4-H SHOWMANSHIP TIPS

What is Showmanship?

In 4-H, showmanship is a contest which tests your ability to handle and show your animal, as well as measuring your knowledge of rabbits and your specific breed.  You will be required to carry your rabbit to the show table, pose it, turn it over, check for disqualifications and faults, assess it's strengths and weaknesses, and answer some basic questions on health, management, and general knowledge.

What is Royalty?

Royalty is a contest which is more comprehensive than showmanship.  It usually includes a written test of general rabbit knowledge, showmanship with your own or another animal, and sometimes also breed identification  and judging of groups of animals.  In some programs an individual interview with a panel of judges is also required.

Judging Contest, 2002 ARBA Royalty

1.)           STUDY!!  Sorry, kids, but there’s no secret to this.  The ones who do really well are the ones who desire it enough to spend extra time and effort trying to learn as much as they can about their breed and about rabbits in general.  You need a copy of the Standard of Perfection (published by the ARBA) and any other study guides you can get your hands on (from your rabbit leader or websites).  Memorize the standard for your breed, lists of disqualifications, some common illnesses and treatments, and general knowledge such as the major body types, fur types, age and weight limits for classes, and some breeding and kindling information.  And start early!  Don’t wait until the day before the fair and hope to make up for lost time.

2.)           WORK WITH YOUR RABBIT:  Choose which bunny you will use and start working with it well ahead of fair time.  Get it used to being handled and turned over.  Try and choose a rabbit that has a calm disposition and is not too large for you to handle easily.  (Just a note:  One of the easiest breeds in the world to work with for showmanship is the Himalayan.  They are extremely docile and are smaller in size.  If you turn them over they will just lie there, and they will hold a pose forever.  I have no idea why, but it makes them wonderful for beginners.)  We generally find it easier to work with a junior, planning for it to be around 4-6 months of age by fair time.  Make sure that you choose a rabbit that is a good representative of its breed and has no disqualifications.  Keep the nails trimmed short and feed and care for it well to keep it in good condition.

3.)           PRACTICE SHOWING:  Have several “rehearsals” with your parents or someone who knows rabbits pretending to be the judge.  This gets you used to actually speaking in front of someone and handling your rabbit while someone is watching.  Give them a checklist of the things you know you’ll have to remember so they can check it off and remind you if you’ve forgotten something.

4.)           ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW: 

·       Dress neatly.  Be sure your clothes are clean.  If you don’t have a showcoat, don’t worry.  Just wear a long-sleeved white shirt over your clothes, with the cuffs and front buttoned.  You should wear long pants (unless it’s so hot that you’ve been told shorts will be okay) and shoes, not sandals.  If you have long hair, tie it back neatly so that it won’t be hanging in your face as you bend over your rabbit and speak to the judge.  Minimal jewelry (or none at all).  Have clean hands (no cotton candy sticky stuff).  DO NOT chew gum.  And if you just had a bratwurst sandwich with onions, consider brushing your teeth or have a mint.  (Ha!)

·       Carry your rabbit to the table correctly.  If you don’t know the correct way to carry a bunny, look it up in the Standard or work with your leader or another person who knows rabbits. 

·       Be confident.  You’ve studied and you know your stuff.  The judge will see that.  When you walk up to the table, smile and look directly into the judge’s eyes and introduce yourself.  Speak clearly and speak up!  Whenever you are speaking to the judge, look at him/her in the face so that they can hear you clearly (don’t just talk to the rabbit).

·       If you have practiced enough, the rest will fall into place.  Don’t rush.  Go over your rabbit in exactly the same order as you’ve practiced at home.  If you realize that you forgot something, don’t panic.  It will still count if you go back and pick it up at the end before you finish.  It’s all right to stop for a couple seconds at the end and think to yourself “Did I cover everything?” before you tell them you’ve finished.

·       Add extras.  The more little details you can add, the more points you might add to your score.  For instance:  Don’t just check the eyes to be sure they’re the right color, check for:  weepy eye, white spots, cloudiness, boldness, etc.  As you get more advanced, use terms like “conjunctivitis” for “weepy eye”, along with a notation on what may cause it and how you might treat it.  You don’t need to be a walking encyclopedia on every body part (it would take too long, anyway) just throw in a few things to show that you know what you’re talking about.

·       At the end, say “This concludes my presentation of my (Jersey Wooly junior doe, or whatever you have).  May I answer any questions?”  or something to that effect.  It signals that you are finished, it sounds polite and confident, and shows that you are ready and willing for further discussion.  If the judge asks you a question that you can’t answer, don’t panic.  You can say, honestly, that you really don’t know for sure but your best guess is……something.  But at least do take a guess.

·       Thank the judge for their time and shake their hand.  

·       Carry your rabbit away from the table correctly.  (Yes, they’re still watching.)  Wait until you’re back at the cages to kiss Fluffy.  (Smile!)

Three great internet sites to help you study for showmanship are: