Monday, December 18, 2006
The Longest Sweeps Year In Holland History
For me, the longest sweeps year in Holland history is finally over. It seems we've been in this year forever. This is only my second sweeps year. I didn't even hit the charts my first year as an exhibitor, but did well enough to get an award last year. This year I'm quite pleased with my results.
Last December, I wrote a post called The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: First Third. In it, I talked about my goals for this sweeps year and how I would evaluate my "year" when I got to the end.
Last sweeps year, I had 11,416 sweeps points. My goal for this year was to double that number. But, since we had 50% more time, to double it really means triple. So, to meet my goal, I would have to have 34,248 points for this long sweeps year. I did meet that goal. According to my records, I earned 40,918 sweepstakes points.
But another of my goals was to earn more points per show. I do attend a lot of shows, but you can't earn 40k points if you earn 100 points per show - there aren't enough weekends for that! Last year, I earned an average of 211 points per show. This year, I earned an average of 435 points per show. Obviously, Nationals and Convention helped pull those numbers up. But going to some small shows with few points available drags it back down. All in all, I am pleased with my average points per show.
Last year, I had 24 quality points. I wanted to double that number this year, (which means triple, of course). So, to "double" the number, I would have had to earn 72 quality points. I made that goal, too. I earned 117, which annualizes to 78 quality points. I earned the majority of these during the last six months. So I feel like I'm definitely headed in the right direction.
For herdsman points, I had just 9 last year. That's not really bad, given it was my first year of hitting the charts. Twenty-seven herdsman points would double that number of this year. Again, I made my goal. I had 30 herdsman points, which annualizes to 20, still a very good number.
So now it is time to make my plans for next year and set my goals. I certainly cannot sustain the same rate of improvement. It's been a steep incline from zero to where I am right now. And, I'm changing my emphasis as a breeder. So here goes.
My first goal is to attend far fewer shows this year. I have to get more balance back in my life. And, as my expertise with my breed grows, I get less and less pleasure in having my rabbits judged by judges without special abilities in Hollands.
When I started, I felt that averaging one show every three weeks was a good pace. I want to get back to that. However, odds are that this is one goal I will not be able to achieve!
I want to not pay any attention to sweeps points at all this year. It's been automatic with me this year to calculate the points while standing around waiting for the next breed to come up. So it will be a hard habit to break.
My goal is to improve on my herdsman points and quality points with fewer shows. Yikes, I'm biting off a lot! That means I'm hoping for 21 or more different BOB or BOS rabbits in 2007. And, I'm looking for more than 78 quality points.
I also want to grand 30 rabbits between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007. Again, I've set the goal pretty high. I'm not really confident I can reach it. I do have a good start with 13, but I'm really behind, since I would have needed 15 to be on pace. I hope to grand the following, though, after Christmas: MLK, Myrddin, Millicent, Arabica, Prince William, Demetrius, Hunnicutt, McCartney, and Mistoffelees. Most of those just need one leg more. If I can do that, then maybe some of my upcoming juniors will be ready to grand before June 30 and push me over the top of my goal.
Oh well, if I miss, I still should do well enough to be proud of. I granded 16 last year, so I'm bound to improve on that.
The last area in which I want to set a goal is for my all-grand-champion pedigree project. At the beginning of this past sweeps year, I had one rabbit in my barn with two grand champion parents. He is a grand champion himself. Now I have 18 rabbits in my barn that have two grand champion parents. Of them, six are grand champions and most of the rest are grandable. In addition, I think some sires will grand, adding more to the "Two Grand Champion Parents" list.
My goal is to have 18 grand champions with two grand champion parents by this time next year. In addition, I want to have 18 rabbits in my barn with all grand champion parents and grandparents by December 31, 2007. That should be a good stretch! Furthermore, I want at least one of those two-generation rabbits to be grandable, if not granded.
I know I'm reaching for the stars, but I believe it is important to have some goals to work toward. It's nice to have several different goals, too. So, if things aren't going well in one area, maybe they are going well in another.
