Showing, Winnings and Placements!
Now that you have successfully entered your rabbit at a show, you will probably win some sort of placement. Rabbits are shown by their showroom classes, listed at the top of their respective breed page in ARBA's Standard of Perfection (SOP).
When you arrive at the rabbit show, take some time after checking in to find the table that your rabbit's breed will be shown at. Ususally they are listed on poster board along with the judges name. (if it is not listed, be patient more will come!) Make things easier by trying to get your carrier set up near the judges table, so that you can HEAR them call your Breed, Variety/group, Class and Sex! Most times the Showroom classifications and varieties are called in order as listed in the SOP.
Once you hear your breed and variety/group called up to the table, place the rabbit on the table in one of the coops provided, usually marked with a comment card corresponding to your rabbit. Now step back, and LISTEN! Sometimes the rabbits will need restraining to stop them from running amuck all over the table while the judge is looking them over for DQ's or placing them. It is OK to leave your hand on them (or the coop door) to keep them in, but please, show respect and keep your mouth closed. Do not let the judge know that THAT particular rabbit is yours, or make any comments to the exhibitors regarding your animal or theirs. 1. This is disrespectful and 2. it IS grounds to have your entire entry Disqualified by the judge if he or she feels that your comments were presuasive in any way.
OK! The Class of rabbbits has been judged and your rabbit took a third place! GREAT! Smile when removing your rabbit form the coop, pick up your remark card (when available), and put your rabbit back into its carrier. Take your remark card to the show secretary and see if you can get a placement ribbon! If you feel as though the judge was unfair in placing your rabbit, the judges table is NOT the place to pout or whine about your placement...be a good sport and accept your placement. The judge alone knows the quality of the rabbits on the table, and just because you did not take Best of Breed, does not mean that you dont ever have the possibility of winning that highly coveted placement! Different show, different day, different opinion!
Well Now, lets say that your rabbit DID take first place! Excellent!! The rabbit now will stay on the table to be further evaluated with the rest of the rabbits in your variety/group that have not shown yet. The writers will keep your remark card, while the other rabbits come up and are placed in the same manner as yours was. When all is said and done, the entire variety (color)will be judged against each other. There iwll be a Senior Buck, a Senior Doe, a Junior Buck, and a Junior doe (intermediate buck and doe when applicable) on the table together. The judge will compare each one together, and closely to see which one BEST represents the standard written for the breed in the SOP.
WOW! Your rabbit won Best Of Variety! Now your rabbit will go into a holding coop behind the judges table,(if there is one), while they work on the rest of the varieties/groups in your breed. After the final placement of the final rabbit, all of the Best of Variety winners will come onto the table once again for another judging. -In some breeds (netherland dwarfs), at this point the varieties in each group compete for best and abest opposite of group, before going on to best of breed, when all the groups are finished, then bob is chosen). This time again there will be both bucks and does trying to win the Best Of Breed! Best of Breed has been Selected (Lucky you, its your rabbit, which in this case we will say is a doe!). Now the Best Opposite of Sex of Varieties will come up to compete, but ONLY the bucks, as the best one was already a doe.
Take your comment card and rabbit off of the table, thank the judge for a breed well judged, and take your comment card to the secretaries table for your Best of Breed award!...but your are not done yet! Now that you have won Best of Breed, you are eligible to put your rabbit on the tables once again for another showing, the Best In Show judging! Ususally Best in Show is first broken down into 2 groups (depending on the tradition in your part of the country), the 4 Class Rabbits, and the 6 Class Rabbits, other areas will just call all of the breeds up at once. They will announce the judging and you will place your rabbit on their respective class table. Each breed will be gone over with the proverbial 'fine toothed comb', and the rabbit that BEST reperesents its breed, will be selected as the Best 4 or 6 Class winner! Then the 2 Class winners will again compete for Best in Show. Once Best in Show has been announced, everyone will clap and congratulate the winner, and then prepare for the long trip home. Remeber to thak your show secretary for her/his time, and if you liked how well the show went, let the show Super know that you enjoyed the show, and that it was well run and managed.
Rabbit shows are addictive, and more than likely you will be preparing for your next show even before you leave this one! Consider joining the ARBA, your Breed's National Club, or even one of your local specialty or all breed clubs. The local specialty and all breed clubs are the ones who host the shows, and they need your support!
