Small animals, big community

Rabbits and guinea pigs took over the Black Box Theatre on Aug. 15, turning the Las Cruces stage into a show ring for animals and exhibitors from across the region. 

The Chihuahuan Desert Rabbit & Cavy Breeders Association show brought competitive showing back to Las Cruces, something organizers Ceil and Peter Herman have worked to rebuild after local clubs in Las Cruces and El Paso disappeared. The Hermans began raising guinea pigs nearly 60 years ago while living in Pittsburgh. 

“We thought it would be really nice to have a local club,” Herman said. 

For the Aug. 15 show, the Hermans did not have to look far for a venue. The Black Box Theatre, which they own, provided an air-conditioned space where holding coops and judging tables replaced the theater’s usual performances. 

The competition included a youth rabbit show for exhibitors 19 and younger and a triple cavy show, with three judges evaluating the guinea pigs. Animals competed in classes separated by characteristics including breed, color, age and sex before judges selected the top animals in progressively larger categories. 

Among the breeds on display were Peruvians, the long-haired guinea pigs raised by the Hermans. Their coats distinguish them from the short-haired American breed that Herman said more closely resembles the guinea pigs many people are accustomed to seeing as pets. The chance to compete also brought participants from outside Las Cruces. Heather Wood made the trip from Tucson, where she said opportunities for guinea pig shows are limited. 

Wood’s connection to the hobby began through her daughter and 4-H. Her daughter started showing rabbits and guinea pigs when she was about 9 or 10, an experience Wood said offered the benefits of working with animals without requiring the space needed to raise larger livestock. 

“Even kids in apartments can have an animal that they show at the fair and do all those things and learn all the same things that you do with the steer or a goat, but you don’t need all that property,” Wood said. 

What started as a childhood activity eventually grew into something much larger for Wood’s daughter, now 24. Wood said she traveled around the country showing animals, learned the responsibility that comes with caring for them and developed communication skills by speaking with members of the public at fairs about rabbits and guinea pigs. 

“So, lots of good experience there for job interviews and all of those things,” Wood said. “And now she actually works for Purina, based totally on her experience with showing guinea pigs and rabbits.” 

Wood brought several guinea pigs to Las Cruces, including two young Peruvians, Angelo and his sister Luciana. Both were making their show debuts that morning. 

“I think pet ownership is great,” Wood said. “Showing, talking to people. I just think that is so many skills that are valuable.” 

The Las Cruces show is part of a broader effort to create more opportunities for exhibitors in the region. Herman said a previous event in Deming drew about 130 animals, including participants from Arizona and Texas, illustrating the distance some are willing to travel when nearby competitions are scarce. 

For the Hermans, that community began much the same way it does for many owners: with a pet. After getting their first guinea pig, they discovered organized showing and traveled from Pittsburgh to Ohio to obtain their first show animals. 

“People like to have them as pets. I mean, that’s how it all gets started,” Herman said. 

Herman said animals are evaluated against standards established for competition, but newcomers do not need to arrive knowing everything about the process. Even an animal that does not meet every qualification can give an exhibitor an opportunity to learn what judges are looking for. 

“You just kind of get the bug to do it,” Herman said. “And that’s how people get started.” 

The association is already looking ahead to a larger show on Jan. 16 in Deming. Herman said the event will feature an open rabbit competition with two rabbit judges and another triple cavy show, requiring a larger venue than the Black Box Theatre can accommodate. 

“We know that there are people who have animals, rabbits and guinea pigs for pets,” Herman said. “So, we’re just hoping we can get them to come out of the woodwork and come to our show.”