Judge prepares for the ‘Crufts’ of rabbit shows

AS ONE of the country’s top rabbit show judges, Garry Richardson knows a thing or two about the animals.

Now, as treasurer of the British Rabbit Council, he is expecting 2,000 of them at the “Crufts equivalent of the small animal world” – the Great British Rabbit Show.

The show takes place next month and features a flurry of fanciers and committed hobbyists and more than 50 varieties and breeds of rabbits on show.

Mr Richardson has 70 of his own, in a purpose-built rabbitry at his Doncaster home – and the animals have been a ‘literal lifesaver’ for him.

“When I was 35 my career was everything to me,” said Mr Richardson, now retired from his role as a high-flying company secretary for a multi-national firm.

“I suffered from a heart condition. The consultant told my wife that if I didn’t get a hobby I would end up in a coffin.

“The rabbits have been a relaxation for me,” he added.

“I’m saying good morning to them when I go in, and of course they can’t answer me but it is a good feeling.

“I’m grateful that I’ve got them. They have been a literal lifesaver.”

Mr Richardson, a father of three and grandfather of six, comes from a farming family and always had livestock as a boy.

His own father bought him his first rabbit when he was just six months old, a little black and white Dutch rabbit. But it wasn’t until that sharp warning in his 30s that he came back to the idea.

There was a neighbour, known locally as ‘the rabbit man’, who showed him his own set-up – lop-eared rabbits, in the chinchilla colour for which Mr Richardson is now known.

“I started to breed dwarf lops, then French lops, then bigger ones, then German ones,” he said. “My lot, because I’m in there every day, are quite tame.”

In the converted rabbitry, once the family garage, Mr Richardson’s 70 rabbits live in purpose-built hutches. There are runs through the garden, fresh hay every day, and a once-a-week treat of carrots or cabbage. It takes four hours to clean them out.

“I had a very successful career,” said the now 65-year-old. “I used to come home on a night, and go into the rabbits, and my stress levels just came down. It takes the whole day away.

“It’s been a worthwhile hobby, and a very gratifying hobby.

“The gratification as a judge is seeing how well someone does with their rabbits,” he added. “That’s a sense of achievement.”

The judging circuit is a small one, where people tend to know one another. First, he served as a steward, then worked his way up, managing show tables and early judging.

Now, Mr Richardson is a senior life judge, meaning he can judge any standard.

There is more to the art than saying “it looks nice”, he said. There are breed standards, looking at each rabbit’s weight, their coat, eyes, teeth, colour and breeding.

Winner from each class goes to the challenge, then best in breed, section winner, best in show. Throughout, he said, their welfare is paramount. There is a pride in a healthy animal, well turned out and happy.

And there are little lessons to be learned, in their care. Even how to pick one up – on the show circuit they can weigh up to 20lb.

“The one thing about the rabbit fraternity is they are very welcoming people,” he added. “They are only too happy to partake of their knowledge.”