Open Best of Opposite

NJWRC NATIONALS OPEN BEST OF OPPOSITE ANGEL LESAGE &

LESAGE’S THE ONE

Winning BOSB at a National show is such an honor that I truly cherish. It is incredible that he lost to his daughter for BOB. The girls always seem to have more sway! I started attending Nationals in the late 1990s with most trips requiring flying across the country. It has only been the last 2 nationals that I have been unable to attend because I could not get flights close enough to the show site. As you can image, it was great for me this year to be able to drive to the show.

LeSage’s The One is a 3 ½ -year-old blue buck. I have always thought he was nice. It took him over a year to really mature and start winning. I would walk through the barn looking at all my woolies and kept saying to myself “I think he might be the one to go all the way.” Hence his name, “The One.” To me, he seemed to have all the makings of a winner. It took him awhile to get a stronger masculine look. Bucks, for me, seem to take longer to mature and to do well at shows. I used to have a smoke pearl buck, LeSage’s Slow Bloomer, who did really well after he was a year and half old. It has been over 10 years since Slow Bloomer won BOSB at Nationals in Kentucky. Slow Bloomer flew across county 5 times to shows. “The One” has yet, not been on a plane trip. These two bucks are not related but seem very similar in personality. There must be something to be said for the good luck I have had with those dilute colors! Because the Covid 19 pandemic and RHDv2, “The One” had not been on the table since February 2020. When I started showing again, he had such an easy-care coat, all I had to do to get him ready was a quick blow and a nail clipping. In addition, I removed a few fur balls from his hind quarter area and he was ready to go. I was amazed at how easy it was to get him rolling again. Being older, I thought he would lose his showing edge, but he hasn’t. Most judges really like him. He is very easy going and never gets uptight, which is an advantage on those long show weekends, because the last show or two he usually gets BOB. I think it is his easy-going temperament. The does have had it by then, won’t cooperate, and want to go home.

“The One” is sired out of Amber Henderson’s herd by Wonder’s Spot On, a broken black. I have not shown him much. The Dam is LeSage’s Uptown Girl. She is a broken blue doe. I have never shown her. I just keep her home to make and raise babies. I have been pairing these two for the last few years. I have other nice rabbits out of them, one in particular, LeSage’s Pixel. She is “The One’s” litter mate, who is a real nice blue otter doe, but she has always been feisty -- the opposite of The One. She developed an attitude on the table and gets snippy with the judges, (no actual bites, thankfully). I stopped showing her because of this. Pixel is a good example, that a rabbit’s attitude on the table can really make a

difference in their ability to win. Great body or not, they have to be cooperative with the judge. I want to thank the Pacific Coast Wooly Rabbit Club members for working hard to put on a great National show. They work well together and are supportive of one another. They are what makes showing fun and we have a good time together. I don’t know the future of “The One’s” show career but I think he still has some good mojo for the shows ahead of him.