NATAL RABBIT CLUB ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 2016 SHOW RESULTS
Best on Show: Beige adult buck Bred by Photo: Judy Stuart EXHIBITORS Baney, L c/o Assegay Feeds, 7 Cliffdale Rd, Shongweni. 0760979379 dwbaney@hotmail.com BARBER, Marc & Sarah, P O Box 524, Greytown 3250 0825767445 mdm@umvoti.co.za BARNES, Liandie P O Box 165, Paddock 4244 0730358402 mulder.liandie@gmail.com BUHR, Yolande P O Box 8, Paddock 4244 0932786125 lundy@venturenet.co.za GATABI RABBITS tplasser@telkomsa.net GRANT, Gary & Sandy 0844729044 garyandsandy@webafrica.org.za HERON, Heather P O Box 39042, Escombe, Queensburgh 4070 0314643823 heatherheronescombe@gmail.com HLONGWA, Judy c/o Future Farmers mabusi@futurefarmers.org.za MEYER, Angelika 0723287458 angelika16.meyer@gmail.com MIDLANDS BUNNY FARM P O Box 20186, Howick 3290 0725637160 claire7hughes@gmail.com NOLAZANA, Gina Makhaya Farm, P O Box 76, Cato Ridge 3680 0604690084 gnolazana@gmail.com PASSERO, Goni Makhaya Farm, P O Box 76, Cato Ridge 3680 0317823410 gnolazana@gmail.com
SIZA VALLEY RABBITS, P O Box 793, Richmond 0833014606 golfeagle@scottnet.co.za THAT BUNNY FARM P O Box 499, Botha s Hill 3660 0739785458 thatbunnyfarm@gmail.com TOTH, J S 5 Tower St, Saiccor Village, Umkomaas 0399733644 VEZI, Zinhle c/o Future Farmers mabusi@futurefarmers.org.za JUDGE S REPORT Thank you to the exhibitors for their generous support and warm welcome. You made judging your rabbits an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Something I appreciate beyond words. I appreciate the commitment that all of you have to your breeds. It is exciting to share the passion with you all and I hope that we will inspire one another to achieve our goals. It was very special for me to stand by Jerry Higham at the judge's table. He was my mentor over 45 years ago, when I was still at school. I won my first best in show with Jerry judging, and he tested me for my first judges exams. What an honour to receive an all-breeds judges ticket from Jerry! The stewards play a pivotal role in any show. They were quick, efficient and attentive. I would like to thank Yolande for scribing on the first day and Heather on the second. Claire and Joe have worked long hours every day in the hall caring for the rabbits and the public. Zinhle, Judy and Thombe have taken on their work with enthusiasm. General Comments In general, rabbits were well prepared and presented. Please just be conscious of the fact that show preparation makes a difference. I would also like to ask breeders to watch out for chopped rumps. A very serious fault and it is creeping in to a number of breeds. One more thing is that the breeds have clearly defined recognized colours. Try to enter rabbits that meet breed standard colour descriptions. FANCY SECTION The first class was a very large class of Netherlands Dwarf bucks. It was a challenge, but I was excited to see some real improvement in the heads and eyes. I would like to encourage the breeders to work together and to share genetics. There was quality throughout. This is a difficult breed and takes dedication and perseverance. There were good rabbits in all the age categories. I was really thrilled to be presented with a class of Himalayan does. The shape was good and the coats were good. Colour is not quite what we are looking for, as there was some brindling on the legs and I would have liked to see smuts a little higher between the eyes and further into the whisker beds. It is exciting to see this breed back on the table. Dutch classes were very well supported. This breed has a dedicated following. It is a difficult breed and there were good entries in all of the classes. My advice to the breeders is to be conscious of type. Some of the entries were inclined to be narrow and this is a breed where we are looking for a
cobby shape and strong, round heads. The Tri-colour Dutch classes were very well supported with quality entries. I noticed that cheeks and blazes were particularly good. There were more than a few very good entries in this beautiful breed. I was delighted to see some Angoras at the show. The colours were beautiful and the wool quality excellent. Another outstanding feature was the abundance of furnishing. Ear tufts are all too often absent, and it was good to see rabbits that epitomized everything that is desirable in this breed. I know how much work goes into these rabbits and I respect anyone who loves showing them. Harlequins and Magpies were shown. The best of breed winner was a very striking black magpie buck. He had the dense black banding on a clean white background that is so desirable. One of the most difficult breeds to take on and the breeders are stepping up to the plate and delivering some good animals. In the harlequins, the colour is described as "rich, golden orange", and in most cases there just is not the intensity of colour that the standard demands. This is something to work towards. There was only one Belgian hare at the show. She was a beautiful colour with the short, stiff coat that we are looking for. She graced the table with elegance and showed herself beautifully. This is a breed that deserves a better following! Flemish Giants were very well represented. It is great to see this breed being revived. It is a difficult challenge! Although the majority of the entries were still