Open Best of Breed

NJWRC NATIONALS OPEN BEST OF BREED

AMBER HENDERSON AND LESAGE’S HARMONY

I am humbled to have been given the honor of winning Best of Breed with this powerhouse little doe, LeSage’s Harmony. From the first time her feet hit the show tables until this past Nationals show, whether locally or nationally, she has always placed within the top rabbits in her class right among my best Broken does that are BIS, RIS, ARBA Convention Breed and Group winners, and top 5 Rabbits of the Year. Harmony has grown and developed as I had hoped she would and has impressed me beyond that.

The story of this beautiful doe is in her name. LeSage’s Harmony came to me from experienced breeder and former NJWRC President Angel LeSage’s barn. Harmony was sired by her ARBA Convention and NJWRC Nationals BOSB winner LeSage’s The One, a rock solid, super smooth, wonderfully wooled Blue buck. The One also started out strong from the first time he hit the tables. Harmony is the result of what has proven to be a smart blending of LeSage’s and my own Wonder’s lines. Angel had her eye on a doe of mine for a while, Wonder’s Divine. I was not quite ready to part with Divine because I had not got offspring out of her yet but we both thought Divine was the right doe to be added to Angel’s breeding program. So, Divine went to Angel with an agreement that I would receive a baby out of Wonder’s Divine x LeSage’s The One which we thought would be a great match. And what sweet harmony that match was! Several months later, LeSage’s Harmony came to my barn and I have enjoyed watching her grow, show and develop ever since. I have looked forward to the time Harmony would grow into her full potential and beat my own does at a national show. I really enjoyed seeing that happen. But, because I was busy filming the show results, the reality of that long-awaited moment didn’t actually hit me until about a full minute after Best of Breed was announced. But there it was all at once - that flood of the gravity of what just happened came over me. I had waited for this moment from the first time I paired up Harmony’s sire and dam in my mind, knew what they might produce and had hope for a doe like Harmony. And here at Nationals that creation had proven itself fully. It brought me feelings of such gratitude and joy that I had to hold back a few tears. Thank you for this opportunity, Angel. Thank you to the stiff competition given by the masterful breeders I have been blessed to be able to show against. The top-notch Jersey Woolies you all so consistently produce and help others produce inspires me to do the same.