Toronto Angoras

Lots of people are talking about how to keep rabbits cool in this heat but there is another danger that comes along with hot weather. Fly strike. In case you don't know what that is and have sensitive eyes, don't search in google images. It is a whole lot of nastiness. Fly strike refers to a condition where flies are attracted to lay their eggs on a live animal. They are attracted to foul odors which can come from an infected wound or soiled fur. Those eggs quickly hatch maggots which are voracious eaters. The maggots begin to eat everything in their reach. That starts with the skin they were laid near and the infestation quickly spreads. Some remain on the surface but others burrow into the tissue and begin eating the animal from the inside out. It's truly nasty stuff and it can progress very quickly. Many people associate fly strike with unsanitary conditions or dirty cages, but angoras are at risk even when they are kept in very clean surroundings. Once wool gets wet, it...

For our first show of 2026 we travelled to the Michigan State Convention held at  Michigan State University.  This was a two day event with thousands of rabbits and multiple vendors attending.  Electron and the Senior girls on the table We had an impressive turnout for Satin Angoras! There were 30 animals entered by 11 exhibitors for the two Saturday shows.  In show A under judge Dale Mize (IL) our boy Electric Electron won 1st place out of 5 Senior Bucks, Best Opposite of Variety, and Best Opposite of Breed out of a total of 10 bucks entered. Our Jr Lynx buck Electric Rusputin won 1st place out of 3 Colored Junior Bucks. Our two young girls Electric Rapunzel and Electric Ruby Moon took 1st and 2nd place out of 6 Colored Junior Does entered. Best of Breed was won by a beautiful black Sr Doe handled by Holly Wight. In show B under judge Mark Jacobs (IN) Electron took 1st CSB with Best Opposite of Breed going to a Jr Col Buck "SSFlaminCheeto". Rasputin took 2nd place C...

Below is a listing of upcoming 2026 rabbit shows in Ontario and surrounding areas. This list will be updated as shows are announced.  Rabbit shows in Ontario are held under one of two organizations: The American Rabbit Breeders Association ( ARBA ) which is an international organization that has shows across the world, and the  Dominion Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association ( DRCBA ) which is a Canadian organization that puts on shows in Ontario.  You do not have to be a member of any of the above organizations in order to participate in the shows. Simply contact the show secretary to register your entries. Rabbits are not required to be pedigreed or registered in order to participate. They simply need to meet the physical requirements of the breed which they are entered as in the show. Both ARBA and DRCBA have their own rule books and breed standards (much but not all of the breed standards overlap). All shows are open to public visitors. ARBA shows in Ontario are hosted ...

Finally! Our first US show! And what a show it was. This wasn't just another show, this was the famous Christmas Show organized by the MI OH State Line RBA. This show is famous for being tons of fun for every one attending. In addition to the rabbit shows, there are all sorts of Christmas themed competitions such as the ugliest Christmas sweater, best decorated tree, rabbit costumes, and much much more.  The Angora corner as the show room opens Lots of fun Christmas decorations every where This is a 2 day event which includes 5 open shows, 5 youth shows, and multiple specialty shows. I missed the entry deadline for the open shows but entered the Angora specialty with 5 of our Satin Angoras: 2yr old Robocop, 7.5mo old Jupiter, 1yr old Tinsel, 10mo old Anastasia, and 4.5mo old Whisper. This was a fantastic opportunity to see how our animals stack up against the top national Angora breeders as most of them were either in attendance or had others with their animals present. I couldn...

Once again, I only brought the Satin Angoras.  For boys I had 2yr old Robocop, 7mo old Electron, 6mo old brothers Jimmy and Jupiter, and 15wks old Whisper. For girls, 1yr old Tinsel who had just finished raising a litter and 7mo old Electra. Shannon brought her very pretty Himi Sr buck.  Electric Jimmy Electric Electron Electric Jupiter Show A: Terry Fender Colored BOV: Electric Jupiter Colored BSV: Electric Tinsel White BOV: Shannon's Himi buck White BSV: - BOB: Electric Jupiter BSB: Electric Tinsel Show B: Jeremy Watmuff Colored BOV: Electric Robocop Colored BSV: Electric Tinsel White BOV: Shannon's Himi buck White BSV: - BOB: Electric Robocop BSB: Electric Tinsel Show C: Drew Bliss Colored BOV: Electric Jimmy Colored BSV: Electric Tinsel White BOV: Shannon's Himi buck White BSV: - BOB: Electric Jimmy BSB: Electric Tinsel

This time only our Satin Angoras came out to play. It was really nice to see Leena attend with her gorgeous SAs. They are always a pleasure to watch on the tables.  We had a total of 10 SAs competing: 2 CSB, 2 CSD, 2 CJB, 2 CJD, and 2 WJB. I was thrilled to see my 10wk old JWB win in all 3 shows competing with Lena's 3mo old based on having superior density.    I was very happy about the comments received by my GTS boy, Electron. He had just turned 6mo old. He wowed the judges with his well filled out body and his dense coat.  Electric Electron, GTS Satin Angora Buck Show A: Paul Jurgelonis Colored BOV: CSB Electric Electron, 6mo Colored BSV: CSD Electric Electra, 6mo  White BOV: WJB Electric Whisper, 10wks White BSV: - BOB: Electric Electron BSB: Electric Electra Show B: Vinnie Consiglio Colored BOV: CSB Electric Electron, 6mo Colored BSV: CSD Electric Electra, 6mo  White BOV: WJB Electric Whisper, 10wks White BSV: - BOB: Electric Electron BSB: Electric El...

