Newish to rabbits. And New here
- Thread starter eriiberri
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Lots of great information and expertise on this site. I've been in the business (not really business, but fun) of breeding for 18 months, and showing for about a year. Congratulations on getting a show quality rabbit. I'm excited for you. Here are a few things to consider. I'm sure others will chime in. Remember, these are considerations, and meant to help you manage expectations as you move forward.
1. Owning a show-quality rabbit may mean nothing. It may mean everything. The term show-quality means different things to different people. To some it means that rabbit has competed at shows and won at one of the various levels of competition. If that is the case, then you've probably paid a premium for a it. To others, it means that it could compete, and based on the experience of the person selling it, it might compete well in the shows. But winning is not guaranteed. To others, it means it would not be disqualified, and is a showable rabbit. So, it means different things to different people. In all cases, judges are going to judge it based on the standards outlined in the SOP. And your ability to assess your rabbit is usually gained by attending shows and hearing/watching the judges and entering rabbits. Finding a mentor or trusted breeder/shower who knows the SOP and standards goes a long way in helping you to understand the quality of your rabbit.
2. Get a copy of the SOP from ARBA. These must be purchased.
3. Become a member of ARBA.
4. It is hard to show rabbits and not breed rabbits. Not to be a downer, but your may find your rabbit is not of the quality you expected. IOr if it is and you win at some lever, what now? Most show-ers are striving to reach a point of perfection in the rabbits they show. Something that may not be achievable for a particular rabbit due to the variability of the judges. But it certainly is achievable across numerous rabbits. What I mean by that is you may have some breeders who get lucky and have a rabbit or two that win and ultimately get championed. But the true show-producers are those breeders who consistently, over time, have a pattern of winning. Not necessarily the same rabbits every time, but across the board are known as the premier producers. That is because these breeders go to shows with the intent of making their rabbits better. If their rabbits carry short fur when it should be longer, or consistently are long in shoulder when it shouldn't be, they take this into consideration and try to breed those traits out. So, a serious show-er, who doesn't just want to take their purchased rabbit, win, and be done, is usually thinking about how they can improve their stock. So, it is hard to show rabbits and not have some sort of breeding program, either large or small.
5. Showing and producing show-winning rabbits takes time, oftentimes years. You will produce many more culls and non-showable rabbits than you will show-winners. You may think you have finally produced a kit that has everything right, just to have a sibling nip its nose in a fight, or find it has the wrong colored toenail. But, the beauty of rabbits is, well, they breed like rabbits. So, if you have a solid breeding trio from high-quality stock, you can produce alot of possibles. Be patient Grasshopper.
6. If you haven't already learned this, understand the difference between "pedigreed" and "registered" and why they are important.
7. Peruse the Show Forum on this site, and jump right in with questions. There are no stupid questions.. Everyone here has been where you are and we all love helping new folks into the hobby.
8. Attend a show or 2 just to see what they involve. They can be pretty chaotic at times, but well worth it.
That's all my brain can do at this hour. I wish you the best of luck as you start your new journey. Reach out at any time.
1. Owning a show-quality rabbit may mean nothing. It may mean everything. The term show-quality means different things to different people. To some it means that rabbit has competed at shows and won at one of the various levels of competition. If that is the case, then you've probably paid a premium for a it. To others, it means that it could compete, and based on the experience of the person selling it, it might compete well in the shows. But winning is not guaranteed. To others, it means it would not be disqualified, and is a showable rabbit. So, it means different things to different people. In all cases, judges are going to judge it based on the standards outlined in the SOP. And your ability to assess your rabbit is usually gained by attending shows and hearing/watching the judges and entering rabbits. Finding a mentor or trusted breeder/shower who knows the SOP and standards goes a long way in helping you to understand the quality of your rabbit.
2. Get a copy of the SOP from ARBA. These must be purchased.
3. Become a member of ARBA.
4. It is hard to show rabbits and not breed rabbits. Not to be a downer, but your may find your rabbit is not of the quality you expected. IOr if it is and you win at some lever, what now? Most show-ers are striving to reach a point of perfection in the rabbits they show. Something that may not be achievable for a particular rabbit due to the variability of the judges. But it certainly is achievable across numerous rabbits. What I mean by that is you may have some breeders who get lucky and have a rabbit or two that win and ultimately get championed. But the true show-producers are those breeders who consistently, over time, have a pattern of winning. Not necessarily the same rabbits every time, but across the board are known as the premier producers. That is because these breeders go to shows with the intent of making their rabbits better. If their rabbits carry short fur when it should be longer, or consistently are long in shoulder when it shouldn't be, they take this into consideration and try to breed those traits out. So, a serious show-er, who doesn't just want to take their purchased rabbit, win, and be done, is usually thinking about how they can improve their stock. So, it is hard to show rabbits and not have some sort of breeding program, either large or small.
5. Showing and producing show-winning rabbits takes time, oftentimes years. You will produce many more culls and non-showable rabbits than you will show-winners. You may think you have finally produced a kit that has everything right, just to have a sibling nip its nose in a fight, or find it has the wrong colored toenail. But, the beauty of rabbits is, well, they breed like rabbits. So, if you have a solid breeding trio from high-quality stock, you can produce alot of possibles. Be patient Grasshopper.
6. If you haven't already learned this, understand the difference between "pedigreed" and "registered" and why they are important.
7. Peruse the Show Forum on this site, and jump right in with questions. There are no stupid questions.. Everyone here has been where you are and we all love helping new folks into the hobby.
8. Attend a show or 2 just to see what they involve. They can be pretty chaotic at times, but well worth it.
That's all my brain can do at this hour. I wish you the best of luck as you start your new journey. Reach out at any time.
Thabk you so much for this knowledge and insite! I will be taking it all into consideration
