Youth

Youth are the future of our rabbit and cavy hobbies and of WSRBA. Here you will find info on outstanding youth achievements as well as access to Youth Contest Applications and Guidelines. We hope you get involved and join in the FUN!

Many of our youth members are also involved in the Washington 4-H Program. 4-H membership is consistent with the goals of the WSRBA Youth Committee and we often include 4-H Youth Rabbit Clubs in conjunction with our Open All Breed Shows.

We're on Facebook & YouTube!

WSRBA Youth Contests

Overview: The WSRBA Royalty Contest acknowledges excellence among WSRBA youth members in attendance at the annual WSRBA Convention. The Royalty Contest allows youth to demonstrate their mastery of rabbit and cavy industry knowledge and skills. In addition, the Royalty Contest provides problem-solving, decision-making, and goal-setting activities for all participating youth. There are eight categories:

  • Lords and Ladies –  Ages 8 and Under  
  • Princes and Princesses –  Ages 9 to 11  
  • Dukes and Duchesses – Ages 12 to 14  
  • Kings and Queens – Ages 15 to 18  

The competition consists of five parts: 

  1. Written application: When filling out the application, applicants must answer 16 questions, which ask about everything from what breeds the applicant raises, how the applicants care for their animals, what awards the applicant has won, and how the applicant has been a leader in their project.  Applications are  typed, can be up to 7 pages long, and are submitted prior to WSRBA Convention. 
  2. Written Test: The written test consists of questions testing all areas of rabbit and cavy knowledge.  Most of the test content comes from the ARBA Standard of Perfection and the book Raising Domestic Rabbits and Cavies.  Contestants will take the test on the Saturday morning of the Convention.
  3. Breed ID: The Breed ID contest requires contestants to identify the breed, showroom variety, registration variety, and number of classes the breed is shown in (4 or 6), for 25 animals.  20 of these animals will be rabbits, and 5 will be cavies. See the Breed ID contest info below for more information.
  4. Judging or Showmanship/Handling: Contestants over the age of 11 participate in the judging contest, where they will place four classes, each consisting of four animals.  Contestants ages 9 to 11 will participate in showmanship, which can be done with a rabbit or a cavy. The ARBA Showmanship Scorecards will be used for this portion of the contest.  Contestants under the age of 9 will participate in handling, which requires them to demonstrate their ability to handle their rabbit or cavy. The handling portion is done at the same time as the interview portion of the contest.  For more information about the judging and showmanship contests, see the individual contest information below.  
  5. Oral Interview: Each contestant will be interviewed by a panel of two or three volunteer judges.  The questions asked will be similar to the questions asked in the application. Contestants will be judged on the content of their answers, as well as their personal presentation.

Eligibility: All youth who are WSRBA members are eligible to participate.  Only Washington residents are eligible to win royalty titles or place in the Royalty Contest.  Out-of-state youth may participate in the Royalty Contest, but they are not eligible to place in or win their category.  All contestants will receive a results packet with their scores from each part of the contest.

Do I Have to Attend WSRBA Convention to Participate?: Yes, in order to participate in Royalty, youth must be present at WSRBA Convention on Saturday.  All parts of the Royalty contest (except the application) take place at WSRBA Convention and awards are announced Saturday night at the banquet.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the WSRBA Royalty application form and make sure to submit all parts of the Royalty application.  This includes the entry form, a photo, the written application with answers to all 16 questions, and your written bio. All applications must be submitted online.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

Overview: The Achievement Contest awards youth for outstanding personal achievement in their rabbit and cavy projects.  It consists only of a written application that can be 6 or fewer pages. In the application, youth answer 12 questions about their involvement and leadership experiences in rabbit and cavy activities, as well as about the awards they and their animals have won.  There are four categories: Pre-Junior (ages 8 & under), Junior (ages 9 to 11), Intermediate (ages 12 to 14), and Senior (ages 15 to 18).

Eligibility: All youth who are WSRBA members and residents of ARBA District 1 are eligible to participate.  All youth who are eligible to compete in the contest may place and win awards in the Achievement Contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: No, you do not have to attend WSRBA Convention to compete in the Achievement Contest.  The awards are announced Saturday night at the WSRBA banquet, however competitors don’t need to be present at the banquet to win.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the WSRBA Achievement Contest application form and make sure to submit all parts of the achievement application.  This includes the written application with answers to all 12 questions. All applications must be submitted online.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

Overview: The Management Contest awards youth for outstanding management of their rabbitry or caviary.  It consists only of a written application that can be 7 or fewer pages. In the application, youth answer 18 questions about their rabbit or cavy housing, equipment, and care, as well as their breeding and record keeping procedures.  There are four categories: Limited (rabbitry with 20 or under holes), Average (rabbitry with 21 to 50 holes), Unlimited (rabbitry with over 50 holes), and Cavy (caviary of any size).

