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HAILEY MART, LADY
My name is Hailey Mart. I am eight years old. I am home schooled and I am in 3rd grade. I learned how to read when I was 3 and now I like to read a lot. I read a lot of guinea pig and rabbit books. We have over 30 books about rabbits and guinea pigs at my Grandmother's house. I like to go to shows with my younger sister and my grandmother. Sometimes we go to shows that are far away and sometimes we go to shows close by our house. I even got to go to another country called Canada. I like to have my animals win at the shows but sometimes they don't. I have a farm and I like to play with the animals. Here are some of my animals: goats, sheep, donkeys, a calf, swans, geese, horses, puppies, kittens, pigs, turkeys and so much more.

Once I entered a Polish Specialty show. There were 70 animals. I won Best Opposite Sex. I dressed up my guinea pig for a contest once. He did not win but I got a prize anyway. I made some friends at that show. One time I entered a pet show. She won the pet show for best personality. I went to Minnesota to the national ARBA convention. I met a lot of friends there.

I like to dress up in jeans and jean jacket. I work on our farm and I like to play Indian. I like to paint. I like to go to church and sing. I like to learn British. It is fun to play Indian because I talk British When I grow up I want to be a cook or author. I am a published author. Two of my stories were published in the JACBA.

CHRISTIAN RENNER, PRINCE
I am Christian Renner from Fayette, Ohio. I am 11 years old and have been raising Netherland Dwarf rabbits for 3 years. The varieties of Netherland Dwarfs I raise are Agoutis and Tan patterns. As I continue with my rabbit journey I hope to one day reach my goal of having a good quality of stock and to make a profitable rabbitry. 2010 was my 1st time going to the American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention in Minneapolis, MN, in which I represented the State of Ohio on the Junior Breed ID team and we receive 3rd place. This is the first year for me in competing in the American Rabbit Breeders Association Royalty competition. I cannot wait until next year. I am currently a District Leader for the Ohio State Rabbit Breeders Association Youth and Treasurer of my 4-H club, Just Raisin Hare. At the Ohio State Fair I have received the following awards, 1st place in the Rabbit Skillathon in 2010 and 2011. In the Breed ID competition I received 3rd place in 2010 and 2nd place in 2011. In the Showmanship competition I placed 5th in 2010. I also have received 3rd place for the poster contest in 2011. I received 1st place for Rabbit Showmanship at our county fair in 2010 and 2nd place in 2011. In the Breed ID competition I have placed 2nd in 2010 and 2011. I received 2nd place for the Rabbit Skillathon in 2010 and 1st place in 2011.

I really enjoy learning about rabbits. I would like to thank my parents Kevin & Sherry, my 4-H Advisor who is also the Youth Director for the Ohio State Rabbit Breeders Association, Lisa Hoffmann, for all of their encouragement and continued support of my endeavors with my rabbits and travels to and from practices.

KAYCEE BAIRD, PRINCESS
I am very excited to be the ARBA Princess for 2011. I enjoy going to rabbit shows and showing Mini Rex, Netherland Dwarf and Polish rabbits with my sister, Taylor, and my brother, Tanner. We live in the country on a small farm in West Point, Indiana. We have 1 pony, 3 dogs and 2 cats. We have a bunch of rabbits and my brother also raises pigeons. My favorite bunny is Sophie. She was my first black otter Mini Rex doe. I also have Blossom who is my showmanship bunny. She is a broken chocolate Polish. I like fourth grade, showing rabbits and riding my pony, Prancer. My favorite parts of a rabbit show are playing with the bunnies, putting them on the table to show and the raffle. I would like to thank all the people who have helped me with my rabbit project, especially my sister, brother, mom and dad. Also a big thank you goes to Mr. Jim Reynolds, Mr. Glen Carr, Dr. Carl Broady and Mr. and Mrs. Doug Covert. Hope to see you soon at a rabbit show!

BRYANT MILLER, DUKE
Hello everyone, my name is Bryant Miller and it is a very humbling honor to be the 2011 ARBA Duke. I am 14 years old and I am a freshman at Hilltop High School in West Unity, Ohio. I also live in the small town of West Unity. My rabbitry consists of roughly 100 head of New Zealands and Havanas. The first breed that I acquired was the black New Zealands; I acquired them when I was roughly four years old. After about two years of using the New Zealands for showmanship, I decided it was time to get a smaller breed that would be a better "showmanship rabbit." After much research, I chose the Havana, simply because it looked like a smaller black New Zealand. I have, so far, attended three ARBA conventions: Louisville Kentucky, Minneapolis Minnesota, and this one, Indianapolis Indiana.

