How to Enter a Rabbit Show

Entering rabbit shows is a fun way to meet new friends and have fun with your rabbits! All to often though, I hear that people are confused by the entry process, and I totally get it. Understanding how to enter a rabbit show can be a learning curve at first, but I’m here to break it down for you :)

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Prep Work

Pick Your Rabbits

First off, you’ll need to pick the rabbits that you wish to take to the show. Show rabbits must be one of the registered breeds listed on the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) website. To view the list of recognized breeds, CLICK HERE. For me, for instance, I raise Silver Fox and Creme d’Argent rabbits. Ideally, your rabbits should be pedigreed. There’s a lot of reasons why I believe pedigreed rabbits are a good idea: You can list their awards on the pedigree, track down genealogy, find past breeders, and see registration information if your rabbits have been registered. Pedigrees aren’t necessary to show, but they do have benefits, especially if your rabbit does a good job at the show.

Find A Show

As a beginner looking for a show, it will be helpful to first find out what district you're in. The ARBA has bunched together certain states and regions of Canada to help you find shows that are closest to you. To figure out what district you are in, click through the banner on the FIND A SHOW page. Since I am located in Indiana, I am in District D8.

The District banner on the ARBA’s show page.

Alternatively, you could just do a show search within your own state, but since I live so close to the Michigan and Ohio border, I prefer doing District searches so I don’t miss a show that I might be interested in within those states.

Once you find a show location that you’re interested in going to, you’ll want to email the SHOW SECRETARY. The secretary is the person that typically handles all email communications and entries before and after the show. Sometimes you can find the show as an event on Facebook or under a club page and you can find information there. But if you can’t, I would recommend emailing the show secretary simply asking for a show flyer or catalog, which will give you lots of information regarding check-in, prices, sanctioned breeds, venders coming to the show, and more.

Email the show secretary with any questions you might have, and/or send them your entries.

If I know I will be attending the show, I will usually just write out an email with all of my contact information and details about the rabbits I will be bringing. View the screenshot below to see an example of how I entered my last show.

Feel free to copy and paste this info to fill in and enter your next rabbit show!

CONTACT INFO
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
ZIP:
Email Address:
Phone #:
Entering Open or Youth:
*ARBA Member?

RABBITS ENTERING
Ear #:
Breed:
Variety:
Class:
Sex:
**Shows entering:

An example of my last show entry

*You do not typically need to be an ARBA member to show.

**Some rabbit shows have double or triple shows - let them know what shows you intend to enter with your rabbits (I usually show as many times as I can during one day).

Pack Up

If you are showing several rabbits, shows can require a lot of prep work. I like to pack up my car the day before I go to a show so I don’t have to think about it in the morning. Here’s a general list of things you will need when you go to a rabbit show:

• Cart

• Carrying cages with something absorbent in the bottom (I prefer puppy pads)

• Coop cups with food & water

• THE RABBITS

• Grooming & maintenance supplies (brush, grooming stand, nail clippers, etc.)

• Records/pedigrees

• Lawn chair(s)

• Phone charger

• Cash (to pay your entry fees - AND sometimes vendors will only accept cash - AND if you are looking to buy a rabbit at the show you will want some on hand anyway)

• Something to do (I like editing photos at rabbit shows - my husband likes to play on his Switch when he comes with me)

• Directions to the show

• Entry forms (you can pull these up in an email or just take a screenshot of them)

Get There Early

Just as an example, if check in times are between 6am-8am, I like to be there no later than 7am. You definitely do NOT want to wait until the last minute, because you will find it difficult to fit into the crowd at that point. When you get there, find the check in booth and let them know you’re there. You will then need to pay your entry fee. And finally, you can fit yourself and your rabbits into the crowd and wait for your breed to be judged. This is when I like to do a bit of grooming, or nail clipping if necessary.

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The Show

The Show Lineup

At shows, there are typically multiple judges at multiple tables, and these judges will usually have “show lineups” behind them, which is essentially just a dry erase board or poster listing different rabbit breeds. The judge will usually start judging rabbits on this list from top to bottom, marking breeds out as they finish judging. If you are at a single show, all you need to do is take a walk around the building and figure out who is judging your particular breed and then wait around until it’s time to go up . However, if you are at a double or triple show, things can get just a little bit crazy as you have to find out the different locations that each rabbit is being judged at and keep an eye on them all throughout the day. This part remains to be one of the more frustrating things about rabbits shows to me, and it just requires patience on your part. You will usually hear them announce that it’s time for your breed. I would recommend making friends who have the same breed as you so you can keep each other accountable on when it’s time to go up.

Judging

When your breed is called, the judge would appreciate you coming to do table as quickly as you can. You can double check with others on what CLASS they will be judging first, but typically they judge in this order:

CLASSES:

Senior bucks
Senior does

*Intermediate (6/8) bucks
*Intermediate (6/8) does

Junior bucks
Junior does

*Only 6 class rabbits show intermediate classes.

Judges go over different things for different breeds, so in order to see what points you should be hitting, I would recommend purchasing a copy of the ARBA’s Standard of Perfection. This booklet will explain the standard for each recognized rabbit breed in America. Click the Amazon link below to order your copy of the standard!

You’ll want to listen to what the judge has to say. Don’t take anything too personally at shows and respect the judge’s opinion, even if you disagree. The thing is, there’s always something to improve on and learn at rabbit shows, and different judges will sometimes have different opinions.

Judge Bruce Ormsby judging Onyx

Judge posing rabbits to judge body type

Awards

There are different awards that you can win at rabbit shows, sometimes resulting in your rabbits winning a “leg.” Legs are awards that mean your rabbit won against at least 3 other breeders and 5 other rabbits. Legs are a wonderful thing to add onto your rabbit’s pedigree because they show others that you are doing a good job at raising and breeding quality animals.

Here’s a list of abbreviated winnings and what they mean:

• 1st in class - the rabbit won against all rabbits in their class

• BOV - best of variety

• BOSV - best opposite sex variety

• BOB - best of breed. If your rabbit wins BOB you can compete for best in show at the end of the rabbit show.

• BOS - best opposite sex of breed

• BIS - best in show

HAVE FUN!

The most important thing to do at a rabbit show is to HAVE FUN! Rabbit shows aren’t worth it if you’re not having fun. Yes, there are times where it will be stressful - but I encourage you to try it at least once if you have rabbits, and let me know what you thought of your experience in the comments below!