Countryside Paris my BIS youth at this years ARBA CONVENTION won another youth BIS at the Wine Country Show in Ithaca, NY. I am so proud of her!!:) I will post pictures of some of the babies and our new barn in a coupel days!!!
I found another EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN POST ON SHOW BEHAVIOR> PLEASE TAKE A LOOK!!! IT IS BELOW
SHOW ETIQUETTE
Written By: Amy Spang
At animal shows and public events, there are certain ways that participants are expected to conduct themselves and certain ways that they are expected to behave towards one other in addition to that.
The challenge for any event like this is for the best animal (object, or person) to win, and ALSO for everyone to come away feeling that they were treated fairly, the rules were followed, and no behind the scenes tampering took place in an attempt to 'bend the rules' and achieve a desired result.
In rabbit shows there are basic rules of conduct written into the ARBA regulations, but since people interpret them in different ways there is often a conflict as to what is 'legal' and what is not. Some rules are loosely worded and more or less subject to interpretation, but others are crystal clear and cannot be misinterpreted no matter how they are read, or how the event gets spun and reported down the line.
Some of the most important rules at rabbit shows involve conduct at the showtable during judging. After preparing and grooming your animals before a show, each class is called to the table and every animal is evaluated individually by the judge. The rules at every SINGLE ARBA show CLEARLY dictate that the judge is NOT, under any circumstances, to be advised of who owns the animal/s being presented in each class, or to receive that information indirectly through some other means. He/she should either turn their backs while the animals are being brought up or divert their attention in some other way to avoid bias and prejudice and to give every rabbit and exhibitor the benefit of the doubt. In addition to this, ear numbers are not to be checked or viewed until after the animals have been placed, and the judge must identify them in order to make comments and register the placements.
On the exhibitor's end, each showperson is expected to place their rabbit into the cubby, and step AWAY from the table in order to avoid identifying themselves as the owner of the animal/s. Exhibitors are NOT allowed to make comments of ANY sort with the intent of influencing the judge, they are NOT permitted to identify their rabbits, and they are not permitted to make comments regarding the faults and merits of ANYONE ELSE'S entries. Behaviors such as these are not only illegal (and a flagrant breach of ethics to say the least), but they shed a bad light on the breed, other breeders, and the perpetrator in particular who cannot let the quality of his/her rabbits speak for itself but feels compelled to take things one step further by making underhanded attempts to influence the outcome of the competition.
There are days when all of us have made mistakes and conducted ourselves less than perfectly under less than perfect circumstances. There are judges who identify animals prematurely, watch exhibitors as the animals are brought to the table, and who allow themselves to be influenced by unscrupulous breeders one way or the other whether they realize it or not. Human error exists but is never unforgivable as long as the mistakes are recognized, corrected, and do not happen on a regular basis. By the same token, there are breeders who unintentionally make comments about their animals or stand close to the table, and even commit illegal acts during shows without being aware of it. Open judging coops often make it necessary for exhibitors to stand behind the tables in order to hold the rabbits in, and there are other conditions (less than perfect, again) that require intervention on behalf of an exhibitor or judge that could also technically be termed 'illegal'. These situations are no one's fault and can happen at any show, but the distinction I want to make does not involve a lack of judgment at the hands of new and inexperienced exhibitors, but COMPLETELY unacceptable behavior by some of our best and most experienced breeders, at the biggest and most important rabbit shows in the world.
This is obviously a rant and a very opinionated article, but I believe that something needs to be said about this topic before the reputation angora people have earned for being 'difficult' becomes carved in stone for Millenia. It is important to note that there is NO--I repeat NO excuse for manipulative and unethical behavior on the part of any breeder, no matter how experienced, and no matter how famous. It is NOT okay to lean over the showtable and drape oneself over the holding pens (particularly when the rabbits are boxed in and there is no legitimate reason to be near them), and it is NOT okay to make influential comments and conversation with the judge during judging. It is not okay to work behind the scenes to influence the appointment of judges, placement of judges, and judging decisions, and it is never, EVER alright to use clout or pull that has been acquired through years of experience to arrange the matter ahead of time and 'stack' the deck in your favor. Actions such as these do not go unnoticed, and contrary to what these exhibitors may think, they are not helping themselves or anyone else (much less their individual breeds) by behaving in a way that can only politely be described as 'unsportsmanlike' and 'undignified'. If a breeder is good enough to produce animals who win by their own merit 9 times out of 10 over long periods of time, then they are good enough not to have to engage in questionable behavior for any reason, EVER, and they should have the security to stand by themselves and let the quality of their entries speak for themselves.
There are some outstanding judges in the rabbit world, and some equally wonderful long term breeders who set the gold standard for behavior with their grace and humility under pressure. Rabbits, breeding, and showing aside, it is humbling to see that there are people of this caliber setting examples for our youth on how to grow up and handle adversity in every possible situation. Their excellent qualities transcend rabbits to make the world a better place, and this is something that we ALL need to aspire to.
Email for info on available buns! JJan1993@aol.com
