Since I still can’t update or change my website, I guess I’ll post a little bit about convention here at my blog:
What a fun time! This was the first time I’d ever been to the Eau Claire County Fairgrounds – what a great place – large buildings and lots of green space surrounded by woods.
The open building was large enough to easily house us all plus two vendors, and the youth building seemed roomy enough also.
Because I had procrastinated early in the week, getting ready on Friday afternoon was a rushed event, filled with frustration, but I did manage to leave home around 3:30 pm, only a little later than I originally planned on leaving.
The interstate drive was easy and I had no problems finding the fairgrounds when I arrived in Eau Claire around 6:30 pm.
Nice fairgrounds! Newer, roomy buildings, nice grounds, and best of all, wonderful cooler weather and no mosquitos!
After I set up my few rabbits, I spent some time visiting with other breeders and checking out the facilities. How nice to see everyone again, but I have to mention how strange it felt to be in the OPEN building, when for the past several years I had been with the YOUTH group!
Despite all my efforts to become a proficient camper, I always fail miserably……… Again, as at previous rabbit shows, I slept in my van. I was grateful that my air mattress stayed inflated this time; but Mother Nature still got me good when she dropped the thermostat close to the 50 degree mark. I woke up around 1:30 that night shivering and remained frozen until about 5 am when I decided to scrap the crazy idea of getting any meaningful sleep.
Saturday 4-class showing in Open was exciting – first I showed my Polish. I only had three to show and I was pleased when one of my bucks placed 2nd out of the five black junior bucks. My other buck placed 4/5, and my black junior doe placed 4/8. I learned a lot from watching the other rabbits get judged and from talking to all the nice Polish breeders!
With intentions of buying a new Holland Lop breeding doe or two, I looked at several from the Open breeders. I saw many nice does of which any/all would of probably worked well for me, but I settled on one from Laini’s Lovables – a nice brood doe with Swandt’s, Sarah’s, Swade’s and others in the background. I really like this doe – she’s got a nice body and bone, and a good crown with should help with my herd. I forgot to look at some breeders’ rabbits because I was kind of a zombie from lack of sleep……
I felt kind of strange bringing only one Holland Lop of my own to show but this spring I just didn’t breed much – then when my daughter decided to sell out of her French Lops in June, that threw a wrench of uncertainty into my rabbitry plans so I didn’t breed for summer litters either. This one solid junior doe is out of a litter of two – and her brother turned out to be a normal sized rabbit.
I was pretty happy to hear that Allan Ormond was going to judge Hollands – he’s an excellent, high quality Holland judge and you can take to the bank any comments he makes about your Holland Lops………
Despite my doe acting like a psycho on the show table, judge Ormond did get some good poses from her and she showed off a bit. She won her large class, then Best of Variety- and with some awesome comments from the judge! I guess she’ll go to ARBA Convention even if I don’t go.
Patrick Reilly won BOB with his broken black buck, and I didn’t see who won BOS – but it was one of the broken does. Congrats!! Really nice Hollands everyone has!
After the Holland judging was over, I left for home - I debated on whether or not to stick around and visit longer, but knew I had so much to still do at home so I ended up leaving at about 3:30.
Of course I went home and bred some does……. next show is Dodgeville – one of my favorites because of the short drive, large building and homemade pie!
Cathy
