Northern California Angora Guild

Friday, October 04, 2024

English Angora Vianna Wins Open Best In Show at San Jose





Vianna started her show career in August.  She enjoys it and does very well.  She received a Reserve In Show the first time out at the Breast Cancer Benefit Show then a Best In Show at the Big Valley RA show.
 


Vianna tells mama Betty that she would like to go to more shows and she got the chance to go to the Santa Clara County Rabbit and Cavy Shows at San Jose.




Vianna receives another Best In Show from judge Stephany Brundage who is very familiar with  English Angora as she is also a breeder/exhibitor, knows what a good English Angora should look and feel like.  




Happy Vianna with her Best In Show rosette.  




 

Thursday, October 03, 2024

Open Top Winners at San Jose



Show A Best In Show judge: Doug King.
Best In Show rabbit: Julie Spier's Havana.



Show A Reserve In Show rabbit: Chris Zemny's Holland Lop.



Show B Best In Show judge: Kathi Groves.
Best In Show rabbit: Julie Spier's Havana.
Show C Best In Show judge:  Ray Stacy.
Reserve In Show rabbit: Julie Spier's Havana.



Show B Reserve In Show rabbit: Carol Green's American Fuzzy Lop.



Show C Best In Show judge: Ray Stacy.
Best In Show rabbit: Betty Chu's French Angora.



Show D Best In Show judge: Jennifer Milburn.
Best In Show rabbit: Rene Moore's Mini Rex.



Show D Reserve In Show rabbit: Paul Fickas's Florida White.



Show E Best In Show judge: Stephany Brundage.
Best In Show rabbit: Betty Chu's English Angora.



Show E Reserve In Show rabbit: Suzel Bozada-Deas's Silver Fox.







 

Wednesday, October 02, 2024

Showroom Scenes and Club Information at San Jose



At the Santa Clara Fairgounds in San Jose , there were two whole days of rabbit and cavy shows last weekend.    Here is the cover of the show catalog.  There are a bit of confusions as what this club is, a fair club? a regular all breed club?  Who are the people working in this club?  Is that a part of CRCS?   I'd like to offer an explanation.

The full name of this club located in San Jose is called "Santa Clara County Rabbit and Cavy Shows", acronym SCCRCS.  It is an ARBA chartered all breed club.   The major workers are the Santa Clara County Fair management with helps from several experienced rabbit judges and breeders.  To name a few: Randy Shumaker, Griffin Harrah and Betty Chu.   There will be more volunteers over time now that the shows are flowing regularly.  We are expecting show weekends twice a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. 

In the 1980s, the Santa Clara County Fair was one of the biggest fairs with animal/livestock exhibits, the fair ran as long as 20 days.   Rabbits were cooped in for 10 days in open and 10 days in youth.   Rabbit clubs would rent the sheep barn to put on all breed shows.  One of the clubs that used this facility was the Rabbit Producers of Santa Clara Valley RPSCV that still exists today and holds annual shows at Hollister in December.   The California State Convention was held at one of the barns in 1988.  

In the 1990s the barns at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds were torn down due to an offer to build a Hard Rock Cafe.  It did not work out, there was no Hard Rock Cafe!   The land where the barns used to stand is currently occupied by shopping centers and a Holiday Inn Express.   

For more than 20 years there was no regular rabbit shows held at this location due to the loss of the livestock barn and sheep barn.    How did I know, well, I Betty Chu, visited the first rabbit show in 1981 then started showing for the first time at one of these barns in 1982!

In 2022, a show appeared!  What a huge surprise.  Here is a report of that first show:

Northern California Angora Guild: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Welcome Open Rabbits after 20+ years (ncag.blogspot.com)

  We all should thank the great fair manager Salene Durate who has the forward thinking and willingness to reintroduce animals to the fair, and rabbit shows are one of her projects.  Randy Shumaker and California Rabbit and Cavy Shows (CRCS) helped tremendously to make it happen. 



The first SCCRCS shows in 2022 were held in the smaller building Fiesta Hall.  Since then, some of the shows were held in the Fiesta Hall and some at the huge Expo Hall.   To get an idea, the Fiesta Hall is 11,000 square feet, the Expo Hall is 45,000 square feet.   If you are familiar with numbers, Expo Hall is larger than one acre!  One acre is 43,560 square feet.   



The entries on Saturday are very good but the huge size of the venue makes it look sparse.



This is the wool corner with American Fuzzy Lop, English Angora, French Angora and Satin Angora.




A closer look at the wool breed corner.



There is definitely no fighting for space in this spacious showroom.



KW cages got its huge black trailer driven into the showroom.




The building is climate controlled, if you had noticed, the air conditioning came on in the afternoon on Saturday.


 


Tuesday, October 01, 2024

Show C Best In Show Judging at Merced




Judge Melissa Magee starts the judging from the side of English Angora.



A bit later, judge Allan Ormond comes in to join the Best In Show judging.



It's a bit surprising that the Best In Show judging panel goes from one judge to two judges.



Judge Melissa examines the BOB English Angora carefully.



Judge Allan takes a quick look.



The Best In Show goes to the Dutch shown by Scott Williamson and his rabbit partner.



The Reserve In Show is Lorena's Rhinlander.

This post concludes photos and reports of the Big Valley RA triple shows at Merced, CA.



 

Monday, September 30, 2024

Show B Best In Show Judging at Merced





Show B Best In Show judge is Uno Kivi.



An overall look of the judging table.



BOB English Angora.



Second round look again at the BOB English Angora.



The Best In Show goes to Betty Chu's English Angora.



The Reserve In Show goes to Chantel's American Fuzzy Lop.




 

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Show A Best In Show Judging at Merced




Show A Best In Show judge is Armando Cabrera.



There are over 30 BOB rabbits on the table for judge Armando to choose from.




American Fuzzy Lop being examined.



French Angora next.



BOB Holland Lop.


BOB English Angora.




The Best In Show goes to the American Fuzzy Lop shown by Carol Green.



The Reserve In Show is Desi's Holland Lop.




 

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Show C French Angora and Satin Angora Judging at Merced




Judge Ray is examining the French Angora colored junior doe.



This is the second place colored senior doe.



The French Angora BOB goes to the chocolate senior doe.

 


These are the 5 white Satin Angoras plus 2 colored Satin Angora in the photo, to be judged by Ray Stacy.



There are 7 colored Satin Angoras on the table.



Unfortunately we did not catch judge Ray placing the Satin Angoroas.



The Satin Angora BOB winner is the colored senior doe.






 

Friday, September 27, 2024

Show C English Angora Judging at Merced




Show C judge is Ray Stacy, here Ray with the English Angora first place white senior buck.




The white senior doe is BOV.



Judge Ray likes the colored senior doe.



The colored senior doe is the BOB English Angora.