Shows and Showing
The SRC holds shows 5 times a year at venues across Scotland. Here is where to find out about the Next Show, a note about Exhibit's Health, Future Shows, What a Rat Show is all about, The SRC Pet Championship Scheme and about what NFRS Stars mean for breeders and exhibitors. At the bottom of the page there are some links to Important Documents
THE NEXT SHOW
SATURDAY 18th FEBRUARY 2012, 1* SHOW
Murieston Village Hall, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 9AS
**Follow signposts for Livingston South Railway Station. If you are using a sat nav use postcode EH54 9AP**
Doors open: 11.00am
Judging Starts: 12noon
Varieties Judges: Sandra & Graham Mobbs
Pet Judges: Sheilagh & Kirstie Stewart
Entries to Show Secretary, toyah Leitch, email: showsecretary@scottishratclub.co.uk, tel: 07828 772 981.
Entries close Wednesday 15th February at 21:00 hours
Entry fees: Members - £1.25 per rat, Non Members - £1.75 per rat
All SRC Shows are Open shows.
Also going on: Raffle, Kitchen, Club Shop, Kids' Activities, Meet and Greet / Cuddle Corner and Agility.
Hire tanks are available at £1.25 per tank for the first 5 tanks, £1.00 for each subsequent tank. Bed Excel (cardboard substrate) is available at a supplement of 25p per tank. Please book hire tanks and substrate at the time of entry.
**Please note the new rule S2.3, which came into force at the AGM on 25th June 2011**
S2.3 No rat(s) owned by a exhibitor or living at the same address will be allowed to be exhibited or brought to the show as a Shoulder rat if any rats within the household have been exhibited or taken to another show or event within the 13 days preceding the Scottish Rat Club show.
For full details on rules regarding substrate, moisture sources, exhibit's health as well as general showing rules, please read the rules. If you have any questions regarding SRC shows or showing in general, do not hesitate to contact the Show Secretary.
Exhibit's Health
It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to ensure as far as possible, that ill rats, or those that are suspected of possibly being ill, are bought to a show. This includes such conditions as lumps or lice/mite infestations as well as respiratory illness.
The SRC Club Rules regarding the health of rats at shows (including shoulder rats), are:
- S4.1 Each exhibitor/ attendee is asked to check their rats’ health prior to the show.
- S4.2 Health checks may be performed before judging commences to ensure no ill health was overlooked.
- S4.3 Rats found to have active infestations or obvious signs of ill health will be disqualified and the NFRS Standards Officer informed within 7 days . If a rat dies or is discovered to have a potentially serious infectious disease at a show, then the owner is required to remove all their animals and take no further part in the show. The rats will not remain within the show hall but shall be removed to an area where other rats are not put at risk. If there is no suitable area, then the exhibitor can be asked to leave and the occurrence brought to the committee attention within 24 hours.
- S4.4 If an exhibitor's rattery / stud has recently had an infectious disease/virus, such as SDAV, or unexplained deaths they may not exhibit at an SRC show until an appropriate period of quarantine has been completed. Advice should be sought from the Committee accordingly.
Future 2012 Shows
- Saturday 18th February: 1 Star Show, Livingston, Edinburgh
- Saturday 21st April: 2 Star Cup Show, Perth
- Saturday 9th June: 1 Star Show & AGM, Glasgow
- Saturday 18th August: 1 Star Show, Livingston, Edinburgh
- Saturday 20th October: 1 Star Show, Perth
- Saturday 1st December: 1 Star Show, Glasgow
About Rat Shows
Rat shows are great places for meeting like minded ratty people, shopping and eating lovely food out of the kitchen and also showing your rats! Here is a little guide that hopefully answers people’s questions and will perhaps encourage those new to showing to have a go – it really is very simple, good fun and very addictive once you’ve taken the plunge!
Varieties or Pets
Rats can be shown in either the Pet Classes or Varieties. Rats shown in Varieties have to conform to the Standards of Excellence set by the National Fancy Rat Society. Standards are for type, colour, markings, coat type etc. The closer your rat is to the Standard the better. For details on the standards of recognised rat varieties, please see the Scottish Rat Club Standards. You do not have to be a breeder to enter your rats in Varieties classes and your rats don’t have to have come from a breeder to be entered. If you have rescue or pet shop rats that conform to a recognised Standard they can be entered as well.
Your rats can also be entered into the Pet Classes. Rats in these classes are judged on qualities such as friendliness, condition and health.
All rats that are entered into a show should be in good condition and healthy, with no signs of ailments such as sneezes, scabs, lumps etc. Rats should be good tempered. A judge is within their rights to not judge a vicious rat.
Entering your rats
There is a fee for entering your rats. The fees will be in the Show Advert and in the club magazine, RatChat.
Entries for both Pet and Varieties classes need to be made to the Show Secretary, normally by 9pm the Wednesday prior to the show. They can be made either by phone or email. Email entries will be confirmed so if you don’t get a reply, please phone. The details for the show secretary will be the show advert.
When entering rats, the following information is required:
For Varieties: Variety of rat, Sex, Adult or Kitten (7 – 13 weeks), if the exhibitor is a Junior (under 16) and breeder (if known). Registered ratteries can show rats they have bred under their rattery names. (To become a Scottish Rat Club registered rattery, please contact the Chairman)
For Pets: Sex, if the exhibitor is an Adult or Junior, rat’s name.
You will also need to book hire show tanks and substrate, if required, at the time of making your entries.
Show preparation
To ensure your rats are at their best for the show there are a few things you can do:
Bathing: Some rats might need a bath, particularly pale coloured ones. Bath your rats a day or two before the show with a rat/ferret or other small animal shampoo. Use warm water and keep the shampoo out of the rat’s eyes and ears. Make sure all the shampoo is rinsed out and your rat is dried thoroughly afterwards.
