UK/American entente
It all started in the spring of 2003 when a lady in America asked by email if I exported Hares. That lady was Sheila Scagnelli who lived about 21/2 hours from New York in Connecticut.
Three of our Hares arrived in Connecticut in good health and stayed that way. They went on to win best Hare at just about every show they went to. Sheila must have been pleased with them, even though they had cost her about £200 each, including her expenses such as collecting them, because by September we were sending 8 more quality Hares for Sheila and 3 other people to share. The price for these worked out a bit better as the more you send the cheaper per unit. Again the stock arrived safely.
Sheila and I were corresponding frequently and when I found out that the 2004 American Rabbit Breeders Convention was in Rhode Island on the East coast I began to think about making the trip to what I’d heard was an unbelievable show with possibly 20,000 rabbits.
Neil Harris, my partner showing Belgian Hares, and I went to Rhode Island from Manchester November 13th. As soon as we walked through the gate at the airport we saw Sheila. Just as she said she would be, holding up a card saying welcome Maureen & Neil. It was 7pm American time and as it had been 15 hours since we had left our homes. We had thought we would get something to eat and go to the hotel and get some sleep. We were quite tired after the exertions of Philadelphia airport where we seemed to travel miles between gates. No such luck. Sheila thought we would like to go to the show hall to check our stock we’d sent earlier for the show. No I said, it’s fine, but we had to go anyway because the rabbits hadn’t been fed. After feeding them, all the cages were closed with tie fasteners so no one could tamper with the stock. We stopped at a diner on the way back to the hotel and then eventually got to bed 24 hours from leaving home. Sunday morning we got showered and went down to breakfast then after a few wrong turnings we made it to the Convention Centre to find people arriving who had travelled equally as far as we, but across their own country. It wasn’t uncommon for it to have taken two days of driving to reach the rabbit show, and they had to do it all again to get home. Sheila’s friend Jess was very helpful with cleaning the pens and watering the stock.
On the second day they judged the Hares. The best Hare overall was Sheila’s bred purely from our stock. She also took most if not all the other first places with Hares from our stock crossed with Croatian stock. They had really rich colour. We came second which was a shame as we had to sell all the stock we had taken and a first place might have helped especially as our stock was twice as expensive as most of the others due to the cost of getting them there.
Next day Neil and I went on a day trip to Boston and when we got back we found Sheila in a wheelchair as her back had gone. That night there was a banquet we had a table with good company, good food and a good show. At 9pm a Hypnotist took to the stage and entertained us with the daft things he got a dozen or so people to do. We were 100% convinced that every one of those people were totally under his influence. A couple of them were surprisingly good singers when all inhibitions were removed. They had all the actions too.
Next day we had some lunch with a couple of the judges who were also a man and woman who were rabbit partners. They came from New Mexico. They were both very pleasant and amusing. Cliff was a real character and never stopped talking. We went back to the Hall and I made a real effort to go and look around all the exhibits I’d missed. Later we returned the wheelchair Sheila had borrowed and then we went off for a meal at a lovely pub where they served nice big steaks. It was a nice location too with ducks on a pond and water running past the pub window. The meal over and off to bed for a 5.30 am call. We needed to be at the Convention Centre for 7 o’clock as it was the last day and all stock had to be out of the hall by 12 noon. It took until 11.45 for us to be on our way. We headed towards the airport to find somewhere for lunch before we said our goodbyes and left Rhode Island.
January 2007 saw the return journey made by Sheila and Jess to visit us at the Bradford Championship show at Harrogate. Unfortunately they hadn’t time to stay and enjoy our country. They arrived Friday morning and after we had picked them up from the airport and they had looked at the stock at my house and at Neil’s, we had tea and then and I took them to Harrogate to the show hall. We stayed at the Cairn Hotel which was excellent and especially great value. Sheila got her purse out next morning after the full English breakfast as you don’t normally get anything like that included in the USA.
Then it was back to the show hall for the day. Lots of people to talk to, especially about coloured Hares which they hope to import later. Lots of different colours to see which they don’t have as standard for example fawn rex. Of particular delight were the Giants, Jess couldn’t believe their size.
They got their photo in the Fur & Feather from their stint as stewards when the Hares were being judged. I couldn’t keep track of them and we just kept meeting up from time to time.
Saturday night we went to the "do" after a meal at a local pub. We really enjoyed it and I was glad it wasn’t all disco which doesn’t do it for me these days. A glass of wine or two and Sheila was lured to the dance floor. Unfortunately a mistake, as next time I turned round I saw Sheila had a problem as her knee had dislocated. Everyone was wonderful and she was whisked off the hospital for Xrays. She had her knee strapped up and was given crutches and we had a taxi back to the hotel where we found one or two die hards still talking rabbits at 3 am.
After breakfast, and more rabbit talk, Jess and I went to have a Turkish Bath. I thought the restored old baths were something they shouldn’t miss whilst they were here and I was right.
We had left Sheila in the town to hobble round and she was waiting outside for us when we emerged. We had coffee and cake at Wetherspoons next door. What a remarkable venue as it had been the old dance hall for the Baths and it had a wonderful curved glass roof as well as many other original features.
Then back to the show hall for a last look at the stands, the rabbits, and the auction before Best in Show was judged. They had lots in their heads but were probably too tired to put a lot of it into words. We went back into Harrogate for our evening meal and enjoyed the Loch Fyne produce at their restaurant. Jess said her Dad was definitely wrong, English food had been marvelous.