underweight, they are starting to look like Flemish Giants and there were some rabbits that were heavy enough to meet the standard weights. What was most exciting about this, was that these larger rabbits were entered in the junior classes. It augers very well for the future of this magnificent animal. My congratulations to the breeders for their perseverance! Slowly, but surely, it is paying off. Jersey Woolly classes were supported with good quality rabbits with the right coat. It is so important not to breed small Angoras. In the entries at this show, we saw gleaming coats with an abundance of long guard hair. Good quality rabbits were entered. The best of breed Hotot was a black buck and his coat sparkled! Reserve best of breed was a top blue doe also with an excellent coat. At the end of the day, the award went to the buck as he just had a little more length in his guard hair. Both rabbits had the "frosting" that is such an essential part of the bred. It was marginally more pronounced in the buck. The buck went on to win the Fancy Challenge, which I believe he deserved! NORMAL FUR SECTION The Beige entry was outstanding. The coats were in perfect condition and the entries very uniform in every respect. This breed really deserves more attention from breeders. They are beautiful rabbits with a light lilac colour cast over a beige coat. Best of breed and ultimately, best on show, was the winner of the adult buck class. Best of the seconds also came from this class. The two bucks were difficult to separate. The first class of adult Fox bucks was disappointing and this may be partially due to my high expectations. Many of the entries had rather course coats and were showing signs of moult. However, there were some top quality foxes in the junior classes. I think it is always a clear indication that breeders are heading in the right direction when the best quality is to be found in the young animals. They are the future of the breed and every breeder strives to improve with each generation.
There were not many Cinnamons entered but the winners were good representatives of the breed. Frosted Pearls are beautiful rabbits, with clear white undercoat and coloured tipping to guard hairs. Again, the entries were not large, but the quality was not lacking. The coats were dense with good texture and the rabbits were well put together and sound. It would be great to see these rabbits in more rabbitries. The great thing about the New Zealand Whites is that most of them met the minimum weight standards. This is an important milestone for one of our shows as most rabbits entered over recent years have been below the minimum weight. Many of the rabbits entered were moulting badly and it becomes impossible to judge their coats. The best of them were good rabbits with good conformation which makes for a good meat rabbit. One of the best had good conformation and was in top condition, with the right fur quality, including on the belly. Unfortunately, hutch stain prevented progress through the interbreed classes. Exhibitors can make a huge difference to their chances of winning a top award by preparing exhibits well. It is all about attention to detail. Careful and regular grooming, combined with training, makes a huge difference. The New Zealand Reds were disappointing at this show. We all know that there are breeders of high quality New Zealand Reds in the club. Most of the rabbits were out of coat. The best of them were firm fleshed with broad hindquarters, loin and fore quarters, but most of them were not in show condition. Some of them had colour on their bellies and this is the first step towards breeding a rabbit with a red belly. Black New Zealands are just not up to the standard of the other breeds and I think years of work will have to be invested in this breed before it reaches the standard of the other colours. Remember that the New Zealand breeds are identical with the exception of colour. Chocolate Chinchilla Gigantas have become a highlight at the Royal. These beautiful rabbits have grown from strength to strength over the past few years. At every show, they are better than before. Real progress is being made in their breeding. We were treated to a good entry of good quality exhibits and they were a pleasure to handle. The normal Chinchilla Giganta classes were less well supported, but produced good rabbits. Beautiful coat texture and length with clearly defined pearling and outstanding depth of colour, with dark mackerel pattern resulted in one of these rabbits winning the best of breed. SATIN SECTION The Satin classes always produce superior entries. We saw very good rabbits with dense silky coats and plenty of sheen. An under six month rabbit really stood out with exceptional coat movement. REX SECTION Ermine Rexes were very good as we have come to expect. Coat density and texture was good. The rabbits were clean and very well presented. One thing that I would advise breeders to be aware of is chopped rumps. This is a serious fault and is not only creeping into the Rex breed, but other breeds as well. It is something to look out for. An outstanding Opal Rex won the colour section. A stunning blue satin Rex did very well and went on to win a challenge. The colour of this rabbit was a dark even blue, reaching well down to the skin. Density and texture was very good.
