The entries are literally pouring in for AFA's Winter Nationals Ferret
Competition to be held on December 1st & 2nd in Horticulture Hall at
the York Fairgrounds in York, PA. If you are planning on entering your
ferrets, please don't delay since most rings do fill up early! So don't
whine to me if you procrastinate and miss out. You can't say I didn't
warn ya!

Since I have to have my ribbon order in today due to the Thanksgiving
Holiday next week, I have set the specialty ring counts and all the
rings only have 1-3 more spaces available. The Alter Title Class Ring
is just about full as well as the Adolescent Jill Title Class Ring. The
Adolescent Title Class has been split out so each one will have it's
own Best In Show. There are over 200 title class entries so far and if
you add in all the specialty classes we will be judging over 400
ferrets! WOW! Another BIG show!

If you haven't heard of one of the country's largest ferret shows every
year, you can find information at www.ferret.org .

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our most generous
sponsors for this show. Without their continued support we would not
be able to do what we do best for the ferrets! The Ferret Store is
sponsoring 2 of our Title Classes. They will also be in attendance at
the show for your shopping pleasure. Eight In One Pet Products, Ferret
Depot.com and Ferrets/Ferrets USA Magazines are sponsoring our other 3
Title Classes. Look for 8-in-1 products at the show, they will have a
table and always donate lots of goodies for our raffle. Ferret
Depot.com will be donating lots of great items for our raffle, too!
Ferrets/Ferrets USA will also be donating great raffle items. Be sure
to stop by all our sponsor tables and thank them for their support of
the ferret community.

Path Valley Farms is one of our regular multi-ring specialty class
sponsors. Derrick at PVF is sending lots of great items for our raffle
and for each exhibitor. Look for PVF goodies in your check-in goodie
bag! Zupreem is another multi-ring specialty class sponsor for this
show. Be sure and check your mailbox for some special Zupreem goodies
that they are sending out to each exhibitor after the show.

Other specialty class sponsors include: Rhawnhurst Animal Hospital,
Horsham Veterinary Hospital, Beds by Shelly (& Mom), Ferrets In
Paradise and Savannah Lakes Ferretry. Thank you, thank you thank you!

This year we are having a two day event. On Friday we will open the
doors at 3 pm. and stay open until 8 pm. Vendors (who are interested)
will be set up and ready for you to SHOP! We will not be charging
admission on Friday, this is AFA's early Christmas present to one 
and all. We hope you take advantage and participate. We will have a
ferret photographer on Friday and Saturday. We will also have three
educational seminars on Friday. At 4 pm. Jeanne Carley will be
presenting her Ferret Photography 101 talk. At 5 pm. Bob Church will
be presenting his Ferret Nutrition and Enrichment talk. At 6 pm. Dr.
Ruth Heller will be presenting an Advanced Ferret Wellness talk. You
can find out more online at www.ferret.org.

It looks like quite a few newbie ferret show goers and vendors will be
in attendance, so all you veteran show folks, please, please make the
newbies feel welcome! Remember, this is the last show for the season to
do all your Christmas shopping for your fuzz, your family's fuzz and
all your other fuzz fancier friends! Our vendors come well stocked with
lots of unique goodies to make everyones holiday happy!

Also be sure to bring lots of money for our raffle. If the rumor mill
is right, this may be the BIGGEST raffle ever at a ferret show. Raffle
devas Patty and Jessie have been keeping the phone lines humming. They
keep sending me more and more and more folks who are donating lots of
really great stuff. There are way too many to list here, I will
probably have to have 2 pages in the show catalog just to list them
all. I can say that Jeanne Carley is donating one of her famous prints
for our raffle. Oh, and if you want one of Jeanne's originals, please
hurry up and contact her so she can bring it, saving you $$$.

This is the last show for AFA's 2006 show circuit, so it is also the
last opportunity for those ferrets in the running for adolescent,
alter, breeder and companion ferret of the year to rack up those vital
show points. And remember, your ferret must have attended at least four
(4) AFA sanctioned shows in 2006 to be eligible for the yearly awards.
And come see if the spoiler at the last show will take top honors again
this time making the run for Breeder Ferret of the Year that much
tighter! Woo Hoo!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly at
afaevents @ earthlink.net.

Take care and I hope to see everyone on December 1st & 2nd in York!

Vickie


Vickie McKimmey

Director of Shows and Special Events
American Ferret Association, Inc.
www.ferret.org

[Posted in FML 5427]