Indiana State Fair at Indianapolis

Many of us have been to the Fairgrounds at Indianapolis for the ARBA conventions.  This weekend it is the site for the Indiana State Fair.   Two of the California judges, Carol Green and Doug King, are among the 9 judges invited.   Here are photos and reports of Friday open show sent by Carol. 

Exhbitors are staking out their places, we can see quite a few Angoras. Their judging coops are very different from the ones in the west.

This youth has an white English Angora.

He also has Giant Angora.

Judge LeAnn McKinney is very well-know in Mini Satin but she also dabbles in the French Angora.

Doug King, Cole Rupprecht and another judge are examining a Giant Angora during the judging of 6-class.

The 4-class winner is a Netherland Dwarf picked by Lee Engel,  Carol Green and Scott Rodriguez; it went on to win the open Best In Show.     On Friday, the open and youth exhibitors compete together and the youth won over the adults.   
 Some of us in the west are not familiar with 4-class and 6-class; here are the explanations: 
The breeds of rabbits that competes in senior buck, senior doe, junior buck and junior doe classes, are "4-class" rabbits, or the lightweight rabbits.
The breeds of rabbits that competes in senior buck, senior doe, intermediate buck, intermediate doe, junior buck and junior doe classes, are "6-class' rabbits, or the heavyweight rabbits.

Miffy Doll

As rabbit lovers, we are probably familiar with the image of Miffy.  Unlike Hello Kitty that Kitty is supposed not to be a cat, Miffy is a rabbit.   It is a fictional rabbit created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna in 1955.  The original Dutch name is Nijntje which means little rabbit.  The popular version of the name is Miffy.  

Carolyn Sawai is an expert in making Kimekomi Dolls.   Carolyn is also a rabbit mom. It is a natural choice to make a Miffy Doll.

 

The Miffy Doll and its Japanese descriptions.

 

Kitties Helping Laundry Duty

 

Kittens are curious, they like to play with the laundry basket.

The round laundry basket is not bad for playing.

They'll even help in the washer.

 

Vincent is Growing Up

Victor and Vincent are brothers.

Vincent is getting a nice coat.

Vincent and Victor are brothers to Vera Rose and Vianna.

All four of them are growing up nicely.

 

Vianna is Ready to Start Her Show Career

I am Vianna, the little one on the right; next to me is my sister Vera Rose, we were together in March.   She got to go to a show in July but mama Betty said I was too little to go.  

Look at me now, do you think I have grown? 

I am six months old now.

I am a big girl.

I am also a good girl, keeping my wool pretty.

Mama Betty says that I am ready to go to a show now.

I am so happy.

I will see you on Saturday.

 

Interesting Prizes from the 2006 ARBA Convention

We are cleaning and organizing things in the family room, these glasses were cleaned and lined up.

Cats are naturally curious, they want to know what's going on.

 Bao Bao and Bei Bei want to invstigate.

Bao Bao and Bei Bei decide to guard these glasses because ....

 

... these are prizes from the 2006 ARBA convention!

Here are two related posts about this convention:

Northern California Angora Guild: Fort Worth Convention Center (ncag.blogspot.com)

Northern California Angora Guild: English Angora Winners at 2006 ARBA Convention (ncag.blogspot.com)

Cowboy boots shaped glass, how appropriate for the Texas location!

These glasses even have handles.

Remember When: Bubbling Champagne

One of the questions that I encountered from various interviews was about Bubbling Champagne.  Here is an example:

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2a6c88ac-eeb4-4015-b00d-bce03ce2a587/episodes/cd6df34b-a79a-4f7b-8d0c-d7e64c20998f/the-rabbit-habbit-episode-2-the-angora-archive-with-dr-betty-chu

This is Bubbling Champagne, photo taken in July 1983 when she was about 5 months old.  She was bred by Bobbie Meyer, an ARBA judge who has retired years ago.

The initial of Bubbling Champagne BC is where my rabbits got the identification.  Most thought BC stands for Betty Chu, and I was asked many times in podcasts and interviews, now you know the credit goes to Bubbling Champagne.    I've had several does when started and each gave an initial for their offspring and descendents, but Bubbling Champagne's line won out.  After a few years, only BC descendents stay in my breeding program.

Bubbling Champagne looks small in the photos, it's because she was a junior in most photos and also because ....

... the only grooming tools were slicker brushes and combs, look at the red brush in my hand, it's not even as good a brush as the ones we use today.   We all sat in chairs and brush, brush and brush.   No one had heard of the electric blower until the end of 1989.   This photo was taken in 1983.

As you see, Bubbling Champagne was a very loving rabbit.  She would stand up and give kisses.  I did not have photos when she became a senior, after she received three legs, she retired from shows to become a mom.   As my major breeder and an excellent mom, she has more litters than any of the does I have today.   The non-molting gene was discovered in her first litter of two live born of a buck and a doe.   The son was named Sexy Henry but he was actually not sexy with does, his sexiness was toward me, circulating and spraying at my legs.   The daughter Christina was the start of breeding for the non-molting English Angora, see 
Northern California Angora Guild: Oldie and Goodie: Concept of "To Molt or not to Molt" As a Choice (ncag.blogspot.com)

Bubbling Champagne was a lovely pet, a beautiful show rabbit, an excellent mom and the major influence of the improvement of the English Angora breed.