We had a show yesterday. We knew there was the major winter storm moving in, but the forecast predicted it wouldn’t get really deep into the area until late afternoon. Just the same, there was icing on my windshield as I made the two hour drive over. I was betting that the show manager, Clarence Lindsey, would be true to his reputation, and get us all out of there at record speed. (I went to a show a couple of weeks ago, but was the only Angora exhibitor there, so didn’t have much to report.)

Greg and Penny Osborne couldn’t make it because Greg had Guard drill. Tracy Harmon (who is one of the top Mini Lop breeders in the country) and her sons Cayden and Colton showed their first English Angora litter for the first time, getting very good comments from the judges. Their lilac junior buck was Best of Variety and Best Opposite Sex in Show A!

Misael Hernandez came to the show to enter his senior colored doe, a chocolate tort, and got very good comments on her. This was the first show that Misael has ever entered, and I think he enjoyed it and found it encouraging. A beginning rabbit breeder, Misael also brought two Jersey Woolies to show. He told me of his plans to breed his JW BEW to his REW, and I said, “You need to talk to Candy Haenszel.” Using my phone, I found the explanation on the internet for him about why BEW x REW may set one up for problems.

I brought one of the REW bucks that I showed last year, Booker, to the show for Misael to purchase. The buck was BOS in Show B. I also brought a black junior doe for Misael that he had requested a couple of months ago. Misael is a waiter at Olive Garden, and also has a clowning business, so he often has to work on the weekends. Therefore, I will board and show the little doe for him. I wish I had remembered to get a photo of Misael with his rabbits.

My senior white doe, Arctic Tracks, received BOB in both shows. I also showed a black junior doe, “Daffy,” that will move to the senior class next week. Over the holidays, I slacked off on coat care, and her coat is uneven as a result. If memory serves me right, she was best colored doe in one show and BOV in the other, but I would need to check the cards to confirm that. She just had an edge over the others with her maturity, and when she moves into senior, she is just going to look like a big baby for awhile until her coat develops some more.

What I found personally encouraging was the judges’ comments on my white junior doe, Renault. To me, her body feels quite round and full, very much like the proverbial ball of wool, and the comments confirmed that. It is nice to know that other people are finding the same features that I find, and that I am not being barn blind.

While there, I looked up a Satin rabbit breeder who has won a lot of all-breed BIS, Charlie Brown. I asked him questions about his rabbit breeding and selection process. He said something about how I ought to talk to the top Angora breeders. I’ve already talked to the top Angora breeders, and I actually think there is more to be learned from the breeders of the “meat” breeds, insofar as selection is concerned, because they don’t have to think about wool and grooming.

Because of the incoming storm, almost everyone left the show as soon as their classes were over, and I didn’t stay for BIS either. I was pleased to hear later that Michelle Dilley won BIS of one show with her Havana.