Youth Page

Youth

The Youth Fanciers are a thriving force within the rabbit fancy, with their numbers steadily growing each year. This burgeoning enthusiasm significantly contributes to the impressive displays seen at rabbit shows nationwide. Recognizing their importance, the Fur and Feather magazine now dedicates a special page to youth, providing a platform for them to share photos, letters, and experiences with fellow young enthusiasts across the UK. This platform empowers youth to voice their opinions and contribute to the betterment of the rabbit fancy as a whole.

Furthermore, the establishment of the National Club 'The Young Fanciers' has created a dedicated space for 5- to 21-year-olds to exhibit their rabbits amongst their peers. This age-inclusive environment fosters valuable mentorship and allows younger exhibitors to ask questions freely, without the potential intimidation of a more adult-dominated setting.

The Youth Fancy provides a unique opportunity for young people to compete with their contemporaries, forging lasting friendships with fellow enthusiasts from across the country. While the youth are the driving force, the support and guidance of seasoned fanciers are invaluable. Older members generously share their expertise, offering advice on stock management and providing comprehensive breed and colour education.

Active participation in book stewarding at shows is a valuable learning experience for young fanciers. This hands-on role not only provides insight into judging criteria but also fosters familiarity within the rabbit fancy community. While judging may be a future path for some, it's crucial to remember that individual interests vary.

The youth are the future of the rabbit fancy, and their continued success depends on unwavering support. Recognizing the financial and logistical challenges faced by young enthusiasts is paramount. Remember that every successful fancier, past and present, once stood in their shoes, navigating the joys and challenges of this rewarding hobby.

Meet Helaina

My name is Helaina, I’ve been the Junior Editor for the Fur & Feather Magazine. I started off in the Rabbit Fancy when I was 12 years old, when I brought a blue-eyed-white Lionhead doe with wonky ears and her breeder asked if I was interested in showing her. The Southern Championships in 2012 was my first time exhibiting, and I remember watching the judges and deciding that this was something I wanted to keep on trying. Of course, my wonky-eared Lionhead didn’t last very long on the show table as my rabbit shed grew slowly in size, retiring as a beloved pet and reminder of where it all began.

Nine years later, the Rabbit Fancy is still an amazing part of my life. Exactly one year after the first show I attended to watch what it was all about, I won my first Best Junior with the Fareham & Southampton Club. Later that year we ventured up to Peterborough for the 2013 London Championships, my first 5* show, and finally in 2015 we made it to Harrogate for my first Bradford Championships where I won my first ever 5* CC. That year was my final year in the Juniors and some of my proudest wins to date, ending it with 5 Best Junior wins and Best Junior Fancy at the Southern Championships with another BEW Lionhead under the same judge who helped me out at my first Southern Champs. A beautiful full-circle win that I’ll never forget.

I joined the National Lionhead committee at 15, getting me even more involved in the inner workings of the Fancy. After many years of stewarding, I was offered my first judging appointment at the New Forest Show in 2016, and another one later that year at the Fareham and Southampton Club back where I first turned up as a clueless newcomer. We added a small collection of Mini Rexes into our Lionhead shed and started a curiosity project trying to breed the Red colour into Lionheads thanks to a few French imports. In 2018 I returned to the Southern Championships not as an exhibitor but as a judge for the Junior classes, a true honour and special moment.

They say all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, my exhibition days have been no exception. University life has brought me to London, a tiny flat, and my Lionheads left behind. But my purple showing coat is still in my cupboard for whenever I board the train that’s bound to Peterborough or Doncaster or whatever show I have the time to escape to. Writing for the Fur & Feather kept me involved in the Rabbit Fancy and I’m so grateful to all the Junior friends I’ve made as well as every single person who’s been involved in my journey with the Lionheads. While I’m at vet school I’m still doing my bit for rabbits, devoting as many assignments as possible to rabbit research and raising awareness among my vet friends.

I’ve found the most amazing, crazy, devoted family in the Rabbit Fancy who have watched me grow up from a shy pre-teen to a slightly less shy grown-up in her twenties. And I hope that there are other Juniors out there, little hopefuls standing where I once did at the 2012 Southern Championships, that will find the same home with us as I’ve found.