This is something I have wondered about for a while. What is the difference in volume between Angora wool and other fibers. Different types of fibers have different thickness (measured in microns) but also different density, and different mass. What that means is that an ounce in weight will actually give you different amounts of fiber for your projects. In the extreme, a pound of shoe laces vs a pound of metal chain will yield you two very different lengths of those products.  When choosing what fiber to use in your project, plenty of other factors will play into deciding what you wish to use. Sheep wool has superior elasticity to angora or silk and is better suited for projects in which you want to use a more bouncy yarn. But if all you care about is making something soft, which of the soft fibers do you pick? Of course the other consideration is cost. Ethically collected Angora is a very labour intensive and hands on process. Majority of commercial mills can not process Angora b...

This was the first time for me attending one of the Quebec shows. This was a new show at a new outdoor venue held in L'assomption, near Montreal. I made the trip with Christina and her English Lops. We were so worried about how the rabbits would do with the brutal heat we have been experiencing. Turned out we were worried for nothing and while we were prepared for the heat, we were not prepared for the very cold and very rainy day we ended up experiencing. Nevertheless, the show was a lot of fun.  I only brought two English Angoras, the two REW girls, Narnia and Mamba. Every one else got full shaves already to help them be more comfortable for the summer. The show tent full of cold, wet, but happy rabbit people This was a double ARBA event. S how A was judged by Danny Long from OH. Show B was judged by Christine Toering from AZ and Livia Delattre. Livia is an incredible young woman from QC, and a very accomplished youth breeder. We met a few times at the show table as she used to b...

   Paxton after the show, ready to have his coat shaved off Show results for English Angoras, 12/3 Show A: Tom Schweikart Colored BOV: CSB Electric Paxton, 5.5mo Colored BSV: CSD Electric Pixie, 5.5mo White BOV: WSD Electric Mamba, 7mo White BSV: WSB Electric Uncle Buck, 2.5yrs BOB: WSD Electric Mamba, 7mo BSB: CSB Electric Paxton, 5.5mo Show B: John Richter Colored BOV: CSB Electric Paxton, 5.5mo Colored BSV: CSD Electric Puma, 5.5mo White BOV: WSD Electric Mamba, 7mo White BSV: WSB Electric Uncle Buck, 2.5yrs BOB: WSD Electric Mamba, 7mo BSB: CSB Electric Paxton, 5.5mo

  Brooklyn is always a very fun show. It marks the beginning of summer, which always puts people in a good mood. We get to ditch our winter clothing and keep fingers crossed that the rabbits wait just a touch longer to ditch theirs. Thankfully the coats on every one were still hanging on. I was most excited to show our white EA girls, Mamba and Narnia, and my stunning SA nicknamed the Golden Child. They did not disappoint.  Electric Narnia Electric Mamba Both judges loved Mamba and Narnia. They beat the colored crew hands down with their superior density, texture, and nicer bodies. Jennifer even commented that Narnia was a serious BIS contender, which is always amazing to hear even if the rabbit doesn't actually win that title. And while Narnia did not, my beloved Golden Child did!  BEST IN SHOW!  Electric Tinsel, Satin Angora Show results for English Angoras, 10/3 Show A: Jennifer Boozer Colored BOV: CSB Electric Paxton, 5.5mo Colored BSV: CSD Electric Puma, 5.5mo W...

The show day is starting Registration begins Here is one thing angoras love to do. Tease us with an amazing coat, and then moult it out right before a show. I had very high hopes for our off season English baby Electric Hero, but in his defense, he was an off season baby. Some times we time our breedings to have competitive aged animals ready for a show, and sometimes we just get breedings done to progress our multigenerational plans. Hero was too young to show last fall but over the winter months he grew into a stunning Sr buck. Unfortunately our local clubs don't host winter shows. By May, Hero was 11mo old, had already lost what would have been his show coat, and was going through the tail end of his seasonal spring moult, blowing what ever wool was left.  Our Jr Black buck Paxton did very well though. He beat out his sisters and the other colored girls to get BOV in 2 of the shows, and BSV in the 3rd. He even got confused for being a girl in one of the shows because he grows su...

The structuring and workings of ARBA clubs within Ontario have been a source of much confusion for many people. What is the difference between the Ontario club and the local clubs? What are the geographical boundaries between the clubs and which club, if any, should a person join? Do you join based on where you live or where you show? How does a person join a club and why?  ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) is an international organization. It is split into 9 geographical Districts. Each District contains multiple regions, states, or provinces. Ontario is part of ARBA District 8, together with Manitoba, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.  The ARBA club hierarchy follows a similar structure. Operating under ARBA are National Breed Clubs (each breed has one and there can only be one per breed or a group of breeds as is the case with the Angoras), followed by State All Breed Clubs and Specialty Clubs (these are for each state or province, organized by local mem...