Tuesday, January 31, 2006
PA Convention
I will be attending my second Pennsylvania State Convention this coming weekend. It's a huge show with a double day-of-entry show sponsored by the PaSRBA, plus two different specialty shows for Holland lops. There are many other specialty shows as well, but I haven't kept up with all of that.
I had a delightful show last year. It was wonderful to see so many Holland breeders in one place, especially those I don't often get to see. I'm really looking forward to that this year. And I love the quality Holland judges they provide.
Last year was my friend Dani Cole's very first show. She will be celebrating her first anniversary as a rabbit exhibitor this weekend. Last year, she showed a buck that I had sold her. He came in 16th out of 52 and was a very young senior at the time. We were both very pleased with that. I had known she was showing the buck, but did not realize she was also showing a doe that I sold her. I was writing for Todd Naragon at the time when the NT58 ear number came up. I knew I had not brought any seniors. I was so confused, standing there, staring at Dani, trying to figure it out. I just wasn't used to anyone but me showing my bunnies back then. I'm a little more used to it now, but I still try to take the wrong rabbits from the table sometimes.
One of the things I hate about the convention is the judging coops. They had no doors on them, so exhibitors had to hold the rabbits in. Two got into a nasty fight right in front of my good friend Lisa Young. She's barely taller than the youth she was trying to help out, standing on tip toes with hands trying to separate rabbits. The rabbit fight was so violent that is pretty much stopped the 1/3 of the show nearest to it. She was pretty shaken by the whole thing.
While writing for Todd, I got sprayed by a buck at the end of the table. Everyone, but me, thought it was so funny. Then it happened again a few minutes later. Todd had to NP a bunch of bunnies, so he removed the offender. But a few minutes later, I got sprayed again! We finally figured out that the bucks were sitting in a puddle of urine. They weren't spraying me but picking up their soaked front feet and shaking them at me. I noticed that the coops had to be removed and mopped up between classes because so much urine and waste accumulated. I'll keep my eyes open for that this year, you can be sure.
I had taken labels to put on my comment cards, but being my first day-of-show entry, I hadn't realized that I needed two labels per card. Luckily, I had printed extras just in case. I think I only entered about four rabbits last year, all broken juniors. If my memory serves me, they were Bear, Mercedes, Honey Bun, and perhaps Malone. Maybe there were more, but I do know they were all juniors. I suppose it would not have been horrible to have to write all of that information. But I really wouldn't want to have to do that.
This time last year, I had never won a Best of Breed with a homegrown rabbit. And I had only the week before won my first Best of Breed ever (with BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy). With such competition, I didn't expect to place at all. But as it turned out, Bear earned three legs and came in second for the other show. Mercedes came in second in at least one show. I remember because Honey Bun beat her and went on to a BOSG. And, of course, my big news of the weekend was that Bear was the BOB under Paul Kyle. It was my first one and I could have been knocked over with a feather. What a great place to have a first BOB!
Now I'm looking ahead to this year's show. I know the competition will be tougher than ever. I have my attitude in the right place, though. I'm looking forward to having a great time with friends. I'm also looking forward to delivering ten of my sale bunnies and hopefully selling eight others (including a couple of pets). Won't it be delicious to have a few free cages when I get home? I intend to remove all of my overflow cages and shrink back into my original barn design. What would it be like to walk through the aisles, not having to dodge cages that really aren't supposed to be there? Heaven, I suppose.
I'm also looking forward to spending a lot of time with my friends Linda Norris and Dani Cole. Linda and I are traveling together and rooming with Dani. We also plan to spend Sunday night at Dani's house in northern Virginia. They are both such great companions.
I will miss some of my friends who attended last year, but won't be there this year. Lisa and Fayth decided to sit this one out (could it be the nasty rabbit fight?). Paul and PJ won't be there like last year (PJ - do you remember last year when you were about to tattoo my rabbit - she jumped headlong into a cement wall - ouch! - I thought she would have brain damage for certain). I am sure I will look around for others and find them missing as well.
I know that the show will be an exhausting one, especially if the entries are as large as expected. There's the inevitable letdown after so much excitement. But there's also the satisfaction of getting back home after a trip. This time, I will have something more to look forward to. Some friends will be coming by to pick up their rabbits that I am bringing home for them. Some have been here before. But the couple who got me started in rabbits has never been here. So I'm looking forward to their visit to my barn. They can see the granddaughters and great granddaughters of one of my original bunnies I got from their barn.
