people who are showing have a schedule with contact details,class numbers,closing date for entries and a starting time for judging.They make their entries by phone or email and turn up with mice in show cages called maxeys.At Enfield you can arrange to borrow Maxeys if you don't own any .The show secretary gives you your class exhibit numbers on a sticky label which you attach to the relevant Maxey show cage.There are tables set out and you put your mice in maxeys with the other mice in the same class as yours and that's it really.You can stay all day and chat with others or watch the judging or steward once you've been a few times.You aren't obliged to stay with your mice all day though and can go off and return later.The judge sits at a table and a steward brings the maxeys to him/her class by class.The judge compares all the exhibits and picks a 1st,2nd and 3rd in each class.There are 5 sections self,satin,tan,marked and aovs.An adult and baby overall winner in each section will go head to head to compete for the best in section award .Those 5 mice will then compete against each other to win best in show.There is only minimal prize money involved.The pleasure is from using your livestock breeding skills to produce a healthy animal that matches a written standard better than all the other members who are also striving to do the same.
what happens at a show?
I've never been to a show before and just wanted abit of an idea on what to expect. I'm going to the enfield show february 1st which will be my first. So has anyone been to the enfield show?
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How many can you enter? Could you enter an adult and a baby in the same section? Sounds like a perfect place to go and meet some breeders as wouldn't each contestant be a breeder? So do people go all over the country to different shows or is it more local thing? There's even prize money aswell as a ribbon? Does sound like a fun day. If judging is at 1pm then what time would people start arriving?
You can enter as many as you want .Babies and adults have their own class.Babies are under eight weeks old and compete against other under eight week olds .There will be a best overall baby and best overall adult and they go head to head to win a section.The section winner will go into the final BIS line up and the ages can be mixed.You can enter adults and babies of the same colour.It's up to you.I usually enter 6 to 12 but I have quite a few varieties,enough to enter all of the sections.If I only had one colour I'd enter 3 adult,3 babies but that's an individual choice.It's only Enfield that has a 1pm start.Mouse club shows usually start at 10.30 am.You only have to leave enough time to get your labels,stick them on and put them out on the table.15 to 30 mins depending on how many you've entered.I only show at National Mouse Club shows and they are up and down the country.There will be one at Enfield in July
http://www.thenationalmouseclub.co.uk/calendar.php
http://www.thenationalmouseclub.co.uk/calendar.php
So the show on the 1st of feb isn't a nmc show?
http://www.miceandrats.com/index.htm
I'm going to that one as its just over a month away. Hoping to meet some local breeders. So how many different organisations put on mouse shows? I'm looking forward to it!
http://www.miceandrats.com/index.htm
I'm going to that one as its just over a month away. Hoping to meet some local breeders. So how many different organisations put on mouse shows? I'm looking forward to it!
The National Mouse Club is the main body through which mice are shown. Up and down the country there are local mouse clubs, for example, the LSCMRC (at Enfield), the Midland Mouse Club, The South Eastern Mouse Club. The LSCMRC hold their own shows each month and occasionally hold a show that is affiliated with the NMC. All the other local clubs are affiliated with the NMC and the shows are NMC shows.
That makes sense, so like the local show is best in area but a NMC is more likely to be best in who can attend?
So just so I know what do you get with NMC membership? Can you join a local club aswell as the NMC? Do you have to be a member to show? Can I join up in person or do I have to do it on the internet?
Me and my misses have already agreed that if we like the show then we are going to join up.
Sorry to bother you all, all the time but there's just so many questions in my head at the moment!! Thanks for all the help!
So just so I know what do you get with NMC membership? Can you join a local club aswell as the NMC? Do you have to be a member to show? Can I join up in person or do I have to do it on the internet?
Me and my misses have already agreed that if we like the show then we are going to join up.
Sorry to bother you all, all the time but there's just so many questions in my head at the moment!! Thanks for all the help!
Yes, in effect, although as far as I'm aware only the LSCMRC hold their very own shows (and therefore accept membership), all other 'local shows' ARE NMC shows and some club members travel the length and breadth of the country to attend.Markus said:That makes sense, so like the local show is best in area but a NMC is more likely to be best in who can attend?