Eligibility:  All youth who are WSRBA members and residents of ARBA District 1 are eligible to participate. All youth who are eligible to compete in the contest may place and win awards in the Management Contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: No, you do not have to attend WSRBA Convention to compete in the Management Contest.  The awards are announced Saturday night at the WSRBA banquet, however competitors don’t need to be present at the banquet to win.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the WSRBA Management Contest application form and make sure to submit all parts of the management application.  This includes the written application with answers to all 18 questions. All applications must be submitted online.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

Overview: The Breed ID Contest tests youths’ ability to correctly identify rabbit and cavy breeds and varieties.  The Breed ID Contest requires contestants to identify the breed, showroom variety (the variety the animal is entered as in a show), registration variety (the variety the animal is registered as), and number of classes the breed is shown in (4 or 6) for each animal. There are 25 animals total in the contest: 20 are rabbits, and 5 are cavies.  Answers may be misspelled as long as they can be understood, but abbreviations are not allowed, and are always marked wrong. There are four categories: Pre-Junior (ages 8 & under), Junior (ages 9 to 11), Intermediate (ages 12 to 14), and Senior (ages 15 to 18).

Eligibility: All youth in attendance at WSRBA Convention are eligible to participate.  All youth, including out-of-state youth, are eligible to place and win awards in the Breed ID Contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: Yes.  The Breed ID Contest takes place on the Saturday of WSRBA Convention.

How to Enter:  No pre-entry required.  Simply come to the Breed ID booth on Saturday between 10 AM and 1 PM to compete.  Royalty contestants are automatically entered in the Breed ID Contest.

Judging Contest

Overview: The Judging Contest tests youths’ ability to judge and place rabbits and cavies according to the ARBA Standard of Perfection.  Participants place four classes of four animals each.  The participant places the animals in each class from first to fourth based on the Standard.  Youth are allowed 7 minutes per class. There are two categories: Intermediate (ages 12 to 14) and Senior (ages 15 to 18).  Most years, each category judges one class of cavies and three classes of rabbits.

Eligibility: All youth over the age of 11 in attendance at WSRBA Convention are eligible to participate.  All competing youth, including out-of-state youth, are eligible to place and win awards in the Judging Contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: Yes.  The Judging Contest takes place on the Saturday of WSRBA Convention.

How to Enter: Come to the Youth Contests area between 8 and 10 AM on Saturday morning to sign-up for a Judging time. No other pre-registration is required. Royalty Duke, Duchess, King, and Queen contestants are automatically entered in the Judging Contest and are automatically assigned a Judging time.

Overview: The Showmanship Contest allows youth to demonstrate their ability to handle and assess their rabbit or cavy.  The ARBA Showmanship Scorecards are used for this contest, causing it to vary from the 4-H showmanship contests of which most youth are familiar.  In this contest, youth compete one at a time in front of a panel of two judges. Youth complete a full examination and evaluation of their animal, much like an ARBA judge does when judging an animal.  Ideally youth will memorize the order of the examination, and present it to the judges without being prompted. Youth provide their own animal, and may use a rabbit or a cavy. Youth should wear standard showmanship attire: dark pants, close-toed shoes, and a white long-sleeved, collared shirt.  There is only one category: Junior (ages 9 to 11).  

Eligibility: All youth ages 9 to 11 in attendance at WSRBA Convention are eligible to participate.  All competing youth, including out-of-state youth, are eligible to place and win awards in the Showmanship Contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: Yes.  The Showmanship Contest takes place on the Saturday of WSRBA Convention.

How to Enter: Come to the Youth Contests area between 8 and 10 AM on Saturday morning to sign-up for a Showmanship time. No other pre-registration is required. Royalty Prince and Princess contestants are automatically entered in the Showmanship Contest and are automatically assigned a Showmanship time.

Overview: The WSRBA T-Shirt Design Contest allows youth to design the t-shirt that the Washington State team will wear at the upcoming ARBA National Convention.  Designs must be suitable for the front or back of a t-shirt and include a rabbit, a cavy, and the words “Washington State Team 2024”. The winning design will be on the 2024 Washington State Team shirts.