It was good to see Astrex on the table. One of these was a very good rabbit with curl covering the whole body. The broken rex class was won by a well-marked chocolate with a good coat. Breeders of broken rex should just be aware of the fact that there should be no more than 50% colour on the coats and most of the entries were probably on 50%. Mini Rex breeders are struggling to get a small Rex with the same type as a standard Rex. Some rabbits had broad heads which were probably a result of dwarf crosses. It is important to appreciate that a Mini Rex is a small version of a standard Rex. The head and body shape should be the same as a standard Rex. It is going to take time to develop this breed but your goals are achievable and valuable. There was great quality in some breeds, exciting potential in others and there are some projects that are works in progress. Every one of them has value. Every one of them has a direction and is driven by a breeder with passion. Congratulations to all of the winners and my personal thanks to you all for taking part! JUDY STUART SECRETARY S COMMENTS This year we have seen yet another show with entries over the 300 mark, and so, for the 2 nd year in a row, have judged over two days. The 2016 Royal was a nostalgic, historic event. We saw Judy Stuart being passed out as an All Breeds Judge by Jerry Higham, Gavin Grgurin & myself : a work begun in the late 1960 s and brought full circle this year. As a junior in the club, Judy, (nee Taylor) & I knew of one another but I only really got to know her when our paths crossed again much later, just before she married Ross. Jerry, Judy & I share some really special memories. We would have loved Gwyneth Marlton, who encouraged us as young girls, to have shared the occasion. I am still in contact with Mary Cope (nee Boyd) who shares this past with us. All of our names are on those many trophies which Marius Odendaal now looks after for the club!! Judy, THANKYOU and WELL DONE! Thank you, Gavin for making the trip down & for bringing along rabbits from Gauteng. It is great having us all working together. There were some innovations this year. Benching Day saw our stock being checked in by Veterinary Surgeon, Caryn Shacklock & her assistant, Sarah. This has been a step in the right direction as it has made all of us check our stock more carefully and certainly resulted in less sneezing in the hall. Chief Steward, Joe Toth was assisted by three ladies from the Future Farmers Foundation who did a stirling job looking after the rabbit entries. Dean Baney installed two ceiling fans which helped to keep the rabbits at the back of the hall a lot cooler on the hot days. Thank you to each of you for the part you have played. Claire Rudd & her Mum, Debby, handled the Marlton sales and monies received for stock & other products sold during the show. We all really appreciated receiving our payouts & prize money on the last Sunday when stock was released. Getting this part wrapped up this quickly was no mean feat. A very sincere thank you to both of you. Some good work is being done on breeds which have been endangered. There is hope that the Himalayans might be able to make a comeback now. Sherae has assisted Gina in this project & Mike Burnett from Gauteng is also working closely with them. Paul Lubbinge from Mossel Bay, has helped me to get the Beige back. He will be delighted to know that a Beige was placed Best on Show this year. Judy, Yolande & Mike are also working closely together to get English rabbits up to show
