It’s time to look forward to another huge Ohio State Rabbit Breeders Convention and Show this spring. The show falls on the first Sunday in May, which this year has the National and specialty shows April 30. At this time we have 11 breeds confirmed hosting National Shows with two more breeds pending. Many more State, Regional, and OSRBA sponsored specialty shows so please check catalog and web site www.osrba.net to get full listings. The catalog will be added to the web site when it is completed. I am pleased to say we have several new clubs joining the OSRBA and hosting shows this year. Make sure to attend the judges conference Friday night hosted by Jacinta Taulbee. Again we have many youth contests so make sure to get the deadline details in the catalog. I like to thank Renee’ Burns for the many years with the royalty contests and for Lisa Hoffmann for taking over the additional work of including these contests in her youth program.
With all the large shows this year I will suggest you book the rooms early to get the discounted OSRBA rates. The Ramada Plaza headquarters is $79.00 rate plus tax (614-846-03000 and Baymont $48.00 rate plus tax with continental breakfast (614-848-9696). Both are very good rates for very nice hotels. Please make sure you say you are with the OSRBA to get these rates.
As always we need all the volunteer help we can get to continue to setting up and tearing down the cooping. We had almost 9000 coops setup last year and it is projected even more for this year’s event. In order to keep our rates lower than other State Conventions and provide the cooping we need it depends on volunteers to assist with the work. I hope everyone that attends the show gives those people a big thank you for their hard work. We will start Wednesday April 27 to April 30 with setup and May 2 and May 3 for the tear down. Please check with myself or one of the executive board to find out how you can help. You can e mail chowmanosrba@yahoo.com or call 330-234-2444 to contact me for details.
Each year we try improve our show and with suggestions from our membership we added signage to ID the judging stations. Don Retcher needs to get a big thank you for making the holders. Another suggestion was to add recycling barrels, which the state fair will provide. Please use them for recycling and not for trash. I know each year we have an issue with people blocking aisles and exits with carriers. Plenty of cooping is provided and we have to keep all exits and aisles clear for the Fire Marshall. I hope exhibitors understand this. Being this show is held at the Ohio Expo Center we can’t allow this practice of blocking exits and aisles which is accepted at some of the local shows. Please note only rabbits entered in the show are allowed in the building. Do not risk your whole entry being disallowed by bringing in sale rabbits that are not entered.
Congratulations to our youth with their achievements at the Minneapolis ARBA Convention. A big thank you goes out to Lisa Hoffmann and her assistants for preparing the youth and the hard work of the youth. A job well done. I have to thank Don Retcher again for helping with the rental of our cooping at the ARBA Convention in Minnesota. With his help the money we make with the rental income helps us with the storage and repair of the trailers and keeping our exhibitor and vendor costs down at our show.
We still in process of finalizing this year’s show and if your club has not lined up a judge with Glen Carr, you need to get this done asap. We are now in planning for 2012 show and if your breed would like to host a national, regional, or state show please get with me to learn details. The OSRBA provides the setup, teardown, cooping, building, judging tables, security, lines up hotel, and insurance saving the clubs considerable money from holding show at another location. Member clubs are given special rates. Let me know if you want me to talk to your National Breed Club to go over what is provided.
We love to see all of you attend and enjoy the 2011 Ohio State Convention April 29 to May 1.
Claire Howman