I would like to thank everyone who has influenced my rabbit project. There have been many open breeders across the country that have helped me in many ways: building a herd, what exactly to look for, and just tidbits of information that have helped me greatly. Of those, one open breeder stands out: Al Esterline from Indiana. He has been the most influential open breeder regarding how I raise rabbits altogether. The first time I went out to his house, roughly four years ago, I went expecting to simply buy a trio of rabbits. This "simple task" turned into a four hour long lesson that has highly impacted everything I do with my rabbit project. He showed me many quality animals just to put a picture in my head of what I should be looking for. I, at the time, did not know nearly what I know today. Al showing me things about the blacks and what I should look for, has been so incredibly helpful, it is hard to describe in words. Other open breeders that I would like to thank for teaching me many things over the past few years include: Joe Colucci, Glen Carr, Doug and Molly and Covert, Bill Kohl, and so many more. I would also like to thank the many youth members who have helped, supported and encouraged me every step of the way in my rabbit project. One youth member, in particular, Miranda Tolsma, has been very influential to my Havanas, specifically. She and I have actually started to show the Havanas together as Miller/Tolsma. Finally, I would like to thank my Mother, Billie, and my Father, Brian for supporting me every step of the way. Without their support and help, my hobby of raising rabbits would not be nearly of what it is today.

Being the 2011 Duke, I am going to strive to promote Rabbits as a whole in any way possible. Sharing what knowledge I have acquired hopefully will encourage other youth to start being more involved in ARBA and rabbits in general. It is truly an honor to be the 2011 Duke. Last year I attended over 50 rabbit shows in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. I would be glad to meet you, so look me up at the next show.

MIRANDA TOLSMA, DUCHESS
Hi, I'm Miranda Tolsma, and I am truly honored to be named the 2011 ARBA Duchess. I am 14 years old and a freshman at Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph. In school, I participate in volleyball and choir. I am also active in 4-H. I live in St. Joseph, Michigan and proudly own Daydreamin' Rabbitry, a small rabbitry where I raise Havanas and English Lops. I have been raising Havanas since I was nine years old and am so glad to have started raising English Lops two years ago. When I attended my first ARBA Convention in Kentucky, I remember looking around at all the rabbits and said to my mom, "If this place had moving walkways, this would be Heaven." I've met such wonderful people at rabbit shows and would never trade my experiences for anything in the world. I love meeting new people at shows. We share our stories and adventures about our rabbit project. This is my fourth consecutive year attending an ARBA Convention and I always love the experience! It's so much fun to meet rabbit breeders from all over the country. It's really what I think ARBA Conventions are all about. Yes, winning at Convention is a nice bonus, but you'll always remember the fun you had and the friendships you made. I'm very excited to be working on my registrar's license and have passed the written and oral tests! By the time this is published, I will have finished the requirements for my license. Participating in royalty contests has definitely helped prepare me for my registrar's test. I would like to thank my family for being so supportive, especially my mom. I would also like to thank the many wonderful people through the years who have helped me with this project. Some have taught me about breeds and judging, some have helped me with one of my breeds, and some have been a great source of advice. I'm not going to list everyone here, but you know who you are. Your friendship, support and encouragement are sincerely appreciated. I would not have been able to accomplish all that I have without you taking the time to help me. Thank you so much!

