Sunday, January 22, 2006
Mocksville Show
As predicted, dinner after the show was the highlight of my day. I and five other women plus seven children spent a couple of hours at the local Wendy's. We talked about bunnies from every different angle you can imagine. I learned a technique for getting testicles to descend. I haven't tried it. I'll let you know if I have success with it (I'll have to wait until I get a case to work on first, though). It sounds like it would be hysterical to watch, though.
[I did learn during the show that junior bucks can either have neither testicle or both testicles descended, but not just one. That was a new one for me.]
I haven't laughed so much in a very long time. It was really what I needed.
The second best thing to happen at the show was that Purdy finally granded. She's had so many first places with four rabbits on the table (which is not enough for a leg), so many second place awards, and even a misrecorded win. Even after raising a litter, she was able to come back to the table to grand and I'm proud of her.
When she was young, I thought of her as the ugly sister. Her sister May (5 legs including 2 BOS, 1 BOB/BIS, and 7th place at Convention) was the shining star. I figured Purdy would be the brood doe sister. But she was only 3.00 when I registered her, so I started thinking of her differently. She's done well on the table and surprised me by granding before her other sister Hilary (18th place at Convention, 1 BOSG, and several second places). Now I can concentrate on granding Hilary and getting all three girls back into full-time production. You can be sure that, if she's willing, Purdy will be bred before tomorrow!
In the first show, Tracy & Jenna took seven of the eight classes. It's too bad Jenna couldn't be there to enjoy the wins. I'm sure that was gratifying for their team. I took only one class, but I did it in a big way. My broken senior bucks were 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th out of 10! I expected Tracy's 5th place broken senior buck to come back and haunt me in the second show, but she decided to scratch him. Rio went on to get a BOSG. The judge said it came down to condition for the BOS and that's when I knew that Rio did not get it. He had lost 3 oz. last weekend while traveling to Augusta. He's pretty rough right now.
In the second show, Tracy & Jenna took six of the eight classes. This time, it was Camelot's Merlin who took the broken senior buck class for me with Rio second. And of course it was Purdy who took the broken senior doe class (with sister Hilary in 2nd place and sister May, who has had 16 kits since September, in 4th).
I had a combined total of nine second place rabbits from both shows. It almost became a joke. When Jo-Jo came in 3rd after 4 straight second places, I teased that the judge had ruined her streak! I just wish it had been "ruined" in the other direction. She's another I'm dying to breed but want to grand first.
My daughter Anna had the time of her life playing with the children at the show. It was worth going just for that. I love to see her so delighted.
The worst part of the show came on the way home. Anna realized that she had left Dancing Green Leaf, her sister's beloved green unicorn stuffed animal at the show. She was incredibly sad and afraid to tell her sister what she had done. I really felt awful that we had both been so distracted at the end of the show that we didn't remember Dancing Green Leaf. Luckily Lydia forgave Anna and the show superintendent found Dancing Green Leaf. So all will be well eventually.
So, now it's time to readjust my expectations. Next week's show will be totally different. There will be no youth shows, lunch will be the highlight of the day (the show breaks between a Netherland Dwarf Triple and a Holland Lop Double). And the competition will be stiff once again.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:53 AM
[I did learn during the show that junior bucks can either have neither testicle or both testicles descended, but not just one. That was a new one for me.]
I haven't laughed so much in a very long time. It was really what I needed.
The second best thing to happen at the show was that Purdy finally granded. She's had so many first places with four rabbits on the table (which is not enough for a leg), so many second place awards, and even a misrecorded win. Even after raising a litter, she was able to come back to the table to grand and I'm proud of her.
When she was young, I thought of her as the ugly sister. Her sister May (5 legs including 2 BOS, 1 BOB/BIS, and 7th place at Convention) was the shining star. I figured Purdy would be the brood doe sister. But she was only 3.00 when I registered her, so I started thinking of her differently. She's done well on the table and surprised me by granding before her other sister Hilary (18th place at Convention, 1 BOSG, and several second places). Now I can concentrate on granding Hilary and getting all three girls back into full-time production. You can be sure that, if she's willing, Purdy will be bred before tomorrow!
In the first show, Tracy & Jenna took seven of the eight classes. It's too bad Jenna couldn't be there to enjoy the wins. I'm sure that was gratifying for their team. I took only one class, but I did it in a big way. My broken senior bucks were 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th out of 10! I expected Tracy's 5th place broken senior buck to come back and haunt me in the second show, but she decided to scratch him. Rio went on to get a BOSG. The judge said it came down to condition for the BOS and that's when I knew that Rio did not get it. He had lost 3 oz. last weekend while traveling to Augusta. He's pretty rough right now.
In the second show, Tracy & Jenna took six of the eight classes. This time, it was Camelot's Merlin who took the broken senior buck class for me with Rio second. And of course it was Purdy who took the broken senior doe class (with sister Hilary in 2nd place and sister May, who has had 16 kits since September, in 4th).
I had a combined total of nine second place rabbits from both shows. It almost became a joke. When Jo-Jo came in 3rd after 4 straight second places, I teased that the judge had ruined her streak! I just wish it had been "ruined" in the other direction. She's another I'm dying to breed but want to grand first.
My daughter Anna had the time of her life playing with the children at the show. It was worth going just for that. I love to see her so delighted.
The worst part of the show came on the way home. Anna realized that she had left Dancing Green Leaf, her sister's beloved green unicorn stuffed animal at the show. She was incredibly sad and afraid to tell her sister what she had done. I really felt awful that we had both been so distracted at the end of the show that we didn't remember Dancing Green Leaf. Luckily Lydia forgave Anna and the show superintendent found Dancing Green Leaf. So all will be well eventually.
So, now it's time to readjust my expectations. Next week's show will be totally different. There will be no youth shows, lunch will be the highlight of the day (the show breaks between a Netherland Dwarf Triple and a Holland Lop Double). And the competition will be stiff once again.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:53 AM
