Guinea Pig shows

[gordyslovesheep]

my 2 big girls where watching Crufts and asked me about guinea pig shows. We have 3 very happy, very sweet, rather plum pet pigs - is it possible to go to 'child friendly' shows and enter them or our shows always very serious and full of fancy piggies?

I remember doing this when I was about 7 *cough 35 years ago!

There was a recent post about a GP show (can't remember which area)

Many years ago we took our GPs to a local show (I would've been 12-13 yo)

We had a sweet ,fluffy Abby Himalayan type sow
A Black & White sow
A ginger,black and white sow (her piglet)

There were two other contenders- another white pig and another Black/White pig.

The judge awarded the prize to the other black & white because "she was old and they wouldn't have her much longer"
I was . The pigs nails were too long too.
That put me right off shows.

I did have a lovely black Peruvian who maybe could have shown but I kept her fur trimmed (so scuppering her chances)

My Resident Boar (GP2) has a maverick coat and a fatty eye as well as a few fatty lumps.
GP1 is a bit tubby to show.

There used to be a magazine years back called "Fur and Feathers" - don't know if it still continues.They had shows listed.

And it depends on what the judges are looking for too. (I love an Abby but not a Satin or a Peruvian. - I don't mean you Marmite, you were luffly)

You need to contact your regional cavy society and ask whether they have an open show. Put a search in google.

Essex Cavy Society has an annual show at Marsh Farm South Woodham Ferrers. Its a childrens educational farm was was run by Essex County Council until afew months ago. So don't know if there will be a show this year. Any hoo that was/it open to non member pets. I'm sure this sort of thing happens all over the country. I really enjoy going to the show and seeing all the lovely piggies and talking to other piggie mad people but have never shown my own little herd.

thanks for the advice - found our local society - the website is very friendly and they have a show in April so 3 happy girls and 3 pet guinea pigs at the ready

How did you get on at the show? I've been looking into them lately and planning to go along to one. Might even show one of mine as she's really quite lovely, well they all are but only one seems to fit the 'breed standard'

Don't worry about 'breed' standard, you can still enter your sow into a pet class. She will be categorised by gender, age and the others I'm not sure of. Probably loosely short or long hair, self coloured or mixed. Pets are judged more on their temperment and condition ie is their fur clean, are their nails trimmed. I once talked to a little girl at a show whose boar had won a rosette. He was a lovely big red self and was very obviously blind in one eye but he was still a winner [bugrin].

Oh I see Easter is over on MN then