When you arrive at the rabbit show, take some time after checking in to find the table that your rabbit's breed will be shown at. Ususally they are listed on poster board along with the judges name. (if it is not listed, be patient more will come!) Make things easier by trying to get your carrier set up near the judges table, so that you can HEAR them call your Breed, Variety/group, Class and Sex! Most times the Showroom classifications and varieties are called in order as listed in the SOP.
Once you hear your breed and variety/group called up to the table, place the rabbit on the table in one of the coops provided, usually marked with a comment card corresponding to your rabbit. Now step back, and LISTEN! Sometimes the rabbits will need restraining to stop them from running amuck all over the table while the judge is looking them over for DQ's or placing them. It is OK to leave your hand on them (or the coop door) to keep them in, but please, show respect and keep your mouth closed. Do not let the judge know that THAT particular rabbit is yours, or make any comments to the exhibitors regarding your animal or theirs. 1. This is disrespectful and 2. it IS grounds to have your entire entry Disqualified by the judge if he or she feels that your comments were presuasive in any way.
OK! The Class of rabbbits has been judged and your rabbit took a third place! GREAT! Smile when removing your rabbit form the coop, pick up your remark card (when available), and put your rabbit back into its carrier. Take your remark card to the show secretary and see if you can get a placement ribbon! If you feel as though the judge was unfair in placing your rabbit, the judges table is NOT the place to pout or whine about your placement...be a good sport and accept your placement. The judge alone knows the quality of the rabbits on the table, and just because you did not take Best of Breed, does not mean that you dont ever have the possibility of winning that highly coveted placement! Different show, different day, different opinion!
Well Now, lets say that your rabbit DID take first place! Excellent!! The rabbit now will stay on the table to be further evaluated with the rest of the rabbits in your variety/group that have not shown yet. The writers will keep your remark card, while the other rabbits come up and are placed in the same manner as yours was. When all is said and done, the entire variety (color)will be judged against each other. There iwll be a Senior Buck, a Senior Doe, a Junior Buck, and a Junior doe (intermediate buck and doe when applicable) on the table together. The judge will compare each one together, and closely to see which one BEST represents the standard written for the breed in the SOP.
WOW! Your rabbit won Best Of Variety! Now your rabbit will go into a holding coop behind the judges table,(if there is one), while they work on the rest of the varieties/groups in your breed. After the final placement of the final rabbit, all of the Best of Variety winners will come onto the table once again for another judging. -In some breeds (netherland dwarfs), at this point the varieties in each group compete for best and abest opposite of group, before going on to best of breed, when all the groups are finished, then bob is chosen). This time again there will be both bucks and does trying to win the Best Of Breed! Best of Breed has been Selected (Lucky you, its your rabbit, which in this case we will say is a doe!). Now the Best Opposite of Sex of Varieties will come up to compete, but ONLY the bucks, as the best one was already a doe.
Take your comment card and rabbit off of the table, thank the judge for a breed well judged, and take your comment card to the secretaries table for your Best of Breed award!...but your are not done yet! Now that you have won Best of Breed, you are eligible to put your rabbit on the tables once again for another showing, the Best In Show judging! Ususally Best in Show is first broken down into 2 groups (depending on the tradition in your part of the country), the 4 Class Rabbits, and the 6 Class Rabbits, other areas will just call all of the breeds up at once. They will announce the judging and you will place your rabbit on their respective class table. Each breed will be gone over with the proverbial 'fine toothed comb', and the rabbit that BEST reperesents its breed, will be selected as the Best 4 or 6 Class winner! Then the 2 Class winners will again compete for Best in Show. Once Best in Show has been announced, everyone will clap and congratulate the winner, and then prepare for the long trip home. Remeber to thak your show secretary for her/his time, and if you liked how well the show went, let the show Super know that you enjoyed the show, and that it was well run and managed.
Rabbit shows are addictive, and more than likely you will be preparing for your next show even before you leave this one! Consider joining the ARBA, your Breed's National Club, or even one of your local specialty or all breed clubs. The local specialty and all breed clubs are the ones who host the shows, and they need your support!
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