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Bettina Curletto with her "Best in Show"-winning rabbit, Shocker Photos provided
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Ava and Bettina Curletto, fifth-graders at Happy Valley Elementary School, have made the California state team in rabbit knowledge and will be competing with their teammates at the 2015 American Rabbit Breeders Association's International Convention in Portland, Oregon at the end of the month.
The California team has kids in three age brackets from all over the state. They work together in a series of competitions against kids from other U.S. states. Some subjects covered in the contests are rabbit breed identification, a written exam, showmanship, and a team quiz bowl event.
Ava and Bettina have been meeting with their Junior level teammates for study sessions to sharpen their skills and be ready for the big competition. The Curletto family will make the 600-plus-mile drive up to Portland starting Oct. 29. Instead of getting ready for trick-or-treating, the girls' Saturday and Sunday will be full of tests, quiz bowls and interviews with the results unveiled at the Youth Banquet on Tuesday night, Nov 3. Monday their rabbits are judged as well as some artwork and educational posters that they are submitting.
Ava and Bettina are also helping their breed specialty club. They belong to the National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club. Ava is making the favors for the NJWRC Breed Award Banquet where breeders (adult and youth) from all over the world come together to celebrate improvements and learn from each other. Bettina is organizing the fundraising raffle for the club, which awards youth scholarships and education with the money it raises.
Both girls have been very successful with their rabbits. Ava is the current title winner of showmanship in her age group in all of California. She won this title at the California State Convention in Turlock in February 2015. Bettina's most recent win was the Best in Show award at the Contra Costa County Fair in May 2015 where her rabbit, Shocker, was chosen as the rabbit most close to perfection in the whole county. She won a large trophy, banner, ribbon and belt buckle.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA