Show D Best In Show Judging at San Jose on Sunday

We thank our friends who went to the ARBA convention sharing photos with us in the last few days.  Now that the convention is over, we are going back to the San Jose show earlier in October.   Here are some photos of Best In Show judging on Sunday. 

Show D Best In Show judge is Jennifer Milburn. English Angora and French Angora BOBs are on the back table.  No Satin Angora shown on Sunday. 

BOB French Angora on the table. Judge Jennifer examines from a distance. 

BOB English Angora white senior doe. 

Florida White BOB. 

BOB American Fuzzy Lop. 

Best In Show goes to Rene Moore’s Mini Rex.  This is the first time Rene’s home grown Mini Rex winning an open Best In Show.  Happy mama. 

Reserve In Show goes to the Florida White shown by Paul Fickas. 

 

Laurie and Rachel, Mother and Daughter Winning Team at ARBA Convention at Louisville

Satin Angora BOB winner is Laurie Penterman’s colored senior doe.  Judge Tom Schweikart. 

Laurie wins it all, the BOSB Satin Angora is also hers. 

 

Daughter Rachel Penterman is not too shabby, winning the BOB French Angora. Photo with judge Ron Riddle. 

The big winner is a cream senior doe. 

Katelyn Will’s French Angora Won Youth Group at ARBA Convention at Louisville

7 Pine’s Louie high in his holding cage at the Best In Show stage. 

Louie’s breeder is Katelyn Will, so happy to see Louie won Group 3, one of the 4 finalists for Best In Show. 

Louie on the Best In Show table examined by judge Louis Potter.   The Best In Show went to the Mini Satin.  

Katelyn’s grandma Deb Butorac did well in the fiber contest, won the first place in the fine skein category. 

Katelyn is the 3rd generation of Angora lovers.  Mom Alicia won open BOB French Angora as far back as in 2005, grandma Deb Butorac is well-known for her English Angora for many years then she switched to Satin Angora in recent years.   Katelyn was featured on our blog when she was a newborn, see:
https://ncag.blogspot.com/2009/04/katelyns-first-easter.html?m=0

Over the years, Katelyn and mom Alicia and Grandma Deb have appeared on our blog numerous times, she literally grew up in front of our eyes.   See some of the posts: 

https://ncag.blogspot.com/search?q=Katelyn&m=0

 

Frosty American Fuzzy Lop Super Pass at ARBA convention at Louisville

The happy frosty American Fuzzy Lop COD team.  They SUPER PASSED!

What is frosty American Fuzzy Lop? It’s very similar to the Angora Pearl except it’s Agouti pattern.  Angora Pearl is non-agouti while the AFL frosty is agouti.   They look darker than the Angora pearl because AFL has more guard hairs and shorter wool than Angora.  

What is a super pass?    In order to get a new color, new variety or new breed accepted into the ARBA Standard of Perfection (SOP), a breeder or a team of breeders need to get a Certificate of Development (COD), satisfy requirements listed in SOP during a two year waiting period, then present the animals in an ARBA national convention.  The team has 5 years to gain acceptance if the ARBA Standard Committee passes the presentation in three showings.   However, if the COD holder gets unanimous votes from the committee, the committee has the option to waive the third showing and gain an exemplary pass.  The COD team of Nate, Carol and family received unanimous votes in the first showing last year and unanimous votes in the second showing this year, two perfect showings.   Super exemplary pass!!!

 

Joe Kim Wins Big at ARBA convention at Louisville

What a beautiful Mini Rex!

Our friend Joe Kim shared photo of the BOB Mini Rex won by him and his rabbit partner Sandra Lowry. 

There are over 1,000 Mini Rex entered, as we can see there are 7 judges for the breed.  

Joe and Sandra’s Mini Rex went on to win Group 1, so close to the Best In Show!   The Best In Show went to the Holland Lop. 

Is Joe going into wool breeds?   This is Joe carrying Carol and Nate’s BOB American Fuzzy Lop while waiting for Best In Show judging at the backstage.    Is he sizing up his competition or trying to get into Fuzzy?   No, he’s kidding around.  

 

Angora and American Fuzzy Lop at the ARBA convention at Louisville

NARBC booth has a hospitality corner that provides lots of goodies for Angora exhibitors.  

White English Angora is the first breed in the morning. 
Judge is Ron Riddle of Indiana. 

Debbie McCormick has the first and second place white junior doe.  The BOB goes to the white senior doe shown by Yvonne and Melanie. 

Colored English Angora being judged. 

A white Satin Angora being weighed.  Convention rule requires all top 5 rabbits in a class to be weighed.   The judge is Tom Schweikart of New York, clerk is Joan Hastings of New York. 

 

Last but not least photo is the big winner of American Fuzzy Lop    Carol and Nate’s broken junior doe is the BOB winner of American Fuzzy Lop out of several hundred entries    In the photo are the judge Kaiya Green (no relation to Carol) in the middle with Carol Green, Nate and Lisa Burbidge, Stuart and Liv Burbidge.  

Happy Groomers at ARBA Convention in Louisville

The convention showroom opened on Thursday afternoon. Carol went in early and took this photo showing the wool area before the rabbits and exhibitors arrived. 

Lots of space for the open and youth Angoras, photo credit Carol Green.

On Saturday, all rabbits are cooped.   Exhibitors are allowed to groom near their rabbits.   Photo credit Debbie McCormick. 

There are lots of space for exhibitors to set up their grooming spots.  This is a huge improvement from last year.  Thank Debbie for taking this photo. 

Happy wool groomers working hard and socializing. Debbie said that the arrangement is working out well. 

Debbie’s whit buck is having a spa treatment!