Eligibility: All youth who are WSRBA members are eligible to participate.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: No, you do not have to attend WSRBA Convention to compete in the Washington State T-Shirt Design Contest.  The winner will be announced Saturday night at the banquet, but does not need to be present to win.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the WSRBA T-Shirt Design Contest application form and submit your design. All designs must be submitted online.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

Overview: The Educational contest awards youth for the creation of outstanding exhibits that are related to some aspect of the rabbit or cavy industry.  These exhibits may be educational in nature, like posters or displays, or be intended for a specific purpose, like rabbit and cavy equipment. The exhibits may also be artistic in nature, like drawings, photographs, poems, or crafts. Exhibits are separated into categories depending on their type.

Eligibility: All youth who are WSRBA members are eligible to participate.  All youth, including out-of-state youth, are eligible to place and win awards in the Educational contest.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: No, you do not have to attend WSRBA Convention to compete in the Educational contest, however your exhibit(s) must be present, so you must find someone to bring your exhibit(s) to WSRBA Convention.  The awards are announced Saturday night at the WSRBA banquet, however competitors don’t need to be present at the banquet to win.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the WSRBA Educational Contest application form. Youth must pre-enter the contest online.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

WSRBA "Youth to Nationals" Scholarship Contest

Overview: The WSRBA Scholarship Contest awards youth with outstanding achievements in WSRBA Royalty by providing financial assistance for them to attend ARBA National Convention and represent Washington or District 1 in the national youth contests.  Scholarship winners are determined based on each contestant’s overall score in the WSRBA royalty contest, with the youth with the highest scores winning the scholarships. See the WSRBA Youth Contest Guidelines for more information.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible to win a scholarship, youth must be a Washington resident and be between the ages of 5 and 18 on the closing day of the upcoming ARBA National Convention.  In order to accept a scholarship, scholarship-winning youth must be or become an ARBA member and agree to attend ARBA Convention and fully participate in the ARBA youth team, Royalty, Achievement, and Management contests.  

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: Yes, as youth must participate in the WSRBA Royalty contests to be eligible to win a scholarship (among other requirements).

Awards: The number of scholarships that will be given out in 2024 and the amount of each scholarship are still to be determined. Scholarships are often large enough to cover transportation to and from ARBA Convention for the winning youth.

How to Enter: Youth who meet the scholarship winning eligibility requirements (are Washington residents, have registered for the WSRBA Royalty contest, and will be between the age of 5 and 18 on the closing day of the upcoming ARBA Convention) are automatically entered in the scholarship contest. Note that youth who win a scholarship must meet further requirements to accept it, as outlined in the eligibility requirements above.

Overview: The District 1 Team T-Shirt Design Contest allows youth to design the t-shirt that the District 1 teams will wear at the upcoming ARBA National Convention.  Designs must be suitable for the front or back of a t-shirt and include a rabbit, a cavy, and either the words “District 1 Team 2024” or “District One Team 2024”. The winning design will be on the 2024 District 1 Team shirts. 

Eligibility: All youth from District 1 (WA, ID, OR, MT, AK, WY, some parts of Canada, etc.) are eligible to participate.  They do not need to be WSRBA members.

Do I Have to be at WSRBA Convention to Participate?: No, you do not have to attend WSRBA Convention to compete in the District 1 T-Shirt Design Contest.  The winner will be announced Saturday night at the banquet, but does not need to be present to win.

How to Enter: Closely follow the directions on the District 1 T-Shirt Design Contest application form and submit your design. All designs must be submitted online. The entry portal for the D1 T-Shirt Design Contest is a different portal than the portal for the WSRBA Youth Contests.

Entry Deadline: Submitted by 11:59:59 PM PST on May 15th, 2024

Previous WSRBA Youth Contest Results

2023 WSRBA Royalty Court

Left to Right: King Hunter Gildersleeve, Queen Mara Lautzenhiser, Duke Micah Menge, Duchess Baylee Voss, Prince Aidan McCurdy, Princess Bethany Menge, and Lady Emma Wildenborg

WSRBA Youth Committee

Chair: Kelsi Ramos

8109 W Grand Ronde Ave.

Kennewick, WA 99336

(509) 619-2295

Youth Committee Members

Madelin Bell

Ashley Mahaffey

Aggie Mowry

Kelsi Ramos

Callie Weber