2009 New England Gerbil Show Report
An adorable pile of Kelly’s gerbils from Garden of Eden Gerbils.Finally! I’ve found enough time to write about the 2009 New England Gerbil Show!
We had a great time at this year’s show, met new friends, saw old friends, got to see many gorgeous gerbils, and brought two new pups home to pair with our two lone gerbils.
This year’s show was unique, in that it was the first show to feature blue gerbils, which were previously only available overseas. Blue gerbils are not a “true” blue. They are lighter than a slate gerbil and do have a bit of a dilute blue shade to their fur. Although I’d seen photos of blue gerbils before, it was fascinating to see blue gerbils in person for the first time!
Author Holly Robinson meets HermanAuthors At The Show
This year, there were two authors at the show. First, was Holly Robinson, author of The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter, a memoir about growing up with an eccentric father, a navy officer with a secret: thousands of gerbils in the backyard.
I’m reading Holly’s book now and will write more about it when I’m finished. I’ll write more about it when I’m finished.
Author Michael DelaneyAt our banquet after the show, Holly gave an award to a gerbil who touched her heart and “many others around the world.” I was shocked when she gave the award to our very own Herman. Congratulations, Herman!!
Also at the show was Michael Delaney, author of Obi, Gerbil On The Loose!. This is a really fun kids’ book. I have read it but want to go over it again before writing a review. I think a lot of kids would enjoy this book. It’t not 100 percent accurate in its details about caring for gerbils, but it’t not meant to be. It’s just a fun story about a gerbil who must use her own creativity and intelligence.
Madeline of Paprika Card DesignsMore Fun At The Show
There were many other fun things at the show. For instance, Madeline brought a collection of greeting cards, shirts, and mousepads with her own pet-themed designs.
We brought home several of her cards and also several of her homemade gerbil toys, thick cardboard tubes, wrapped in decorative paper, and ready to hang from the lid of a gerbil tank. We have several gerbils who will get these fun toys the next time we clean tanks!
Hamtrack races at the gerbil showIf you’re interested in buying any of Madeline’s greeting cards, you’ll find them in her Paprika Card Designs Etsy Shop. I’ve also put a link to her Etsy Shop on the Gerbil Links page at Twin Squeaks.
As usual, the New England Gerbil Show also featured many fun activities for kids, including the Hamtrack races. Gerbils in exercise balls raced around the track for top honors in the pet class!
There was also a mock gerbil show for pets so that kids could see how a real gerbil show works. The pet gerbils at the show went home with many ribbons and a lot of great memories.
Sebastian with his 3rd Place ribbonShow Results
Our gerbils did very well at this year’s show. Not all placed, but many did.
Sebastian. First, Sebastian got 3rd Place in the Spot Class. One of the gerbils he placed behind was his nephew GEG’s Diamond. (Diamond is Hallie’s brother.)
Hallie did not place in the show, but the gerbils who did place in her class were all relatives! She placed behind her nieces, Sunset’s Annie and Sunset’s Susie, and her uncle BWC’s Keegan.
Polo also did not place in the show, but his brother Marco did!
Marco with his 2nd Place ribbonMarco. Marco got 2nd Place in the White Belly - Dark-Eyed, Non-Agouti Class.
I was really thrilled that he placed 2nd again at this show. (He also got 2nd Place at the 2008 Midwest Show.) Marco is a Light Dark-Eyed Honey, which is not a standardized color, so it really says something that he’s getting enough points for his other traits despite the fact that his fur is a little bit lighter than what the standard calls for!
Marco’s really a very sweet boy, but I never expected him to do well in show. It’s been fun to see him surprise me at each show!
Gobo with his 1st Place ribbonGobo. Gobo also surprised us by placing First in the Pied Class!
We haven’t taken Gobo to the past couple of gerbil shows, because he was slow to bulk up. (Males generally do not do well in shows unless they are larger than the female gerbils.)
However, Gobo’s really grown recently, so we took him with us to this show.
We were so excited when it was announced that he won 1st Place in his class! Congratulations, Gobo!
