IBB Rabbitry was founded in Dec. 1989 when my sister was moving from Alvin, Tx to Crockett, Tx. She was selling out of rabbits and I purchased a pair of Mini Rex and a trio of Holland Lops. I showed rabbits for the 1st time in Jan of 1991. In the beginning I didn't know a thing about Mini Rex must less a rabbit. I played around with Mini Rex that I purchased at local shows and until Dianne Campbell moved to Houston, Tx I only had half an idea of what a really good Mini Rex should look like. Dianne and I became good friends and I spent a lot of time studing her rabbits . I watched while she came to shows carting 3 rabbits and won BOB and BOS. Many times she was taking BIS or 1st Runner- Up BIS.
Here I was getting DQ'd for white toenails, mismatched toenails and Lord knows what else, so I made the decision to get rid of every colored Mini Rex I had, with the exception of one Broken Castor doe I had taken a BIS with, to concentrate on the Whites which I was doing pretty well with at the local Texas shows.
This enabled me to recognize good type , body, and fur without any other distractions; this was in 1995.
In 1996 I hit the big payoff, IBB'S Extra Octane (ET1) took BOV at my 1st Natl show I attended in Ft Worth, Tx. I was in total shock as I entered the barn and people kept congratulating me on my win. I wasn't there to groom anything as I had been in a little fender bender on my way to the show. In fact, it was right in front of the entrance to the Natl Show barn. I was fit to be tied as I wanted to just leave the SUV in the middle of the road and get to my rabbits to groom them. Oh well, by the time I entered the barn the judging was all over. Makes you wonder how much good it does to do all that grooming anyway, huh.
ET1 was to become the foundation of my White line. He passed away while I was attending ARBA Convention in Columbus, Oh in 1999. He was an awesome Mini Rex and made a lot of beautiful rabbits. I have 2 littermates, IBB'S Yogi and IBB's Yo Baby, that are directly out of ET1 and the last . They were born in Nov. of 99.
In 1999 I went to my 2nd NMRRC Natl in Albuquerque, N.M. and took BOV White with IBB'S Helen of Troy (HELN). ET1 is in the 4th generation of her pedigree. It was a big moment for me and I cried like a baby.
I also purchased a Broken Black doe from Freda Kraus, Iris Patch On Target (IPG3) at this same Natl show. She, along with GC RB'S Hot Shot, are the foundation of my Blacks and Broken Blacks.
I have added varieties as the years have come and gone, like the Castors, Chins, and the Reds. I have always had a mind set on what I like in a Mini Rex; short ears and a good hindquarter being a real pet peeve.
In 2001, I attended ARBA Convention in San Deigo, Ca and placed very well as I had the BOSV, 1st place Broken Sr buck with IBB'S Mambo King, and 3rd place Broken Sr Buck with a Broken Chinchilla buck. I also had BOV Seal, 2nd place Red Jr Buck with IBB'S Hot Jalapeno (HJ) and many other placements. I floated back home with a case of the BIG head, LOL.
Since 2000 I have been in the top ten in the NMRRC Sweepstakes and I have been No#1 in Texas for 4 years in a row. This year however (2003) , I have to slow down a wee bit as I had a heart attack on April 2, 2003 but don't count me out. I have no intentions of quitting . Competition in Texas is really tough. We have a lot of excellant breeders here that have invested their money well in top quality stock. I love showing and raising my Mini Rex. I hope to be doing this for many years to come.
