Happy New Year

It’s exciting to start fresh with a new year, even though today looks a lot like yesterday (cloudy with drizzle).  Good bye 2010!

View of the Minneapolis, MN skyline from our hotel during the ARBA Convention.

Convention Risers!

No I don’t mean people who are early risers during the ARBA Convention.  I’m talking about those wire squares that keep the rabbits off of the shavings during Convention.

AFLRC will not be renting risers this year.  The club decided to sell the risers over the next two Convention.  All the club risers that will be in Minneapolis are already reserved.   If you reserved with Carol G or Deb L, the risers are supposed to be delivered to the Convention Center on Saturday (but travel could delay until Sunday).

Everyone else that needs risers should plan to bring your own or buy from cage suppliers at the show.

See you all soon!  Safe travels!

Convention Updates

Entries:  Today, October 18 is the last day to enter the ARBA Convention, either as a new exhibitor or add on to your entries.  Yes, the deadline was extended.  Isn’t entering on line wonderful!  I got my entries in by the first deadline, but the offer to allow me to add more was just too tempting. 

Also, mark down next Monday, October 25.  That is the last day to make free changes in class and ear number to your Convention entries.  You can change everything except breed.  Again, love the on-line system!

Banquet:  A very nice banquet at a very reasonable price is planned for Convention.  Be sure to order your tickets for the AFLRC Awards Banquet by October 30.  Its $20 per adult, children under 12, $10.  Send to Deb L.  Her address is in the newest Fuzzy Tales. 

Don’t forget that we are holding an auction during the banquet.  This raises money for the awards at the spring National show.  So please bring items to donate and be prepared to bid (high!).

Convention Fundraisers:  Due to local laws, raffles are not allowed in Minnesota.  Its considered gambling…this makes our normal fundraising activities a bit more complex than normal but never fear!  There will still be items at the AFLRC booth, which will be in a silent auction rather than a raffle.  We did this at Nationals in Ohio and it worked very well.  Please bring donations for the table silent auction.   More updates later in the week……start packing, here we come Minneapolis!

Better with age

Some breeds of rabbits are shown only when they are young. Once they get older or have a litter, they just don't have the same flesh condition. English angoras are generally competitive only until their first coat is removed; subsequent wool is never quite the same texture. Tans tend to have a very short show career, as they lose the "racy" body type as they get older (don't we all become a bit less "racy" with age?).

But some breeds like Fuzzy Lops and Holland Lops, can be shown for several years. In fact, the bucks often aren't competitive seniors until they are at least 1.5 - 2 years old; it takes that long to get a great head on a buck.

Here is a picture of me, Judge Brooke and my doe, AK's Faith after she won Best In Show at Santa Rosa, CA in October 2007. Faith was about 8 mo old and looking very pretty (note she doesn't seem to care much for being held and posing for a camera).
And here we are again, Faith and I with Judge Doug K in Watsonville, CA, yesterday. Faith hadn't attended a show for at least 1 year. I thought she looked good sitting in her cage, so I entered her. Good move....Faith was selected Reserve Best in Show. (note same cranky look on her face, while I look just a bit older with longer hair.).
Here is Faith in a better mood sitting in the sun today. Thanks old girl, keep up the good work!

Oh the things I saw in Ohio

Banquet at the Spaghetti Factory. Yum.

Adorable awards!

Jamie and Jacob

Dawn, Laura and friends

Kathi smiling the day after Nationals.

Congratulations to all!

Oh Oh Ohio!

AFLRC National Show

Hosted by Great Lakes Fuzzy Lop Club

Columbus, OH

Youth:
Best of Breed, Broken Senior Buck, Jamie Fry
Best Opposite of Breed, Broken Junior Doe, Chase Lowe

Best Wool, Jamie Fry

Best Display, Chase Lowe

Best Solid, senior buck, Stephanie Miller
Best Opposite Solid, senio doe, Jamie Fry
Best Broken, senior buck, Jamie Fry
Best Opposite Broken, junior doe, Chase Lowe

Open:
Best of Breed, Solid Senior Buck, Kelsey Stover
Best Opposite of Breed, Solid Senior Doe, Allison Minger

Best Wool, Nicole Schmitt
Best Display, Dawn Guth

Best Solid, senior buck Kelsey Stover
Best Opposite Solid, senior doe, Allison Minger
Best Broken, senior buck, Kelsey Stover
Best Opposite Broken, senior doe, Dawn Guth

Snapshots from Nationals

More tomorrow.......

Just sit still, will ya?

I have a "crop" of young Fuzzy Lop bucks growing up in my barn and decided it was time to take a few photos. The camera was charged, the little boys groomed (well as good as little boys can be groomed!), and I was ready. Below are the best of about 50 pictures that I took. Those little guys are fast!

AK's Keenan hunkers down to the table, sure that I am going to do something awful to him.

AK's Bryce strikes a pose (good boy!).

AK's Reno shows us how its done.

AK's Flyboy revs up his motor and gets ready to wing away...put those ears down kiddo.

It really does take two people to get decent photos of junior Fuzzies. Good luck at the shows and good luck with your juniors.