Baptism By Fire

Today was, how can I say this, an experience.
I can use all the phrases, Baptism by fire, Thrown to the wolves, Sink or swim, Took one for the team and so on to describe today.

Keep in mind we are not rabbit show people and this was our first rabbit show. We had no clue what to do, where to go or the procedure on how to do it when we did it.
I tell you what we looked like. Have you ever seen people when they are on vacation. You can pick them out a mile away because they are wearing the fanny packs around their waste with a camera hanging around their neck. Most of the time they are wearing a cute little sun hat, plaid shorts and best of all, the whole family matches. They are what we around here call tourists.

Even though we were not dressed up like that, in the rabbit show world, which is a world of it's own, we were picked out and labeled as tourists, newbies, fresh meat so to speak.
Don't get me wrong, everyone we met in that place was more than helpful. Some were so helpful in fact, when we left them we were more confused than before we met. We did meet a couple of real nice people who talked to us like real people and we do appreciate that.

As far as showing, needless to say our butts were handed to us and this is why.

• Our X-Grand Champion Prized Buck Lucky, with a pedigree a mile long, got last place in his breed because he was to skinny. I was told not to get them to fat so I guess I went a little to far the other way. I did not know what the judges looked for in body bulk, but now I do because I had several people come by and show me. Ten to be exact.
• Our X-Best of Breed Doe Onyx was disqualified because her ears were 1/4" to long. This doe was going to be the momma of our new stock of show rabbits and now her ears are to big. She is pregnant now and will have a litter on the 26th of this month. I will just have to see what the babies look like now since several people educated us on how to tell if the babies are worth anything or not.
• Or free Jersey Woolly Buck rabbit got second place, out of two. That means last place where I come from. The judge said we brushed him to much and needed to leave him more natural. After the fact, a few nice people told me to never brush them more than once at the show so the coat looks fuller. These were the same people that were sitting next to me, watching me while I brushed that stupid thing all day long trying to make it look so pretty. OMG
  

There were 1200 rabbits showing today. I was kinda overwhelmed and wanting to go to a small show for our first time so we could learn the ropes without too many people noticing, but it is what it is and it's done now. The next one will be better because If we can remember what everyone told us about what to do, then we are already rabbit showing experts and just don't know it yet.

The next show is South of Dallas next month on the 15th. I am not going down without a fight. This time I am going to have the fattest, longest eared, un-brushed rabbits in the whole place.