Here's a link to The National Mouse Club membership page. At the bottom of the page is a chance to e mail the club secretary. You can join in person (with our secretary) or by post. There was talk of a paypal/online option to join but I don't know if that is in use yet. Best thing to do is e mail The secretary and he can advise the best options for you.Markus said:Can you join a local club aswell as the NMC? Do you have to be a member to show? Can I join up in person or do I have to do it on the internet?
Me and my misses have already agreed that if we like the show then we are going to join up.
http://www.thenationalmouseclub.co.uk/membership.php
There's no need to join any other local clubs, unless Enfield is your nearest show and you wish to show with the LSCMRC, then membership with them might be a good idea!
Funnily enough the enfield show is just a 20min walk away from my front door so is very local for me. I can see myself giving a local one a go before doing a national one tbh. So do I need membership to both to show or just the LSCMRC to show at one of their events?
I'm going to email him now then.
I'm going to email him now then.
To show at LSCMRC shows you need to be a member of LSCMRC but not the NMC. To show at NMC shows you need to be an NMC member but not LSCMRC. Occasionally the LSCMRC will host an NMC affiliated show, when NMC membership alone suffices for you to show. You can join both or only one if you choose, there is no conflict of interest. Do you have transport? You will need some to get yourself and your mice to NMC shows, or better yet share a journey with one of the southern NMC members to split the costs.
I don't currently have transport barring begging my dad a lot hahahahaha. I have no problems with paying my way and getting a lift though. Its nice that some people would do that! I'm pretty sure that I will attend a good few shows this year if I decide to show so I can see what to look for in winners and a good healthy mouse. I think I will probably join my local before the national but the nation has a lot more breeders right? So would be easier to buy show/show line mice if I have national membership?
Yes you get a lot more breeders at NMC shows than you do at a smaller local show. Though some who show at Enfield will also be NMC members, so it would be good to have a chat with them if you get a chance during the show. There is a show calendar on the NMC website so you can see what's coming up. If you're interested in specific varieties to compete with at NMC shows then yes, it will be easier to get what you want by joining the NMC. Some breeders will not supply people who aren't NMC members.
I thought so. I suppose only selling to NMC members keeps them in shows rather then getting sold off into the pet trade. Getting ahold of pet mice is really hard these days and only a very few places sell them and one of them even said they only have them in stock every now and then. It's always good to give back into a hobby you enjoy and even if we decide not to go to national shows but to locally show then we will get NMC membership as it's not overly that much at all. We might get membership even if we don't get into showing mice just to keep in touch with breeders and see who's winning and that. What shows do you go to and how many mice/breeders do they have on average?
There are no 'set' shows that I go to - just whichever shows I want to go to and have mice ready for. My nearest show is Lubenham but I enjoy different shows for different reasons. The Manchester show is quite popular recently and I like it because you get a chance to chat to people. There are also shows in Harrogate, Sowood, Worcester, Peterborough and at agriculturals amongst others. The average number of entries at a show is probably around 180, with bigger and popular shows having more (for example, I judged at the last Manchester show in November and there were 219 entries).
Oh wow, that's a lot. Hmmm, I'll have to try make it to as many as I can and find which ones I enjoy the most. A lot of travelling ahead I think, I haven't been to manchester in years. So do different shows have different sections?
The classes may vary slightly but the main five sections always apply. Schedules are published ahead of time in the NMC News (monthly member newsletter) so that you can make your entries accordingly.
That's cool. Makes sense. How many people on here have you met at a show? I'm just curious.
I know a lot of them already, but I've met quite a few of the newer NMC members online before seeing them at shows.
i dont want to teach my grandma to suck eggs but the best thing you can do is join the nmc. i used to attend shows just to meet people and get a hands on lesson! i will be attending the enfield show,hope to meet you there.
I became an NMC member in Sept and travelled from Scotland to the last Manchester show and had an absolute blast. I met a few people from here and exchanged mice too and learnt a whole lot of new things with hands on examples and demonstrations, I had a really great day there 
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