standard after many years absence. This is all work in progress and what is so good about it is that people are pulling together and pooling knowledge and stock. Great work!! The Rex classes are growing at our shows and we are now seeing Rexes being shown in most categories recognised in the BRC standards. This is wonderful & a lot of credit needs to go to Liandie Barnes for this. However, in getting the new shades, much crossing has also resulted in some unaccepted colours being bred. The challenge is now to get the accepted colours to breed true. We had Satin Rexes and an Astrex Satin Rex on this year s show. These are rare breeds World wide. In the rabbit world, the word agouti is applied to both a COLOUR Wild Grey and a PATTERN. It is the Agouti pattern limited to just Castor, Chinchilla, Cinnamon, Lynx & Opal which is accepted in Rexes. A BIG thank you to each person who has had a part in making the 2016 Royal the success that it has been. Sincerely BEST OF BREED PHOTO GALLERY All pictures have been taken by Judy Stuart, photographer & All Breeds Judge. Best Netherlands Dwarf G. & S. Grant Best Himalayan. Gina Nolazana Best Dutch. Siza Valley Rabbits Best Tri-colour Dutch Gina Nolazana
Best Jersey Woolly. Photo: H. Heron. Best Hotot Best Belgian Hare Best Belgian Hare Best Flemish Giants Joe Toth and Marc & Sarah Barber Best Magpie. Gatabi Rabbits Best Satin Yolande Buhr Best Rex
Best AOC Self- Black Rex Midlands Bunny Farm Best Agouti- Opal Rex Liandie Barnes Best Satin Rex Midlands Bunny Farm Best Astrex Satin Rex Best Cinnamon Best Frosted Pearl Best Chinchilla Giganta Yolande Buhr Best Chocolate Chinchilla Giganta Midlands Bunny Farm Best New Zealand Red That Bunny Farm Best New Zealand White Siza Valley Rabbits
Best Fox Midlands Bunny Farm Runner-up to Best Junior New Zealand Red Marc & Sarah Barber CHALLENGE CLASS WINNERS and RUNNERS UP 1. BEST FANCY Hotot A/B H Heron 2 nd Belgian Hare H Heron 3 rd Jersey Woolly H Heron 2. BEST SATIN Ivory u/6 Y Buhr 2 nd Ivory A/D H Heron 3 rd Ivory A/B H Heron 3. BEST REX Ermine A/B H Heron 2 nd Opal A/D L Barnes 3 rd Black Midlands Bunny Farm 4. NORMAL FUR Beige A/B H Heron 2 nd Fox u/6 Midlands B F 3 rd Frosted Pearl Int H Heron 5. BEST ON SHOW Beige A/B 6. RESERVE CHAMPION = Ermine Rex A/B 7. 2nd RESERVE Satin u/6 8. BEST OPPOSITE SEX TO GRAND CHAMPION Ivory Satin u/6 9. BEST OF THE SECONDS Beige A/B H Heron 10. BREEDERS & LADIES CHALLENGE H Heron Ermine Rex 11. BEST ADULT Beige A/B 12. BEST INTERMEDIATE Frosted Pearl 13. Best u/6 Ivory Satin 14. BEST JUNIOR Flemish Int Marc & Sarah Barber 15. RUNNER UP TO BEST JUNIOR N Z Red A/D Marc & Sarah Barber BEST OF BREEDS & RUNNERS UP NETHERLAND DWARF BOB Blue A/B G & S Grant RBOB Blue u/6b Angelika Meyer DUTCH BOB Blue A/B Siza Valley Rabbits RBOB Black A/D Siza Valley Tri-Colour DUTCH BOB A/B Gina Nolazana R BOB A/D H Heron ANGORA BOB A/D Y Buhr HARLEQUIN/MAGPIE BOB Magpie A/B Gatabi Rabbits RBOB Magpie A/D Midlands Bunny Farm BELGIAN HARE BOB A/D H Heron FLEMISH GIANT BOBu/6 J Toth RBOB Int Marc & Sarah Barber HOTOT BOB A/B H Heron RBOB A/D H Heron JERSEY WOOLLY BOB A/D H Heron RBOB A/B H Heron SATIN BOB Ivory u/6d Y Buhr RBOB Ivory A/D H Heron REX BOB Ermine A/B H Heron RBOB Opal A/D L Barnes BEIGE BOB A/B H Heron FOX BOB u/6b Midlands Bunny Farm RBOB u/6d Midlands Bunny Farm CINNAMON BOB A/B H Heron RBOB A/D H Heron FROSTED PEARL BOB INt H Heron RBOB u/6 H Heron
CHINCHILLA GIGANTA BOB Int Y Buhr RBOB A/D Midlands Bunny Farm CHOCOLATE CHINCHILLA GIGANTA A/D Midlands Bunny Farm RBOB Int Midlands Bunny Farm N Z WHITE BOB Int Siza Valley Rabbits RBOB u/6 Y Buhr NZ RED BOB u/6 That Bunny Farm The Judge s comments on each rabbit exhibited, placings & names of the exhibitors will follow shortly. Yolande Buhr did this part for the October Show and has asked to do it again. We look forward to receiving this information. Sincerely (Hon Sec Natal Rabbit Club)