MCBA 2011 National Show

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Some of the hotels let you have the animals in your room. I believe that LaQuinta still does. You can also leave them at the show hall- they will have lots of company!

Becky
 
I'm coming from an equestrian background here, so don't laugh if this is a dumb or simple question. lol
Do you have to be a member of something to be at this particular show?
If not, do observers-only need to do anything before..or just show up,pay the fee, and watch? :)

It's only 3 hours away from us, so I'm going to jump at the chance to experience a chin show if able.
 
You have to be a member of the MCBA to show an animal. You do not have to be a member just to observe. If you are only observing, all you have to do is pay the $5 fee at the table set up in the dining hall when you first arrive. :))
 
I feel like I'm asking the stupidest questions, but this will be my first show, so forgive my lack of knowledge...

Is the registration on Friday at the 4H building? I think we will be coming Friday, but what if you come Saturday? Then do you just register right before the show?
 
Yes, Friday night or Saturday morning before classification starts. You must have them groomed, in their cage and all the paper work done by the time classification is to start.
 
Don't forget the raffle. I know we have some very nice things coming and we'd welcome more, if you have something that you would like to donate.
 
Another question - I was looking though my latest MCBA magazine (I think that's where it was?) and I saw something discussing showing/grooming which said something along the lines of "be sure to bring your usual grooming/showing supplies like scizzors, lint roller, and so on and so forth." Of course, now I can't find where it was I read that....

Well, we're coming to Nationals for sure now... but all I'd planned on bringing was the chins in their carriers, the 3 grooming combs that I have, and a loose fur whisker (which I'm still not sure exactly what it's supposed to do). Now, I feel so unprepared. What else do you all bring to help you groom?

One more thing... I hadn't even thought of this, but my mom brought up a valid point. I know I've read that to get ready for shows, you can dust daily for the month before... but then... like we're coming the night before... for the people that do that, do you bring dust with you so the chins dust the morning of the show? Or do you do one last dust before you leave the house the day before? Or what?

Thanks!!
 
Calm down! It'll be okay! You can borrow stuff from other people for grooming if you forget something - we usually forget at least one thing every year (it's usually scissors).

We have a toolbox with everything in it.
This includes:
Newspaper if they will be there overnight so the paper on the tables doesn't get disgusting, and also to put on the floor underneath you while you're grooming to collect at least some of the loose hair (we always forget the second part)
Water bottles and feeders (plus food and water)
Hay
Grooming combs
Scissors (to trim their tails)
Lint rollers (to get the dead hair off and clean ourselves off)
Pens
Pedigree info

I think that's it...

As for dusting, most people dust for a week up until a few days before the show. Dusting closer to the show for whites, beiges, and other lighter colored animals, and pulling dust earlier for darker animals.
For example:
With my standards, I will be dusting them everyday from Wednesday, March 16 to Wednesday, March 23. My pink white, I'll dust until Thursday. Now, if the weather is going to be extra wet on the trip up, I might dust all the standards thursday night before we leave as well.
 
The fur whisker does the same thing as the lint roller, it's groomer's preference as to which to use. I prefer the lint roller, I don't seem to have the coordination to use the whisker effectively. But both are for getting the floaty strands of dead hair off the animal that combing leaves behind.

Scissors are for trimming the tip of the tail. I also pack a small baggy of dust and baby wipes in case a chin gets pee stain on the way to the show. It won't clean it up completely but it does help. Also, pellets, hay cubes and water bottles for the chins, and either their records so I can fill out the registration form OR I have the registration form already filled out, minus their cage numbers. It's nice to have it filled out ahead of time so that's one last thing you have to worry about when you're grooming so many animals.

I start dusting daily 4 weeks before the show with brand new dust. I change the dust after two weeks. I stop dusting the Wednesday before the show for dark animals, Thursday for lighter ones. I always heard "a month before the show" as well, but I'm just now starting to hear that some ranchers don't start dusting until two weeks or even one week before the show. So I guess that's groomer's preference as well... I've already been dusting my National show chins for two weeks now and will be changing their dust tomorrow. I will start dusting my York show chins tomorrow as well.
 
Also, another personal preference, but we change the dust daily for our show animals.

Some people also do a rough groom on their show animals a few weeks to a couple months before the show. I groomed most of my guys end of January for the NC show, so they're already set for nationals, the others will just have to make do. lol
 
And to point a big, red finger at my n00bness... I posted on the wrong thread. My apologies everyone! Enjoy Nationals! One day, I plan on observing there too. Feel free to laugh at my expense.

:)
 
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Thanks everyone for answering my questions - I hope to have everything put together and ready by the show, but I'm sure something will get left behind, it always does, haha.

I actually have rough groomed a few of the chins I plan on taking--but I still don't even know if I'm grooming them the right way, so I hope I'm not making things worse! (Course, I only have one chin that is the right "age" for the show, everyone else I'm bringing is several years old, one's 11 even... so I doubt those will do great, but who knows). I'm sure some of you will be bugged by me as I ask if I'm doing it right and/or if I need help. I apologize in advance, haha.
 
If anyone else would like to order something from me and have it delivered to the show, can you please let me know this week? I need to have time to get everything put together since I tend to run a few days behind.

Also, if you want a squiggle bridge, it should be warm this week and I'm sure I can ask my husband to cut some parts, so feel free to order those as well :))
 
lol I haven't in the past, but I can bring toys and things that I already have made up. The fleece and things I do as ordered, so those are harder for me to bring along. :))
 
Is this show open to anyone?

Ive had two chins for about 6months now and would love to go to a show, i live about 45 mins from auburn. Is this show open to everyone or just members of a group?
 
Casey, anyone can come and observe. You just have to pay $5 at the door to get in to the show. You only have to be a member of the MCBA to show chins.

Alli, if you do bring toys, most likely I will buy some up. :p

If any of you have a wheel you're not using..say a flying saucer...I'm looking for one of those too. :thumbsup: I've already bought a car load of stuff..why not more! :D
 
You can also join MCBA the day of the show and still be able to show at Nationals.
 
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