2024 Komoka ARBA Show
Unfortunately I broke my wrist this summer and was unable to handle or groom any of my rabbits for a month. A few of the rabbits went to new homes so they could receive the care they needed. I'm lucky that my family was able to step up and help caring for the others. After a month of no grooming, I was finally able to do some limited blow outs and some minor combing while the rabbit was on the grooming stand. Grooming while wearing a cast on a hand with decreased strength and range of motion proved to be very challenging and painful, so I didn't do much of it. While not ideal, this turned out to be a great opportunity to test how the coats on each rabbit behaved. A couple were prone to matting and ultimately had to be shaved but others proved to do shockingly well. Ysadora, a senior girl in full show coat barely had any matting on her and her half sister Banana did fairly well while transitioning into her senior coat. But go figure, having to survive a summer of no grooming in a stunning full coat, Ysadora decided to let it all go just in time for when the shows resumed.
My cast finally came off the day before the Komoka show. While the rabbits weren't in their best possible condition, showing isn't all about winning. The comments the judges give on what they see or don't see in each rabbit in front of them are a great tool in making objective evaluations of each rabbit's strengths and weaknesses. I was counting on being able to groom at the show as angoras are usually scheduled to compete near the end of the day. Go figure this time the order was reversed and we were up in the morning in all 4 shows. This show had the lowest Angora turn out I had ever seen at this venue. It was only myself, Mary, and Kristie showing our 10 English Angoras. None of the other Angora breeders showed up and normally between all of us we have at least 30 Angoras of various breeds. Turns out they were all attending a different show that day.
I brought Billy Bob, a black senior buck who wowed judges with his density as a junior at our last show. Two senior tort does, Ysadora and Banana. One senior white doe Dejavu, and one baby white doe to help fill the class.
Unfortunately Billy Bob was fairly matted and got dinged for that coming in 2nd to Mary's Whiskey in all 3 open shows. In the specialty show, judge Bryan Shirk was willing to overlook that in favour of Billy Bob's density awarding him 1st place for Colored Senior Bucks, BOSV, and finally a BOSB beating out Mary's white senior buck Sambooka for that honour. The specialty show had special prizes and I got to take home a fabulous commemorative plate.
The placing for the girls was identical in all 4 shows. Mary's Gemini won 1st Colored Senior Doe followed by Banana and Ysadora. Mary's Margarita took 1st White Senior Doe with Dejavu taking 2nd.