The Show Groomers Armoury

You might think that I should be the last person advising “show” people on grooming ideas, but the top exhibitors have kindly shared some very surprising ideas with me which you might find interesting. When embarking on a new hobby, career, or interest the thing to do is go to the top, and thats what I have done. Club members have been very generous in sharing their secrets for the benefit of all who read this article. To begin at the beginning, the question put was “ what is the tool most important to you for grooming?”

Grooming for the show bench

I’m going to try and take you through the grooming until they are adults. I personally start grooming my babies about 6 weeks old,where I take them out and sort out the knots behind their necks. Then at 8 week to 9 weeks I take them out regularly, which is normally every other day, and I check behind their ears and at the back of their tails, this should normally only take you about 10 minutes.

The Products section

Angora wool products

The Products section – by Patsy Hirstwood

Clipped wool

Products begin with Clipped wool, and the main thing to watch here is that one does not ‘double clip’, this simply means that one must not have any short hairs amongst the long wool, for this immediately puts the entry at a disadvantage no matter the quality or colour of the wool.

A Time to Reflect

Sometime when you’re feeling important..
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom…
Sometime when you take it for granted…
That your the best one in the room….
Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water
Put your hands in it up to your wrists
Is this the measure of how you’ll be missed
You may splash all you please when you enter
You may stir up the waters galore
But stop! And you’ll find in a minute
That it looks just the same as before!

The moral of this is quite simple
You must do the best that you can
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There is no indispensable Man!
(or woman!)

Elizabeth Miles

Time for another cartoon

Source: Historic archives of the NAC yearbooks

Mistywood Stud

Mistywood Stud is the angora stud of Judy Connolly.

Judy Connolly has been a member of the National Angora Club for many years, she is a breeder judge and at the height of her showing period mainly showed white and Chinchilla Angoras. She is still breeding in a smaller way now, and can be seen at some of the stock shows and the London Show.

A trip back to May 2004 Stock Show

Source: Historic archives of NAC Yearbooks

Help with your angoras

It’s easy to get the impression that all the people listed as breeders, exhibitors and owners have a shed full of show-groomed rabbits, with illness, mites and flies never daring to cross the threshold, but owners know that rapid problem-solving has to be the key to success.