MATT BISHOP, KING
Hello, my name is Matt Bishop and I am honored to represent the American Rabbit Breeders Association as the 2011 King. I live in Myerstown, Pennsylvania where I am a junior at Eastern Lebanon County High School. My activities at school include being a member of the National Junior Honor Society and the National FFA Organization, where I am currently the 2011 Eastern Lebanon County FFA Chapter Treasurer. In addition to my school activities, I am very active in 4-H. I am a member of the Lebanon County 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Club, the Extra Special Puppy Club, the Latigo 4-H Horse Club, the Lebanon Livestock Club, the Lebanon County 4-H Poultry Club, Tri County Fiber Artist Club, and the Dauphin County Exchange Club. My rabbitry started in December of 2006 with a single Tortoise Dutch Junior Doe that my parents gave me for Christmas. Over the years, it has grown to include Dutch, Satins, Mini Satins, Lilacs, and a few Angoras. I receive help with expanding my rabbitry from my parents, 4-H leaders and local adult rabbit breeders, and I am very thankful for their help and guidance. Just recently, I expanded my rabbitry to include a caviary with Himalayan American cavies and Coronet cavies. I really enjoy raising rabbits and cavies, going to shows, and competing in the many educational and showmanship contests. All of these experiences have inspired me to go try to obtain my registrar's license from the American Rabbit Breeders Association.

When I am not in school or working on 4-H projects, I am probably at a rabbit show, horse show, four wheeling, fishing, water skiing, snowmobiling, or just hanging out with my friends. I have always really liked being around and working with all kinds of animals. Currently, I have two horses, rabbits, cavies, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, alpacas, and a Seeing Eye Dog. All of these animals will help aid me in my goal in life to become a Veterinarian. In the future, I would like to attend Delaware Valley University to pursue a degree in Veterinary Science. Ever since I was a little kid, I have wanted to be a Vet. Saving and helping sickly and needy animals has always been a top priority in my life. I hope that after I graduate college, I will be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a Veterinarian, then eventually owning my own Veterinarian practice.

GWEN BRUNELLE, QUEEN
I am absolutely thrilled to be named Queen! I've put so many months of work and studying into my project; it certainly has paid off...

My name is Gwen Brunelle. I am 15 years old and in my sophomore year of high school. I live in eastern Boise, Idaho within walking distance of downtown. My family and I run a small 20 hole rabbitry. We raise Jersey Woolies in various Self, Shaded, and Tan Pattern varieties. We attend around a dozen rabbit shows each year ranging from a short single show all the way to nationals. My rabbit frenzy started in May 2007 when I joined 4-H with my first pet-store rabbit. Since then, I began raising Jersey Woolies, showing at ARBA shows, and even winning Best in Show titles with my stock. I am so proud to have seen myself come this far in only a few short years. I am currently working for my Registrar?s License and, by the time you are reading this, have hopefully passed my test. In the next year, I hope to begin working under judges.

This was my second time competing in the American Rabbit Breeders Association Royalty. I am so honored to win Queen; it is certainly my highest achievement. Besides this year's ARBA royalty, some of my memorable titles would be National Int Breed ID Winner 2010, 3rd Runner-Up National Duchess, Idaho State Duchess of 2009, 1st Runner-up Idaho Duchess in 2010, Runner-Up WSRBA Duchess 2010, and the Idaho Statesman Award in 2009 for rabbit showmanship. I have won Champion at the Western Idaho Fair three times in five years. Even at my first fair, I achieved Junior Champion showman. The awards have been nice, but it's not the reason why I raise rabbits. Everyday when I go out to my rabbitry, I see happy excited rabbits thrilled to see me. It?s so rewarding to set aside a quiet place for a doe and give her everything she needs until I find 5 fat healthy babies in the nestbox. When I go to shows I see so many friends who I may only see once a year. Everyone is striving for the same goals and loves what they do. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

There are so many people that I could thank. I wouldn't be as far as I am without any of them. I, of course, would like to thank my parents who drive me to shows, clean cages, and help finance my project. I also want to thank my entire 4-H club including Kelsey Rawlings, Shayla Benson, Michele Detwiler, and our entire rabbit group. Along with them, Lance and Kari Higbee sold me my first pair and also helped me with nearly all of the youth competitions I've competed in. Among my other friends, I'd like to thank all of the Idaho youth including Danica Kluth, Abbie Kraft, Jenny Easton, Ben Easton, Kaitlyn Boswell, and Kayte Garren. I also want to thank my fellow rabbit breeder friends Ava Penndel, Colleen Stokesberry, Sherri Smith, Byran Savage, Jan Savage, Jessie Muro, and Ryan Kish. Last, I want to thank Louise Magbunduku, my non-rabbit best friend who cares for my animals while I'm away and tolerates my endless bunny banter.

Thank you to the American Rabbit Breeders Association for naming me ARBA Queen of 2011.