Toby with his ribbonsToby. Our biggest news from the show is that Toby got 1st Place in the Senior Class, giving him enough accumulated show points to earn his American Gerbil Society Championship!
Previously, Toby won Best of Opposite in the 2007 Midwest Show and 2nd Place at the 2008 Midwest Show. This last blue ribbon gave him the eight points he needed to become a champion.
We are so proud of Toby and feel that this was a real accomplishment for a gerbil who is almost three years old! But we’ve always known that Toby was a handsome boy, and even more importantly, a very sweet and gentle gerbil.
We don’t breed, so I feel very honored that I’ve had two gerbils win championships. (Herman was the other one. He won his championship last year, when he was almost two years old.)
Toby is now retired from show and enjoying his time snuggling with his brother Mike and destroying cardboard boxes.
Best In Show, GEG’s Mark
Best of Opposite, JEM’s CalleighBest In Show
After thoughtful deliberation, the judges selected the Best In Show and Best Of Opposite winners. This year, Best In Show went to Garden of Eden Gerbils’s Mark, a very handsome agouti.
Best Of Opposite went to JEM’s Calleigh, one of the loveliest and most outgoing gerbils at the show!
All in all, we had a great time at this year’s show and can’t wait for the 2009 Midwest Show in Lincoln, Nebraska. We hope to see you there!
posted by Twin Squeaks Gerbils | 11:43 AM
10 Comments:
congratulations to you and your gerbils! How many people attend the show? I would love to go o a show but dont think any of my gerbils are show quality. What is the pet class all about?
Thank you! :)
Attendance at the shows varies quite a bit. The New England Shows are usually HUGE. Two years ago, there were about 300 people there. Awfully chaotic! The Midwest Shows are usually smaller, with fewer members of the public. (I think this is because gerbils are more popular in New England, where people tend to live in smaller homes. In the midwest, people are used to larger homes and also larger pets - i.e. dogs.)
We usually have between nine and 20 kennels represented at shows, with the New England Shows having more than the Midwest.
You might be surprised about whether your gerbils are show quality. Even if not, you'd probably still have fun. :)
I think you are an AGS member, right? The competition is limited to AGS members' gerbils, but of course, coming to the show is open to anyone.
The pet class is different at the New England Show and at the Midwest Show. At the New England Show, it's an event for kids - and open to the general public. Kids can enter their gerbils in the Hamtrak races, toilet paper tube chewing competitions, etc. At the New England Show, the pet class happens at the same time as the regular show for conformation, which means that AGS judges and most AGS members miss out on it. But it is a lot of fun for the kids who attend!
At the Midwest Show, the pet class is for AGS members and occurs after the show, rather than at the same time as the show. We have many of the same activities as at the New England Show's pet class, but it's a chance for AGS members to just have fun and give their gerbils a less-stressful way to compete. So we have the Hamtrak races, cardboard chewing competition, sand-bathing contest, etc. The only difference is that it's after the show is over and for AGS members.
The Midwest Show will have some different activities for kids, though. This year, we're looking at some craft activities, such as designing backdrops for gerbils' tanks or making homemade toys and treats for gerbils.
It should be a lot of fun! :)
Wow! Sounds like you had a ton of fun!
Thanks for answering my questions. Yes, I am an AGS member. I will have to check into coming to the Mid-west show I know I would have a great time!
That would be great if you could come. We always have so much fun at the shows, and it's lots of fun meeting everyone, too. :)
Have they set a date for the show?
Yes! The show will be on October 31st in Lincoln, Nebraska. You can find more information on the Midwest Show page.
Cool-Halloween. Im really going to make some plans to come. Lincoln, NE is not that far from central MN. Im excited!
I wish there were some shows/societies or breeders in the south! Do you know of any around the Carolinas? It sounds so fun :)
Hi Gerbil Rock!,
Last year, there was a pet expo in Maryland, and the American Gerbil Society held a gerbil show at the pet expo. I know Maryland isn't right in your backyard, but it's much closer than the New England or Midwest Shows.
There hasn't been any word yet on whether the AGS will participate in any pet expos this winter. If I hear of any, I'll post about it on the blog.
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