Stories from Convention!

Wow, so let's see-

I guess I had better go on and tell this one, before the people from NC I saw rat me out :).

We spent part of the morning during the judging at the Kentucky Derby Museum. It was so much fun, and probably after 2pm when we arrived at the showroom. By then, I had received a call from my friend Melanie, who was in absolute SHOCK that her gorgeous little wooly doe, Lil Bit Farm's Dilemma, had taken first in her class and her baby broken doe had taken 2nd in hers.

It was with extreme trepidation that we all wandered back in to the showroom and before we split to go our separate ways (to check on the bunny placements), I told my friends from California, Katie & Susie, that I didn't even want to check placements- I just wanted to "bask in the glory of knowing Melanie". Ambling down the coops, I arrived at Keep's Dreamer's cage first, my self jr. doe. She didn't have a card at that point in time, so I assumed she hadn't been judged. When I turned to Forest's cage, which was just diagonal from her set up, I stopped dead.

I was in absolute shock. Only in my wildest dreams did I consider a top 10 finish and I never really thought about a top 5, knowing the kind of breeders I was going up against! I was shocked and trembling from excitement- I know I was a bit dazed as I double checked, then checked again to make sure that really was a sticker on the tag of my rabbit!

I stumbled down the aisle and chanced on some wooly breeders from NC sitting at the end of it- in shock and nearly in tears I told them how Forest had done. They were so sweet, congratulating me. A friend of mine, Lisa, came running from the opposite direction and from my face, knew something was up.

"What happened?! WHAT HAPPENED?" She wasn't sure whether to be excited or scared for me.

That's when it happened.

In front of the other breeders, I managed to gasp out "Forest placed 4th" and the bawling proceeded. Yes......I bawled at Convention lol.

I'm proud to say I managed to hold it together watching Tryon be judged. This was partially because I wasn't 100% sure which he was- 1st, 2nd and 4th looked the same!

I stood next to Janice from Topp Hatt Rabbits and we watched the class wind down. Her buck placed 4th and she was so amazingly kind to me. He was cooped just a cage over from Tryon and so I got to talk to her quite a bit. It was nice, in the midst of some of the back-biting, catty, bitterness of a major contest between major breeders, to find someone who had time for a wide-eyed Convention newbie. She was one of the many folks I met, most of whom were also sweet people. I'm happy to say 90% of the folks at Convention proved just why rabbit people are the best in the world.

So there you have it- I bawled like a baby! I think it's justified though :).

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry