzy Lops are supposed to be fairly easy as far as coat care. You do have to be careful, as holland lops can produce fuzzies which don't have great coats and are more prone to matting.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Oh cool you live by Dallas. Yep in Texas Hollands are definitely as Julie explained it. Jersey wools are great little bunnies to show although down here they aren't as popular. Who is the breeder you know? I might have heard of them. Not many shows around until the summer now. Ill be at the Houston livestock show. It sounds like before you get any rabbit to decide on what you like first. Definitely go with your breeder friend to a show and ask to show her rabbits. I'm sure shed probably love the help or at least I know I would. Maybe ill see you at a show around Texas!

 

[LittleJaws]

I live about three hours away in Wichita Falls, but I'm constantly in Dallas visiting my family. The breeder I've been in contact with is Tarah with T-Squared Rabbitry, who is also in WF.
Yes! I'll be at as many shows as I can.