Hop-timistic owners bring their ear-resistable rabbits to the show – Rachael Rowe has been speaking to rabbit judge Peter Huntley

‘Now, where do I start?’
Peter Huntley has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to judging rabbits. He is the chairman and secretary of the Frome and District Rabbit Club and he organises the rabbit section at Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show.
‘There are agreed standards on rabbits. Each breed has its own standard and regulations – for example, the Netherland Dwarf must not exceed 2½ pounds in weight. We use the British Rabbit Club Breed Standards Book; everything we need is there.
‘If we were in America or Europe, judging would be very different. In this country, we bring all the rabbits out together. So all the red-eyed ones will come out together and line up on a table. The judge picks each one up and examines it. They also look at the rabbit’s condition, including its teeth and health. We look at one rabbit at a time, and the owner gets to see what goes on. In Europe, they don’t see what happens – the judging is done in secret. So for us it’s very user-friendly, having all the rabbits on the table.”

Fancy, lop, fur and rex
I knew there were different rabbit breeds but, until I spoke to Peter, I was unaware there are a staggering 95 breeds in the United Kingdom until speaking to Peter.
‘There are four groups of rabbits. We have the fancy section and a lop section. Then there are the fur rabbits like Chinchillas, bred for their fur. And the Rex section has a velvet feel to its fur. At the end of the show, we take the best from each class and put them on a table. There are two judges from fur and fancy and they select the best in the show.’
Rabbit judges stick to the five freedoms when judging rabbits.
Peter says: ‘These are freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, injury and disease, freedom to behave normally, and freedom from fear and distress. So we make sure we stick to the five freedoms. We ensure rabbits have enough space and look at their wellbeing.’
Finally, Peter gave some sound insider advice for those entering rabbits in shows. ‘Each judge looks at something different in particular. They go for what takes their eye. So you should always know your judge!’
Unlike cattle, dogs or horses, show rabbits don’t have names officially (although some probably do at home)

How do you spot a good egg? Rachael Rowe has been speaking to judge Paul Tory to find out what makes some eggs hard to beat

Paul Tory is chairman of the Dorset and Wiltshire Poultry Society and he organises the judging at Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show. So he seemed the right person to ask what the judges are actually looking for in an egg?
‘The basic principle of egg judging; you are looking at a single egg, three eggs together or their contents. With duck eggs, we always judge three, which all need to be egg-shaped (hold that thought – Ed) and identical in size. There should be no blemishes, and the eggs should be blue.
‘You look at the size, the weight (they should all be the same weight), and you sniff for freshness.
‘When it comes to contents, there are three aspects. First, the yolk should be yellow. The inner white part should be clearly separate and jelly-like. Finally, the outer white is watery. None should be runny – the runnier it is, the worse the egg. The more orange a yolk, the healthier it is. It should also be round and protruding – like a rising sun.’

Pointy, oblong and squat
There are some similarities with chicken eggs but also differences from the duck eggs. Paul says:
‘Chicken’s eggs are either white, blue, or brown. The white ones need to be as white as possible – it’s a hard class to win because white eggs show minor defects. There is also a class for one egg of each colour from three different chickens.
‘In all cases, eggs should be egg-shaped with no blemishes.’
I’m left wondering what other shape an egg could be (and the effect on the chicken) when Paul explains that some eggs are oblong. There is also an odd-shaped egg class where you could find pointy eggs, squat-shaped ones and double yolks – and maybe a few oblong ones.
And finally, there are individual egg classes: “The winner is a stand-out egg and catches your eye. It glistens without a shine and is not dull.”
After talking to Paul, I’m sure I’ll never look at an egg the same way again.

One of the most competitive places on the Turnpike Showground is the cattle showing ring – Andrew Livingston explains why

It may seem strange to those outside the world of agriculture; why take a lot of trouble to walk a near one-tonne animal around a field?
The answer is that farmers are passionate about their work, whether that is the crops they grow or the animals they raise.
One person who knows more than most the rigmarole and the joy of showing cattle is Amy Wonnacott from New Park Farm, Lytchett Matravers. “Some people enter to showcase their breeding and their herd – it can raise the value if and when they sell them. Others just do it for the joy of demonstrating their herd’s potential.” She added: “I treat it as a hobby – it’s time with my cows and very enjoyable days out.”
Once again, Amy will be entering the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show. Last year she won first place for her 36-months-and-under heifer in the dairy section, while also picking up three other rosettes on the day.
“I am currently in my 13th year of showing. I have won many rosettes, many different championships and have had some amazing achievements. I usually try to attend four or five shows a year.
“Gillingham and Shaftesbury is one of my favourites – it’s local for me and I see so many people I know. It has the proper country feel to it.”

Trust the process
It takes three or four months to get your cattle reading for showing, but, says the 24 year old Puddletown Young Farmer, the hardest part is getting the right animal. “One of the most challenging parts of showing is picking your show team. It’s not an easy job to select who you want to halter train and take showing.
“I usually take a walk around different-aged cattle and just look at them. I’m looking at how their body is structured, how well they walk on their feet, how straight their back is and if they look big for their age. Preparation for a show starts early – it is a long process.”
Once you have assembled your team, the majority of your time is spent making the animals comfortable being handled and walked with a halter (effectively a dog collar for cattle). The cattle you see at the G&S Show will have been walked every day for the last few months by their human companion. Some handlers play loud music to the cows to get them ready for the noise of the show.

“Some breeds of cows are harder to train than others. I find that Holsteins are the easiest and quickest to train, for example, but the Jerseys and Ayrshires are harder – it’s just in their nature to be a bit stubborn!” Says Amy.
In the run-up to the show the cattle are pampered to perfection for the big day. “The lead-up to the show is very busy. We clip them so they have nice short hair. Once they arrive at the show they will get washed again so they are sparkling clean, and put them in their beds to keep them clean overnight.
“They will also get their topline clipped to help make their back look even straighter. Finally, they get a last brush and are taken into the ring. They are paraded around the ring at a steady pace with their heads held high. The judge will assess the animals and select first, second or third.”

Pampered cows
Champion cow or not, the animals who are shown have a special place in their handler’s hearts. Amy explains: “Once they have become a show cow, especially if they have done well over the show season, they do become one of your favourites from the herd. You have been pampering them for the last couple of months and you can’t help have a soft spot for them.”