My Rabbit Story

My adventures in rabbits began in 1986 when my mom, a knitter and spinner, brought home a chocolate English Angora who I named Hershey.  I joined 4-H and in 1991 got my first Tort Dutch.  I was hooked,  later adding blues and blacks to the barn.  I was active in showing Dutch in both 4-H and ARBA shows and participating in the KSRBA and ARBA youth programs and contests.  I received my ARBA Registrar’s license in 1996 and my judge’s license in 2000 at the ripe old age of 19.  I have since judged all over the country and sometimes outside of it, at shows ranging from small county fairs to  ARBA Conventions to two shows in Japan.  I feel that as a judge, it is important for me to raise different breeds to learn about them.  My experiments include English Spots, Satins and Lilacs, but my heart belongs to the Dutch.  I share a barn with my mom, who raises Mini Rex in a rainbow of colors, including black, blue, chocolate, lilac; brokens and otters in those varieties, and a few Tris.

In 2006 we lost our barn and all but 4 rabbits (2 Dutch bucks and 2 Mini Rex bucks I was able to get out) in a prairie wildfire.  We have since rebuilt and thanks to the generosity of breeders around the country, our herds are better than ever.  I currently raise black, blue and tort Dutch.  My side projects include chinchilla Mini Rex and some Mini Satins which are currently on loan.  I never had a rabbitry name before, but influenced by my love of boutique shopping, I settled on Dutch by Briony for my new herd.  I am sometimes told that my rabbits have strange names, which is true…unless you’re a die-hard Stones fan like myself!

As I have never managed to finish a website, I will be using this blog as the online home for Dutch by Briony.  Welcome!