Meet Charlie

I first started showing and breeding around five years ago. It all started when my dad met his girlfriend, Lindsay Cameron, as she had recently started showing her Himi Mini Rex. After about a month so attending the local shows with them I was asked if I would like to show one of Lindsay’s Mini Rex, that’s where it all began. In January the year after we attended Bradford Champs at Harrogate, a real experience seeing all the breeds as a newcomer and junior to the hobby, but most importantly, we picked up my own colour choice of Mini Rex. This was a Siamese seal that we got from Tony Peacock, a really nice rabbit who did quite a bit of winning. We are very grateful to Tony for getting us going and having other stock from him later in the year. Not long after this we also got into polish and high, I started off with smokes and then later got into REW’s. These were originally from Chris & Neil Harris and David Gallagher, so another thanks to them for getting us going with them which was really encouraging as a junior to know that people are happy to help.

Now a few years on I have left the Youths and as soon as I did, we formed the stud of “Broadoak” stud which myself, Lindsay and my dad are in. The first year of the stud we won a few Best Furs and a couple of BIS’s and then the lockdown hit! During this time, we concentrated on breeding and developing our stock. In the stud, we still have the seals, Martins, Himis and the poles but over the years added Sallanders, the odd Thuringer (used for colour in Sallanders), Lynx Mini Rex, cinnamons and opal mini rex.

What do I enjoy? I like the showing side of the hobby, but when I started, I enjoyed trying to learn about all the different breeds, a few people helped with this in the fancy by talking through each breed and what to look for. I still enjoy this, but this helped me lead onto start to judge 1-star shows before lockdown. Even though we cannot show I have enjoyed the breeding side but now really looking forward to shows starting to be able to enjoy the social side of the hobby. If any youths are looking to get into any of the breeds, we keep please do not hesitate to ask as we are always willing to help.

Meet Victoria

I started showing rabbits around 3 years ago as I had a huge interest in watching my sister look after hers and see what she did at shows, ever since then, I have had a huge interest that has grown throughout the years, ever since I started I have always shown mini lops but I heart always went to the black otters so from then on I have had only black otters, I had my first litter of black otters a few months into showing and after that, I became more interested in them and I bred my most successful rabbit ‘Donny’ who was very successful for me in my short time in rabbits, Best Junior at Scottish Championship show, Best junior at the biggest show of the year The Bradford Championship Show. Lenny won Best Lop in the St Ledges Stakes this year at The Bradford 2020. Being part of the fancy is amazing it is not all about winning with the rosettes and trophies it is all about making new friends from all over some of that become like family.

Meet Sofia

Hi, my name is Sofia Tubbs and I am 10 years old.  I have been showing rabbits for three years now. Rabbit showing has been in my family for generations with my mum, grandad, and his dad before him. My first show rabbit was a Red Eyed White Dwarf Lop called Winter but I now show Netherland Dwarfs. Some of my highlights of showing rabbits have been when I won Best Youth in the Northern Dwarf Stock Shows and the Young Fanciers. I was also very proud to be nominated in 2022 and 2023 for Youth of the Year. My favourite rabbit show to date was Great Harwood when I judged 23 Pet rabbits. When I am older, I would like to be a judge and judge Netherlands dwarfs at Bradford, I would like to help other Youths when I am older like my other friends have done for me. I have a close friend group when I am at shows and all we do is talk about all of our rabbits. 

I did a project for school last year, explaining to all my friends about the history of the Netherland Dwarf and what a good show rabbit should look like. My classmates really enjoyed meeting the rabbits and finding out what I do after school with feeding and making sure they are cleaned out. Now my friends at school like to come round and visit my rabbits. 

Meet Zoe

I first started showing 13 years ago as that is around the time my mam started showing, I remember asking her if I could show too and let’s say she was very happy about it. My first ever show was the Carlisle show in March 2011 where my mam asked me what breed I would like to show and I fell in love with agouti Netherland dwarfs just a couple of weeks later, my mam met Denise, and she went into John Fletchers shed and got me an agouti Netherland dwarf which I called ‘Fletch’. Over the years I had fletch I had many BiS and Best Junior (Youth) he is my most successful rabbit however at The London Champ show I went best fancy in the Guardsmen’s Gamble with a blue Dutch that I got from Robbie. In the fancy, I have learned so much not just about rabbits but the way the fancy can create a second family that lasts for life. At the minute the numbers of the fancy are dropping which is why as a club we help the youth get involved in shows so they can understand it's not just about winning it's about doing the little things around the show. My rabbit's health is the most important part of my life, making sure they are happy and healthy. Is it hard being young juggling college and work while having my rabbits? Some days yes but having them is my main focus above everything else and I would never want to change that.