We stayed the night again at the hotel as I had hoped to set off from there on Monday morning and take them to York but instead we had to go with Sheila to the hospital for a check up. She was given a letter for special attention at the airport for her journey home and told she should be ok in 6 weeks. It was made even better by the fact that there was no paper work, no problem treating her and no bill to pay.
Then we took the scenic route back to my home. They must have sheep in the USA but not in Connecticut I guess going by Sheilas delight in seeing them. This was to be their last evening in the UK and then it was another early start for them to Manchester airport and home.
American Convention 2007
I went to Connecticut on Thursday, 11th of October to meet up with Sheila Scagnelli, member of the British Belgian Hare Club and the American Belgian Hare Club.
Sheila and I have been in regular contact since 2003 when she first imported British stock.
I arrived on time but without luggage. Fortunately it was at the airport next morning when we called at the start of a two day journey, in a people carrier, to Grand Rapids, Michigan. We set off to meet with another car with two more ladies heading to the same place. After frequent stops for large cups of coffee and the “Restroom” we made it to Buffalo in time for tea, and then went on to Niagara Falls for the night. First thing after we had parked was to rearrange all the rabbits into the people carrier, and feed them. Darlene had 13 assorted, Leslie 3 Fur rabbits, and Sheila had brought 9 Hares, plus 2 for friends. We took Leslies car, which now was going to be the luggage carrier, and went to look at the American side of the Falls which were pretty with the lighting and awe inspiring in their fury. After checking the rabbits, we on the road next morning by 8.20. We crossed into Canada with no problem and went sightseeing at the Canadian side of the Falls in lovely sunshine. We journeyed through Canada, which was mostly agricultural, and back into America, then down to our destination. We arrived at the Convention Centre at 5.30 pm. We had to first get all the stock from the garage below loaded onto trolleys to go up in the lift to the show hall. The stock then needed sawdust in the pens, and food and water before they had their cages fastened with plastic ties so that they would be safe, hopefully. There were 6 Black & Tan Hares which had arrived a week before from he UK to put into the now empty carriers so these had to be cleaned out too in readiness. It took more than 4 hours of hard work before we got to the hotel to check in. The Black & Tan Hares were kept at the hotel in the next bedroom to us and they had to be cleaned every day and fed and watered. We now had 5 days before it was time to do it all in reverse.
Sunday was the second day for booking in over 23000 rabbits before judging started on Monday. One difference between our Championship show and these shows is that a lot of the stock entered in the Convention is brought to sell. It is often the only time breeders from opposite sides of the country can meet. It was 11 am Tuesday when we had the Hare Club meeting, which just finished in time for us to groom the Hares before they were judged. The pen numbers are just written in their ears at this time with a black marker pen. I suppose it saves trouble with ear labels falling out when, for example, you have over 2000 Mini Rex to get through.
Sheila won Best Hare, Adult doe and Best Opp. Sex, Ad. Buck. The winning doe Mia is a Star, as she had been in two TV Commercials, and she won the judge over with her pose which she held almost throughout judging. Of the four of these big shows Sheila has attended she has had best Hare at each one. A great achievement. There were over 70 Hares shown by Adults and 13 shown by young people (up to 19 yrs old) The young hare classes were both won by Jenny Tice, who also had a bit of help from our bloodlines.
That evening we dined with the Britannia Petite club, or Polish to us, and then we went for a drink with more lady Hare owners at their hotel. Then back to our hotel for the usual nightly task of cleaning and feeding the Black & Tan Hares which I must admit I mostly left to Sheila as there were now eight carriers in the room which was also occupied by John Lasley, Hare keeper, and there wasn’t much space at one end of the room for everyone. Next afternoon Best in Show was judged. The large room which it was held in just about fitted everyone, and they all could see the proceedings because there were 2 cameras videoing it and projecting it onto large screens. The Best in Show was awarded to a White Mini Satin. This is a relatively new breed which is proving very popular and is bred in many colours. Thursday morning was nice and sunny and I went out at the back of the Hall and watched the Salmon breeding in the river which ran along side. I had a quiet, pleasant day chatting at the Hare stand and taking photos of the many different rabbits. The last evening was so nice we sat outside with a beer before we went in to the American Chin. Club dinner. After a late night, we were up early as Sheila had people to see before we could start packing up. It was about two in the afternoon before we set off with all the rabbits. Fortunately Sheila had sold a few because we now had four Black & Tan Hares, (two had gone to California), an English Sheila had bought, two Palaminos, and a trio of Dutch, which Darlene had won in silent auctions, to fit in.
We got as far as Lake Ontario before we stopped after some very heavy traffic through Canada. Next day it was a long journey back with the weather getting worse as we neared Connecticut but we made it without meeting any of the Tornadoes. Sheila took me to my hotel and we had some food before she had the job of unloading all the stock at home. She said it was 3 in the morning before she got to bed.
The last day Sheila picked me up at the hotel and took me round the area which was quite an upmarket suburb of Hartford, the Capitol of the State. It was very pretty with some lovely houses and trees in “fall” colours. We went to the beach and had a walk and ate at a famous Fish restaurant before the last call at a Winery. Then it was off to the airport. I sat next to a man from Holland on the plane who lived 7 kms from my friend there, and he kept pigeons and rabbits, so in between trying to sleep we had a bit of conversation before I arrived in Amsterdam and then Manchester.
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