4.21.2010 Consider this the relaunch of the Bunny Blog. I will make an effort to update this on a regular basis.
I would like to say that I had a lot of fun in Louisville even though my Marie was a bit of a handful from getting
a minimal amount of sleep. We still had fun... even after a bologna DQ Jingle got in the second show.
I love Harlequins... as long as I have rabbits I will have harlequins... this is a great breed and also a great
community of breeders. One thing I noticed in my minute time as a Netherland breeder is the high pressure of
showing. I felt like a soccer mom at my kids game... the pressure oh the pressure... some people got a little
snotty (and of course some people were perfectly lovely). But I have became great friends with Harlequin people
all over the country. From Jennifer at J&J Harmony Acres who sold me my first rabbit and has fostered babies
for me.... To Rebbecca my Harliquin Bestie in Alabama.... and on down the line to Matt Hinderman up in
Michigan who has set up transportation of his fabulous pedigree lines to me.... and Tiffany in Texas and Andrea
who is soon to be in TN... and of course April in Georgia and Samantha in Knoxville who are always interested in
my stock!!! Sorry if i have left anybody out.... but I am sure glad to know you all!!!
This is for sure not the easiest breed to show. And many have stated that we would never pass ARBA
standards if presented today.... I tend to agree.... Part of the fun of Harlequins for me is that their markings are
a tad unpredictable.... Not "hmmmmm i wonder what marked Dutch Rabbits I will get???" Of course no offense
is intended to Dutch people!!! I loooooove looking in the nestbox to see what i have gotten... 2/3rds of the litter
is usually a disappointment (though I have had a recent string of luck).
I have developed my own process of which rabbits to breed to whom. My first Goal for my harlequins is
to cut down the brindling. You may see me keep a rabbit with a face split and little else to use for Brood
purposes, usually a buck... but most of the time they throw the cleanest babies. My next goal would be color
and face markings. But right now the brindling is my project.
I do feel their are judges who hate getting harlequins. Of course judges will always have preferred breeds.
But i think the unpredictability of this breed is what does us in. In the just over a year I have been showing I
have had 2 moron judges. Of course I will not name any names... but both I pretty much have the same
complaint about... "UGH I NEVER GET HARLEQUINS... i hate this breed..." followed by moronic
comments,throwing 90% off of the table etc.etc.etc. Thank God for some of the other wonderful judges I have
encountered. They don't always pick the same rabbit... But a good judge can defend his decision even if it
differs from the previous judge. At the Dalton triple all 3 judges picked different rabbits for Best of Breed and
Best Opp. It was amazing because all 3 Judges were very educated and gave reasonable responses as to which
they picked. One preferred the cleanest marked, another picked the one with the most alterations even if they
were a bit messy and the third picked the best magpie as he said the japanese were all of poor coloring.... This
was great in that all had valid educated reasons for their choices. Not "well this one is the least ugly."
In the end i guess the Harlequin motto should be "hey nobody's perfect"
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT ;0)
I would like to say that I had a lot of fun in Louisville even though my Marie was a bit of a handful from getting
a minimal amount of sleep. We still had fun... even after a bologna DQ Jingle got in the second show.
I love Harlequins... as long as I have rabbits I will have harlequins... this is a great breed and also a great
community of breeders. One thing I noticed in my minute time as a Netherland breeder is the high pressure of
showing. I felt like a soccer mom at my kids game... the pressure oh the pressure... some people got a little
snotty (and of course some people were perfectly lovely). But I have became great friends with Harlequin people
all over the country. From Jennifer at J&J Harmony Acres who sold me my first rabbit and has fostered babies
for me.... To Rebbecca my Harliquin Bestie in Alabama.... and on down the line to Matt Hinderman up in
Michigan who has set up transportation of his fabulous pedigree lines to me.... and Tiffany in Texas and Andrea
who is soon to be in TN... and of course April in Georgia and Samantha in Knoxville who are always interested in
my stock!!! Sorry if i have left anybody out.... but I am sure glad to know you all!!!
This is for sure not the easiest breed to show. And many have stated that we would never pass ARBA
standards if presented today.... I tend to agree.... Part of the fun of Harlequins for me is that their markings are
a tad unpredictable.... Not "hmmmmm i wonder what marked Dutch Rabbits I will get???" Of course no offense
is intended to Dutch people!!! I loooooove looking in the nestbox to see what i have gotten... 2/3rds of the litter
is usually a disappointment (though I have had a recent string of luck).
I have developed my own process of which rabbits to breed to whom. My first Goal for my harlequins is
to cut down the brindling. You may see me keep a rabbit with a face split and little else to use for Brood
purposes, usually a buck... but most of the time they throw the cleanest babies. My next goal would be color
and face markings. But right now the brindling is my project.
I do feel their are judges who hate getting harlequins. Of course judges will always have preferred breeds.
But i think the unpredictability of this breed is what does us in. In the just over a year I have been showing I
have had 2 moron judges. Of course I will not name any names... but both I pretty much have the same
complaint about... "UGH I NEVER GET HARLEQUINS... i hate this breed..." followed by moronic
comments,throwing 90% off of the table etc.etc.etc. Thank God for some of the other wonderful judges I have
encountered. They don't always pick the same rabbit... But a good judge can defend his decision even if it
differs from the previous judge. At the Dalton triple all 3 judges picked different rabbits for Best of Breed and
Best Opp. It was amazing because all 3 Judges were very educated and gave reasonable responses as to which
they picked. One preferred the cleanest marked, another picked the one with the most alterations even if they
were a bit messy and the third picked the best magpie as he said the japanese were all of poor coloring.... This
was great in that all had valid educated reasons for their choices. Not "well this one is the least ugly."
In the end i guess the Harlequin motto should be "hey nobody's perfect"
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT ;0)