Well, I'd better wrap this up and head to the barn. There's so much to do to prepare for a 4-day weekend of bunnies.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 8:55 AM
I had a delightful show last year. It was wonderful to see so many Holland breeders in one place, especially those I don't often get to see. I'm really looking forward to that this year. And I love the quality Holland judges they provide.
Last year was my friend Dani Cole's very first show. She will be celebrating her first anniversary as a rabbit exhibitor this weekend. Last year, she showed a buck that I had sold her. He came in 16th out of 52 and was a very young senior at the time. We were both very pleased with that. I had known she was showing the buck, but did not realize she was also showing a doe that I sold her. I was writing for Todd Naragon at the time when the NT58 ear number came up. I knew I had not brought any seniors. I was so confused, standing there, staring at Dani, trying to figure it out. I just wasn't used to anyone but me showing my bunnies back then. I'm a little more used to it now, but I still try to take the wrong rabbits from the table sometimes.
One of the things I hate about the convention is the judging coops. They had no doors on them, so exhibitors had to hold the rabbits in. Two got into a nasty fight right in front of my good friend Lisa Young. She's barely taller than the youth she was trying to help out, standing on tip toes with hands trying to separate rabbits. The rabbit fight was so violent that is pretty much stopped the 1/3 of the show nearest to it. She was pretty shaken by the whole thing.
While writing for Todd, I got sprayed by a buck at the end of the table. Everyone, but me, thought it was so funny. Then it happened again a few minutes later. Todd had to NP a bunch of bunnies, so he removed the offender. But a few minutes later, I got sprayed again! We finally figured out that the bucks were sitting in a puddle of urine. They weren't spraying me but picking up their soaked front feet and shaking them at me. I noticed that the coops had to be removed and mopped up between classes because so much urine and waste accumulated. I'll keep my eyes open for that this year, you can be sure.
I had taken labels to put on my comment cards, but being my first day-of-show entry, I hadn't realized that I needed two labels per card. Luckily, I had printed extras just in case. I think I only entered about four rabbits last year, all broken juniors. If my memory serves me, they were Bear, Mercedes, Honey Bun, and perhaps Malone. Maybe there were more, but I do know they were all juniors. I suppose it would not have been horrible to have to write all of that information. But I really wouldn't want to have to do that.
This time last year, I had never won a Best of Breed with a homegrown rabbit. And I had only the week before won my first Best of Breed ever (with BBF's Yankee Doodle Dandy). With such competition, I didn't expect to place at all. But as it turned out, Bear earned three legs and came in second for the other show. Mercedes came in second in at least one show. I remember because Honey Bun beat her and went on to a BOSG. And, of course, my big news of the weekend was that Bear was the BOB under Paul Kyle. It was my first one and I could have been knocked over with a feather. What a great place to have a first BOB!
Now I'm looking ahead to this year's show. I know the competition will be tougher than ever. I have my attitude in the right place, though. I'm looking forward to having a great time with friends. I'm also looking forward to delivering ten of my sale bunnies and hopefully selling eight others (including a couple of pets). Won't it be delicious to have a few free cages when I get home? I intend to remove all of my overflow cages and shrink back into my original barn design. What would it be like to walk through the aisles, not having to dodge cages that really aren't supposed to be there? Heaven, I suppose.
I'm also looking forward to spending a lot of time with my friends Linda Norris and Dani Cole. Linda and I are traveling together and rooming with Dani. We also plan to spend Sunday night at Dani's house in northern Virginia. They are both such great companions.
I will miss some of my friends who attended last year, but won't be there this year. Lisa and Fayth decided to sit this one out (could it be the nasty rabbit fight?). Paul and PJ won't be there like last year (PJ - do you remember last year when you were about to tattoo my rabbit - she jumped headlong into a cement wall - ouch! - I thought she would have brain damage for certain). I am sure I will look around for others and find them missing as well.
I know that the show will be an exhausting one, especially if the entries are as large as expected. There's the inevitable letdown after so much excitement. But there's also the satisfaction of getting back home after a trip. This time, I will have something more to look forward to. Some friends will be coming by to pick up their rabbits that I am bringing home for them. Some have been here before. But the couple who got me started in rabbits has never been here. So I'm looking forward to their visit to my barn. They can see the granddaughters and great granddaughters of one of my original bunnies I got from their barn.
Well, I'd better wrap this up and head to the barn. There's so much to do to prepare for a 4-day weekend of bunnies.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 8:55 AM
