By Cortney Lannan
Each year our club tallies points and presents awards to the highest placing members in our Sweepstakes competition. But what are Sweeps and why do we do them? I hope to answer many of the questions about Sweepstakes in the following article.
Who is eligible for Sweeps? Any paid member, in good standing, is eligible to earn sweeps points. We have an Open and Youth division. Youth may choose to collect all their points in Youth Sweeps, meaning if they show in both open and youth all their points go only to youth; or split it between Open Sweeps and Youth Sweeps, if they are showing in both open and youth shows.
Do all shows count for sweeps points? The short answer is no. This is where sanctioned shows come into the game. If a show is sanctioned by Breeders of the American Rabbit, all exhibitors, that are also members, will get points awarded. If the show is not sanctioned by our club then there will be no points awarded. If the exhibitor is not a member the day of the show, they will not receive points. Our club secretary receives a show report for each sanctioned show and that is then used to calculate points.
What are the Sweeps categories? As of this writing, the Sweeps categories are:
- White Rabbit of the Year
- Herdsman
- Open and Youth are calculated separately for each category.
How are points calculated? Overall sweeps – includes all placement points, BOV/BOSV and BOB/BOSB points added together for each exhibitor. If you showed one rabbit your points will reflect that rabbit’s placing in the show. If you show 5 rabbits, your points will reflect the points for all 5 rabbits.
Fur points – divided between colored and white. Placement points in the fur class only are used to calculate this category. Overall Fur is a total of the members’ colored and white fur points for the year.
Herdsman – Overall sweeps points are divided by the number of shows attended by each member
Rabbit of the Year – divided between blue and white. This category only counts BOB and BOS wins Breeders of the American Rabbit N.S.C.
Our breed Nationals and Specialty in the spring and ARBA National Convention count for more points than regular shows.
What are quality points? Do they count? The quality points you see on your individual show reports do not mean anything in our calculation of sweeps points. This is a common misconception.
How often are points calculated? As of now, points are calculated and available at the time of each newsletter. However, we are working toward updating sweeps on a more immediate basis and making that information more available to all our members. The final year end points will be available by February, to give time for all December show reports to be received and calculated.
Why should you care about Sweeps? I left this for last. The true answer is some members care a lot about sweeps points and some do not care at all. The region you show in may impact your ability to earn points, afterall it is contingent on the numbers being shown and your placements within those numbers. The more active, showing members in each region, the more points available. I want to encourage all of you to sanction the shows you attend. Not only does this mean you receive sweeps points, but it shows our breed strengthening and encourages growth. A lot of people look for whether a breed is sanctioned to decide to try that breed.