Dinner at the Pho/Hong Kong Cafe at Reno

It's a convention tradition to go for a Vietnamese dinner.   

Deb on the right and Alicia in the middle are two of the regulars at convention Vietnamese dinners. 

Gabe and Nicko join the Vietnamese dinner for the first time.  It's also the first time for Nicko to experience a rabbit show.    

Mother and daughter Kristen and Morgan are from Harrisburg, PA, coming west for the convention for the first time.   Morgan won the youth Best In Show in the 2021 convention at Louisville with her white French Angora.   

Charlene is not able to join the dinner but Carol stays for the feast.

Nicko is a physician's assistant in Fresno, very successful in his profession.   His first experience of a rabbit show is a national convention, it's called starting at the top.     Gabe has moved back to CA over a year ago, now working at the Fresno school district.   He is manning the KW booth during the Reno convention.

At the dinner are Betty, Gabe, Nicko, Alicia, Deb on the left side; on the right side are Morgan, Kristen, Casey, Carol W., Katelyn and Will.   

 
 

Carol White and Charlene Duncan Visit Reno ARBA Convention 2022

Charlene and Carol W. both were very active in showing in the 1990s.  Charlene showed French and Satin Angoras while Carol W. showed French Angora only.   They have not seen each other for years but they both visit the Reno convention. 

It's such a happy reunion.

 

When Carol and Charlene get caught up with their lives, Betty waits.

Casey comes in to join the reunion.  

Now both Betty and Casey get to join in the happy reunion.  

 

Betty and Casey with ARBA Big Guns

Betty and Casey walking around the showroom after arriving at Reno on Saturday afternoon.  See who we run into: Eric Stewart the ARBA executive director and Josh Humphries the ARBA president.

We sure cannot pass up the opportunity of having a photo op.

 

Three Generations of Angora Breeders/Exhibitors/Fiber Artists

From left to right are Alicia Will, Katelyn Will and Deb Butorac, MN.
Showing Angoras is a family affair: 

Northern California Angora Guild: Winning Best In Show is a Family Affair in Minnesota (ncag.blogspot.com)

Deb is Alicia's mom, Kathelyn's grandma, three generations of Angora lovers.  
Deb started raising English Angora in the late 1990s. Alicia followed raising French Angora.   Here is a post about Alicia's French Angora winning BOB in the 2005 ARBA convention: 

Northern California Angora Guild: BOB and BOS French Angora in Indy Convention (ncag.blogspot.com)

How long have I known Katelyn?  Almost since Katelyn's birth.  See:
Northern California Angora Guild: Katelyn's First Easter (ncag.blogspot.com)

Imagine seeing Katelyn's photos at a few months old then realizing that she is talling than I.  She is growing for sure, I must be shrinking!

 

Three generations of fiber artists, Alicia, Deb and Katelyn spinning at the convention.  

Deb, Alicia and Katelyn have a lot of friends, Kellyjo, Casey, Betty and Will all join in the photo op.  

NARBC Booth and Meeting at Reno ARBA Convention 2022

The National Angora Rabbit Breeders Club booth is nicely decorated.  

Members gather at the booth for a meeting.  President Lynn Galbraith-Wilson conducts the meeting.

Tammy Vaughn reports from the fiber committee and also about the progress of the Chestnut Giant Angora presentation.  

Sanction and Sweepstakes chair Robin Olson announces the sweepstakes and Rabbit of the Year awards, Nichole Wilson helps to give out the awards.  It's a big job for Robin to keep track of 4 breeds in open and youth, she does the job impeccably.   This award segment takes quite a while as there are so many different categories of awards.

Lynn announces the 2022 President's Award recipient: Nichole Wilson.   Nichole tirelessly works as the NARBC newsletter editor, merchandising and in any capacity when needed.  Lynn certainly knows how hard Nichole works, as Nichole is her daughter.
 

Here is a close up of mother and daughter.

Nichole is very surprised to have received the award.  Lynn has been keeping a secret for quite a few months.   They live 5 hours apart, Lynn was able to keep the prize hidden.

 

A Commerical with an English Angora - Throw Back to 2018

 

In 2018, I received an invitation to do a commercial with my English Angora in southern California, the location of the shoot was at an old mansion in Hollywood.   Here are the director, me, and Chu's Brighton, the BOSB of the 2017 ARBA convention at Indianapolis.  I reported my experience on our blog.   

While reporting all the going-ons at the 2022 ARBA convention in the past several days, Casey alerted me that this commercial is making rounds on Facebook recently.   Here is one of the Facebook links:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0445GtwKnNYGeXfxssT21CnGq56USTekDGEmjMEYRri1y5tYq8QpRc967viYhhqEjl&id=1440312496

Not everyone is on Facebook, including myself.   YouTube is open for all to view, here are two versions of this commercial:

Quilted Northern Angora Show Bunny - YouTube

Quilted Northern is Not an Angora Show Bunny - YouTube

Here are two screenshots to give an idea:

If you are interested in reading about how this commercial was made, please visit:  

Northern California Angora Guild: Brighton Stars in a Commercial - Background Story (ncag.blogspot.com)

Open Angora Top Winners at the Reno ARBA Convention 2022

English Angora judge Johnny Haussener, PA
BOB colored senior doe, Yvonne and Melanie Lyons

French Angora judge: Travis Finkle, MD
BOB colored senior doe, Charlotte Schweikart

French Angora judge: Travis Finkle, MD
BOSB colored junior buck,  Kendra McAllister/William Lyons/Johanna Sherman

 

Giant Angora judge: Johnny Haussener, PA
BOB white senior doe, Cory Billings

Satin Angora judge: Travis Finkle, MD
BOB white senior doe,  Jacquelyn Milton

Satin Angora judge: Travis Finkle, MD
BOSB colored junior buck, Laurie Penterman