Animals are a big deal at each year’s Texas County Fair, and it’s the big ones that are usually the biggest deal.
But before the goats, sheep, pigs, steers and their human handlers take to the livestock showing arena at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds, a couple of species of smaller critters are the focus of attention in the nearby rabbit and poultry barn, a spacious building completed a couple of years ago by the Texas County Fair Board.
Fair board poultry superintendent Ted Witte used to also oversee the board’s rabbit department. Witte recalls how less than 10 years ago, not that many birds were shown at the fair and rabbits were somewhat of a rarity. Things are different now.
“When I became the rabbit superintendent, there were six rabbits and 20 chickens here, and the showing was done in a very small building,” Witte said. “Now we have this great building and this year there were more than 60 rabbits and about 120 birds.”
Judging the hopping hoard of hares on Wednesday of last week was Vienna resident Sue Gillispie, who was at the local fair for the first time, but has been a licensed judge with the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) for 35 years. Descriptions of what rabbit judges look for can be found in a 250-plus page book of guidelines published by the ARBA.
“It all depends on the breed,” Gillispie said. “With the wool breeds, you focus more on the wool. With the meat breeds, you look for confirmation and meat-producing qualities.”
After examining and handling thousands of show bunnies, Gillispie can now judge through almost instinctive know-how.
“At regular shows, people often joke about my ‘hand scales,’ ” she said. “I can just tell how much they weigh, and sometimes I’ll feel one and just know it’s overweight. Then it’s like, ‘uh, oh; someone might have problem here,’ and then we’ll check it on an actual scale.”
Gillispie’s husband Gene is also an ARBA judge, and has been for 36 years. He has judged rabbits at shows in 49 states (with Hawaii the only notch missing from his belt) and has even worked internationally, including at shows in Canada and Japan. Later this summer, he’ll be traveling to southeast Asia to judge rabbits at a show in Malaysia.
“I’ve never been out there, and I’m really looking forward to that,” he said.
Current fair board rabbit superintendent Traci Enfield gained lots of experience showing rabbits at ARBA-sanctioned event while living in her native Maryland. Enfield said rabbits can be effectively used as sort of a starter animal, and are a great way for young livestock showers to get their feet wet, so to speak.
“Even people who live in town can get involved, because you can house rabbits in a small area,” she said.
“And you can get just as involved in raising and showing rabbits as any other kind of livestock,” Gillispie said. “It’s especially good for the little kids who might not be big enough to do a hog yet. They can do a rabbit and get the idea of how to take care of stuff and then move up to bigger things later.”
Gene Gillispie is the Maries County Fair livestock chairman. He was in Texas County last Thursday doing poultry judging, inspecting chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys.
He said what poultry judges look for isn’t totally unlike what rabbit judges seek.
“We use a standard of perfection just like we do with the rabbits, and it’s based on a points system,” he said.
The Gillispies not only judge rabbits, but show them as well, and have competed at the Missouri State Fair every year since 1971. He said that due to their judging duties and showing aspirations, he and Sue are seldom home on weekends.
“We’re usually out about 30-some weekends every year,” he said.
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When I became the rabbit superintendent, there were six rabbits and 20 chickens here, and the showing was done in a very small building. Now we have this great building and this year there were more than 60 rabbits and about 120 birds.”