Casey's Two Breeds

English Angora is Casey's first breed, has been raising and showing them since 1991 when she got a pair from Betty.   

It's hard to imagine that when Casey and Betty met, Casey's son Cole was 5 years old.  Now Cole's daughter Isaura is almost 5 years old.   

Casey had Satin Angora in the 1990s but did not continue.   A couple of years ago, she got a pair from Sandra and now has a few litters.  She still considers English Angora as her true love.

Carol's Beautiful American Fuzzy Lop

At the Portola Valley show, all six wool breeds are present.   The six wool breeds are: English Angora, French Angora, Giant Angora, Satin Angora, American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey Wooly.

The English Angora and French Angora are the "original" wool breeds, accepted by the ARBA as far back as in the 1940s.  The Satin Angora was accepted in 1987, Giant Angora in 1988.  In the same 1988 convention, American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey Wooly were also accepted by the ARBA.     

Interestingly enough, both American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey Wooly have French Angora in their background.   According to the American Fuzzy Lop national club website:

"The background of the American Fuzzy Lop is interwoven with the history of the Holland Lop. When first introduced, the Holland Lop rabbit was only available in solid colors, and some breeders wanted to add the broken pattern to the Holland Lop gene pool. To do this, they bred their Holland Lops to English Spots. While they achieved the goal of producing broken pattern rabbits, they failed to keep the rollback fur the Holland must have. The offspring instead had the flyback fur of the English Spot. The breeders then bred Holland Lops to French Angoras, a breed that has a very gentle rollback coat. The result of these manipulations was that the wool gene was also introduced into the Holland Lop gene pool and a Holland with long wool was occasionally found in Holland Lop litters. These were generally sold to people who were enchanted with a small wooled lop-eared rabbit."

As for Jersey Wooly, it was originally considered as a miniature sized French Angora so that the pet people can handle it better that the large French Angora.  Over the years, the image of a miniature French Angora is no longer the ideal, today's Jersey Wooly resembles a wooled Netherland Dwarf.

The above photo is taken by Christine, rabbit owned by Carol.  Carol's American Fuzzy Lop is ranked #1 in the nation. Carol will very much like to promote and help those who are interested in the American Fuzzy Lop.  If interested, Contact Carol at hoploppitry@yahoo.com

Betty Goes to A Reunion Lunch

It's a very fancy horse statue in a restaurant, what's the occasion?

Betty gets an invitation to attend a reunion lunch at Dublin.   Can you believe six of us were college classmates in the 1960s?  Some have not seen each other for 49 years!!!   From left to right are Katy, Helena, Doris, Alice, Betty and James, all graduates of the Economics Department at National Taiwan University in 1969. It's fun to see each other and happy to learn each has a great life that is blessed with happiness and accomplishments.   Also great to know that we are all healthy and active in our late years.     

Imari is Carolyn's New Pampered Princess

In January 2014, I had an all white litter of four: three does and one buck.   The one on the very left was extra small. 

On June 28, 2014 at Portola Valley, Carolyn received the little white baby that Carolyn named Angeline.

Angeline was all proportional but only about 2/3 of the size of her littermates.   In this photo, she is a bit over 5 months old.    She lived all her life indoors as Carolyn's pampered princess but still due to her extra small size, she passed away a little less than 4 years old.

I have not had an all white litter in more than four years.  In March 2018, an all white litter was born, three does and one buck.   The same number and the same composition of buck and doe as the litter in January 2014.   There were two bigger ones and two smaller ones initially but by 3 months old, they grow to about the same size.   

One June 30, 2018 at the Portola Valley show, Carolyn receives Imari.  

 Imari will live a totally pampered life.   With her normal size, she should enjoy a long life.   Imari is 3-1/2 months old in this photo.

  

Finish Touch

Carol is giving HGF Sweet Fortune a slick brushing.    Sweet Fortune won two Specialty Best In Show out of three shows.

Casey brushes her Satin Angora.

Jill is brushing her French Angora's ears.

Amanda carefully works on the tips of her French Angora junior doe NEF.

Lena combs her American Fuzzy Lop.  Angel's dog Libby visits Lena.

(Photo credit: Christine Barry Photography

https://www.christinebarryphotography.com/ )

Blow Grooming at Portola Valley

Amanda blows out her favorite junior French doe.

Casey's English Angora senior doe looks huge while being blown.

Betty is blowing out a white English Angora.

Casey blows out her Satin Angora colored senior doe.

Amanda blow grooms her French Angora chocolate junior buck.

Jill just completed blow grooming her French Angora junior. 

(Photo credit: Christine and Carolyn)

Shyun and Christine Visiting at Portola Valley

One of the fun things of showing is to have visitors.  Shyun on the right is Betty's graduate student in the early 1980s.  

Betty just started having a few French Lop and Shyun fell in love the big flop eared rabbit.   She received one as a gift, never stopped having rabbits since.  Betty and Shyun have become besties for life.     Shyun received her Master's degree then became a CPA, practicing for over 30 years.

Christine is Shyun's eldest daughter, born after Shyun's first French Lop.   Now Christine is a MBA working in Chicago, she has never attended a rabbit show so mama takes her visiting Betty and the show at Portola Valley.

Betty with Christine, Shyun and Shyun's sister-in-law May.