Clean Tails: Ratty tails often get grubby and a dirty tail may go against your rat when being judged. Tails can be cleaned with a cloth and shampoo or if particularly dirty scrubbed gently with a soft toothbrush.
Claws: The judge will not appreciate being scratched by your rat’s claws, so clipping them for a show is important. They need to have the sharp tips trimmed off with small animal nail clippers. If you are not sure how to do this, ask for a demonstration at the show, or even ask if someone can do them for you!
On the morning of the show your rats can then be wiped over with small animals grooming wipes or a small brush to ensure they look their best.
What you need to take
On the day of the show you will need to make sure your take:
Substrate: You will need to take substrate to put in the show tank. They do not come filled but we do offer a tank filling service at the show, which costs 25p per show tank. The tank filling service supplies Bedexcel.
Show Tanks: Show tanks need to be the correct size and preferably a sliding mesh lid. You can hire show tanks from the club.
Moisture source: Water bottles are not generally allowed on show tanks so you will need to supply your rats with a water source. A chunk of cucumber, carrot or Apple is the allowed moisture source. Even though you won’t be able to put a water bottle on the tank, it is a good idea to take one to offer your rats a drink before you go home.
What happens on the day
On the day of the show you need to make sure you arrive in good time. Rats will need to be on the show bench at least 15 minutes before judging is due to begin.
When you arrive find the show sec (they will normally be sitting at a table by the door) and they will take your money for your entries and give you tank labels and tanks (if you’ve hired them). Your receipt will show which rat has which tank number, so you know which tank label goes with which rat. It is very important the labels are on the correct tank, as if the rat ends up in the wrong class, it will be disqualified. If you are unsure please ask someone for help. The tank labels need to be stuck on the top, right hand corner of the narrow end of the tank.
Two Kittens can share a tank if they are two different varieties, adults need to have a tank of their own.
When you have put your rats in the correct tanks (always ask if you aren’t sure, there will always be someone to help), place the tanks on the correct table, either Pets or Varieties.
During the judging you will have to stay outside of the judging area but you may watch what is going on from there. You will not be allowed to remove your rats until all judging is finished and you are invited to remove them.
Rosette and Prize cards will be given out at the end of the day.
Pet Championship Scheme
We all know our rats are little champions, but now you can accumulate points towards receiving a certificate and a rosette to prove it!
The SRC Pet Championship Scheme is open to all rats entered in the pet classes at Scottish Rat Club shows. Here is how it works.
The pet classes are Adult owned buck, adult owned doe, junior owned buck and junior owned doe. The rats placed 1st to 3rd in each class will be awarded points:
- 1st place - 3 points
- 2nd place - 2 point
- 3rd place - 1 point
The winner of each class then goes on to the pet challenge and Best Pet gets a further 2 points and Reserve Best Pet gets a further 1 point.
Championships are awarded when the following number of points have been gained:
- 8 points - Silver Champion
- 12 points - Gold Champion
- 16 points - Platinum Champion
Points will be marked on your prize cards and they will need to be given to the Show Secretary when claiming your Championship.
Rats gaining Pet Championship status will receive a certificate and a rosette to mark their achievement.
Best Rescue - We will also have a Best Rescue rosette for each show. This will not be a separate class, just awarded to the judge's favourite rescue rat entered.
To enable the Show Secretary to administrate the scheme they will need to know rats' names when they are entered in pets so they can keep track of the number of points a rat gets. They also need to be told if the rats are rescues so they will be eligible for the rescue rosette.
Please note: Points gained at NFRS or other regional club shows are not included in your total when claiming your championships and Scottish Rat Club pet points will not count towards the NFRS Pet Award Scheme or other regional club schemes.
NFRS Stars - what they mean for Breeders and Exhibitors
All SRC shows have been awarded NFRS stars for 2011. Here is a little bit of information about what they actually are! For more details, please see the NFRS website.
For Exhibitors:
If your rat wins it's Variety class and the judge feels it is worthy of a star, it will be awarded one.
Any rat that goes on to win BIS, RBIS or BOA will automatically receive a star for its Variety class win, plus one extra one for the BIS, RBIS or BOA win. (eg: a rat that wins Best Black and BIS will get 2 stars)
If your rat wins Stud Buck and the judge feels it is worthy of a star it will get a star both for its Stud Buck and its Variety class win.
Rats can achieve NFRS champion status after obtaining the following number of stars:
- Silver Champ - 8 stars
- Gold Champ - 12 stars
- Platinum Champ - 16 stars
You will need to apply to the NFRS for your rat's Championship status. They will need the rat's prize cards with the stars marked on the back, so if you win a star ensure it is marked on your prize card. To apply for an NFRS championship for your rat you will need to be a member of the NFRS, but not necessarily have been at the time of winning the stars.
For Breeders
A breeder can obtain their NFRS stud name by acheiving stars, providing they are a member of the NFRS and have been signed up to the Novice scheme for at least a year.
The rat (or rats) gaining stars must be owned and bred by the exhibitor from a dam also bred by the exhibitor and:
- be a silver champion,
or:
- 2 x BIS/BOA/ RBIS on one or two rats with two different judges, at least one win must be at a show where NFRS stars are awarded – the other maybe at a NFRS affiliated club show, providing the NFRS judge agrees in writing (or signs back of card) that the rat is of suitable quality.
To sign up for the Novice award you need to register as a Rattery with the NFRS. Points are awarded at shows with NFRS stars. The points are added up annually and the winner will receive a trophy, handed out at the NFRS AGM. To be eligable for Novice Award points the rat must have been bred by the exhibitor and have lived with them since birth.