We are at The National Ferret Fair this coming Sunday 7th July, at Ollerton,
I'm still trying to work out which ferrets I will be entering in the show
classes.  Daniel, McCoy, Treacle and Bill won't be shown - they are
overweight.  Fritz and Inga are both disabled.  Stumpy was only neutered
last week.  Cameron has chipped teeth which probably wouldn't go against him
(we make allowances for working ferrets as their fangs might get chipped
when confronting a buck rabbit!) but he's shedding his coat and looks right
tatty!  I have high hopes for Deanna Troi in the polecat jill class and
Blackie in the albino hob class.  Ben and Bumper might also be entered in
the albino class as well.  Max will have a go at winning the class for
sandies.  Little Lil will be entered in the sandy jill which just leaves Dax
to come up against Deanna in the polecat and Kurt to have a crack at polecat
hob.  I don't suppose my gang will win anything but you never know!!!!
 
I was chucked in at the deep end at the NFWS Members Christmas Show last
year, a few days before the event I was asked to be one of the Judges.  I
was rather worried about it at first but everyone kept telling me, "You'll
know when you get a winner!" As some of you may know ferrets shows are
judged differently over here in the UK.  Only one judge per ferret per
class, some judges might only tackle one class if there are a lot of entries
whilst other might do several classes - the ferret is only handled by two
people, the steward and the judge.  The judge (at least at NFWS shows) does
not know the name of the ferret or the owner, all the judge has is a list of
numbers and he/she asks the steward to collect the ferret such a number from
the owner and then proceeds to check the ferret giving marks out of ten for
each section on the judging sheet.  The steward and judge clean their hands
and the table between handling each ferret.  The only time the judges know
who the owners are is when the ferrets are called out for best albino etc,
Best in Show.  All the judges get to check the winners and make their
selection for the top honours.
 
Fritz as top ferret and spokesferret for the other 15 sends luv and many
chooks to Maxie and Tater and Rosie and Odie and they are sorry that they
can't attend the wedding 'cos they don't want no rabies vaccinations!!!
'cos it's bad enough having distemper jabs!  Fritz asked me to translate his
'Lanky Twang' into English 'cos he didn't want to cause no problems with
some of you Americans understanding him!
 
Sheila
Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the
National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK
The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS
[Posted in FML issue 1619]