Weedpatch Rabbitry
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Are you interested in becoming a 4-H member?
Tanana 4-H District Office phone number: 907-474-2427
The club Rebekah spent her 4-H years with:
North Pole Ptarmigans
Leader: Nancy Graff
Phone: 907-388-6237
​
Keep scrolling for bits and pieces of different info....
Summer, 2017
Like I said, its not all about bunnies!
"And I saw heaaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war."
Revelations 19:11
This summer I had the pleasure of working with the Smith girls and thier 4-H horses. We had a few riding lessons here at the farm. Years ago I did my fair share of giving riding lessons to local riders. When I was riding in competive events back in the day, there were many good local trainers and many big name horse people brought in for riding clinics.
I will never forget my first 4-H horse show. It was held at North Pole Ranch, owned by the Murphy family. I didn't get a wink of sleep the night before, the excitement was just too much for me. I'll have to ask Ainsley and Mckenna how that works for them.
March 9, 2018- Showmanship clinc
with the Free Rangers 4-H group!
Great little group! We had an
enjoyable time working with these
kids on the in and outs of rabbit
showmanship!
​
It has been many years since I was in 4-H particitpating in a 4-H horse project That said, I can still remember two things vividly. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work!
The goal of a good horse program promotes knowledge of, care of and responsibility of our beautiful equine friends.
The work is worth it.
You join a club. Go to meetings.
Decide what you want to do with your horse. Ride western or english or maybe both.
Set some goals. What skills do you have and how will you develope them?
What do you need to learn? Who can help you learn them?
Take some riding lessons. Participate in a clinic or two.
Practice at the local arena. Practice at home.
Keep a record book. Work on it diligently.
Feed, water and groom that horse everyday.
Keep your tack clean. Wash the feed buckets.
Get some sleep before horse events......if you can.
​
The photo above shows Ainsley on Abrams and McKenna on Fresca. I am giving them some instruction here at the farm in the roundpen. Riding lessons give the rider the foundational skills needed to ride and train a horse. This particular day we are working on upper and lower body position and the first steps to collection. Collection is one key used by the rider that, well, as the Army would say...makes the horse all that he can be!
Both girls are naturally athletic. Both are attentive regarding thier listening skills. These girls made it a pleasure to work with and instruct. (Do you get the feeling I might just like these girls?)(Yep)
P.S. Ainsley had been to our round pen in the past!
McKenna and Ainsley were rounding the corner onto one of their big goals of the year. The Tananna Valley State Fair 4-H Horse Show.
The goal now was to do the best job possible all things horse.....AND.... Continue doing the best job possible all things sportmanship. Enjoy what you are doing. Have proper consideration for: fairness, ethics, and have total respect for other competitors, thier families, your family and every single person involved in the horse events.
How did they do?
They stayed the course and did the rides.
Well, the problem with those trophies and ribbons is ...After a while where do you put the things! You can only build so many shelves! Congratulations girls!
How about the Fair? What goes on there?
All Pictures are from
Tanana Valley State Fair 2017
Lets say you are totally new to anything 4-H or rabbit. Well here is a good place to start. This is the 2017 rabbit judge Adam McCabe holding the Grand Champion Pet Rabbit Peppy Le Pew. Standing next to him is Abby Bostic (she is not new) the owner of the winner.
The Pet Rabbit Class is designed for many types of pet rabbit owners. You simply sign up for the 4-H class on entry day, purchase a season pass and show up each day to care for your rabbit. On show day the rabbit superintendent or staff will let you know when your rabbit will be presented to the judge and what will be required for the class. Sometimes the judge asks questions about you and your rabbit as this judge did this year. ​
This is a great way to get to know other 4-H kids. You also learn alot about how things happen at the fair. Who knows, you could end up the Grand Champion Pet owner just like Abby!
The fair is not all about competition. There are numerous ways to get in some community service. How about helping a 4-H leader present a daily story time for young children? That is what Nancy Graff leader of the North Pole Ptarmigans is doing here. By the way the hay bales go all the way around and they are filled with young tots and thier moms and dads!
During the nine long days of fair you may end up learning some new things about your animals! That is what these 4-H teens are doing here. As they watch the rabbit judging, the judge gives a detailed assessment of each animal entered. Watching and listening is the best way to understand what that animal should look like, information you can use as your goal for your 4-H prodject.
The Rabbitry sponsored a 4-H Showmanship/Rabbit Judging Clinic on July 8th. All the participating kids brought a rabbit to practice showmanship with. Rebekah and I helped them to get the steps correct and work with thier individual rabbit. Then Rebekah did a "mock" showmanship show. Our Fair here begins August 1st. Some of the 4-Her's were the returning group and some were the newbies. All in all I believe we had a great time. I know I did.
In March I was contacted about judging the 4H division of the Palmer state Fair. Rebekah and I drove down to Palmer September 2nd checked into our hotel and showed up at the fairgrounds the next day. September 3rd was beautiful in Palmer! Majestic Mountains surrounded a clear crisp sky every where one looked while at the fairgrounds. Rebekah scribed for me as I went through the 4H classes of rabbits. The next day was 4 divisions of showmanship. I even had a chance to judge a few cavies........I have to say the Palmer/Wasilla kids were a pleasure to be with. I also thank Millie Tormey and her family for taking very good care of us!
July 14, 2014
2016- Blast from the past.......
Anyone else feeling a bit nostalgic? You know, wistful, or maybe sentimental? Lets take a peek back into the past to romanticise the long ago 4-H days....
I believe Rebekah is only 8 years old in this picture. Our group got together at our home to study horse anatomy. I remember playing games eating junk food and having a plain old good time.
One event the Ptarmigans faithfully took under thier wing was to visit elderly Alaskans at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home. One of the reasons I still recommend this 4-H group is they are still holding strong in community service activities.
Above our bunnies were dressed as carrots to go room to room at the Home.
Rabbit Showmanship is a competition generally held at during our annual State Fair. Basically the 4-H contestant shows the judge how the rabbit does or does not conform to breed standards. It also includes general rabbit knowledge and a complete veterinary exame preformed by the 4-H member. As the child moves through the age divisions the general knowledge questions become more difficult. So to be top notch in this event a lot of study time is required.