I'll be evaluating my herd in several different ways over the next couple of weeks. I think the end of the year is a great time to evaluate what you have done, where you are, and where you are going.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 11:42 AM
Last December, I wrote a post called The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG: First Third. In it, I talked about my goals for this sweeps year and how I would evaluate my "year" when I got to the end.
Last sweeps year, I had 11,416 sweeps points. My goal for this year was to double that number. But, since we had 50% more time, to double it really means triple. So, to meet my goal, I would have to have 34,248 points for this long sweeps year. I did meet that goal. According to my records, I earned 40,918 sweepstakes points.
But another of my goals was to earn more points per show. I do attend a lot of shows, but you can't earn 40k points if you earn 100 points per show - there aren't enough weekends for that! Last year, I earned an average of 211 points per show. This year, I earned an average of 435 points per show. Obviously, Nationals and Convention helped pull those numbers up. But going to some small shows with few points available drags it back down. All in all, I am pleased with my average points per show.
Last year, I had 24 quality points. I wanted to double that number this year, (which means triple, of course). So, to "double" the number, I would have had to earn 72 quality points. I made that goal, too. I earned 117, which annualizes to 78 quality points. I earned the majority of these during the last six months. So I feel like I'm definitely headed in the right direction.
For herdsman points, I had just 9 last year. That's not really bad, given it was my first year of hitting the charts. Twenty-seven herdsman points would double that number of this year. Again, I made my goal. I had 30 herdsman points, which annualizes to 20, still a very good number.
So now it is time to make my plans for next year and set my goals. I certainly cannot sustain the same rate of improvement. It's been a steep incline from zero to where I am right now. And, I'm changing my emphasis as a breeder. So here goes.
My first goal is to attend far fewer shows this year. I have to get more balance back in my life. And, as my expertise with my breed grows, I get less and less pleasure in having my rabbits judged by judges without special abilities in Hollands.
When I started, I felt that averaging one show every three weeks was a good pace. I want to get back to that. However, odds are that this is one goal I will not be able to achieve!
I want to not pay any attention to sweeps points at all this year. It's been automatic with me this year to calculate the points while standing around waiting for the next breed to come up. So it will be a hard habit to break.
My goal is to improve on my herdsman points and quality points with fewer shows. Yikes, I'm biting off a lot! That means I'm hoping for 21 or more different BOB or BOS rabbits in 2007. And, I'm looking for more than 78 quality points.
I also want to grand 30 rabbits between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007. Again, I've set the goal pretty high. I'm not really confident I can reach it. I do have a good start with 13, but I'm really behind, since I would have needed 15 to be on pace. I hope to grand the following, though, after Christmas: MLK, Myrddin, Millicent, Arabica, Prince William, Demetrius, Hunnicutt, McCartney, and Mistoffelees. Most of those just need one leg more. If I can do that, then maybe some of my upcoming juniors will be ready to grand before June 30 and push me over the top of my goal.
Oh well, if I miss, I still should do well enough to be proud of. I granded 16 last year, so I'm bound to improve on that.
The last area in which I want to set a goal is for my all-grand-champion pedigree project. At the beginning of this past sweeps year, I had one rabbit in my barn with two grand champion parents. He is a grand champion himself. Now I have 18 rabbits in my barn that have two grand champion parents. Of them, six are grand champions and most of the rest are grandable. In addition, I think some sires will grand, adding more to the "Two Grand Champion Parents" list.
My goal is to have 18 grand champions with two grand champion parents by this time next year. In addition, I want to have 18 rabbits in my barn with all grand champion parents and grandparents by December 31, 2007. That should be a good stretch! Furthermore, I want at least one of those two-generation rabbits to be grandable, if not granded.
I know I'm reaching for the stars, but I believe it is important to have some goals to work toward. It's nice to have several different goals, too. So, if things aren't going well in one area, maybe they are going well in another.
I'll be evaluating my herd in several different ways over the next couple of weeks. I think the end of the year is a great time to evaluate what you have done, where you are, and where you are going.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 11:42 AM
