Are Sweepstakes a money game?

I've been thinking about the "Sweeps is all about money or numbers" thing that I've seen a few folks state recently on Facebook.  I just wanted to take a quick moment to say- it can be.  I can recall years ago a mini lop youth mom (out of state) mention they spent $20k a year for her child to stay on top of points.  They would drive 6 hours in one direction on Saturday for a show, then 8 hours in the other direction for a show on Sunday.

The past two years (my first two full years as a NJWRC member), I've been lucky and blessed enough to place Top 10 in our Open Sweeps contest. I consider that a huge accomplishment.  I also tend to show 7-9 woolies or less per show - only the ones I want to show, no "points filler", though sometimes I see what others brought to show, groan and tell the bunny "ohhhh I should have saved my entry fee and left you at home!"  I show pretty much only in my state, but we have a fair number of shows, thankfully.  I try to make it to Nationals and Convention- though often, I can only make one of those, as is the case in 2012.  I don't think we should be tearing down those at the top of the Sweepstakes "race" because they choose to go to more shows than the rest of us, or are lucky enough to have larger barns.  I'm naturally lazy.  I don't LIKE getting up early for shows, so I sometimes skip shows just to enjoy sleeping in.  I don't have a huge herd because I don't want to clean, groom and take care of all of them- not to mention, I can't afford to feed them. Those of you who know me personally know my husband is a preacher. I am currently working PART TIME as a church secretary.  Believe me when I say I can't afford to spend $20k a year to climb the points ladder, yet through hard breeding, hard culling and a sprinkling of luck as to who is in coat on any given day, I'm able to be competitive with the other gorgeous animals put on the table in my area.

I think it's terribly unfair and even hurtful to paint everyone in the Top XX of Sweeps of both Youth and Open as folks who just toss around money to buy their standings.  I had 7 less shows credited to me last year than the year before and placed 4 spots HIGHER, showing the same number of animals.  In the 2009-2010 year, Brian Caudill placed #3 overall with 13 shows.  There are folks who show less than I do that kick my butt and folks who show way more who sometimes I end up beating in points.  Let's not attack people for how they choose to spend their money or their time, or imply somehow they are doing something underhanded, which does seem to be the implication to me.  I would love to see someone with $30,000 to waste put a ton of pet quality animals on every show table every weekend and see if they can end up #1 on our Sweeps list- because I'm thinking that's surely not going to happen.  Does it mean folks who are lower in the sweeps list have inferior woolies? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Don't judge your animals based on if someone else is higher in Sweeps than you are.  Don't buy based only on if someone is higher in Sweeps than you.  Be happy for the people that place higher in Sweeps than you- don't try to drag them down by saying "Oh, I bet you spent more than I make in a year to buy your place."  Not only is that nasty and rude, but it says way more about you than you think it does.

-Kristen