Student Raises Hootworthy Rabbits

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We have many Champions here at Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) with interesting hobbies, but we may have come across one more unique than most. One of our 12th graders, Wyatt, raises, breeds, and shows Netherland Dwarf rabbits, and he has been doing this for the past six to seven years. Over the years, he has had much success with this hobby, including winning many titles like Best of Breed and Best in Show at different events throughout the country.

Wyatt began raising rabbits after his siblings left the house because he was looking for something to do with his mom. He and she discovered raising, breeding, and showing rabbits and after a year of working with his mom raising Holland Lop rabbits, he decided to branch off and to raise Netherland Dwarf rabbits on his own. Even though they are now each working with different breeds, they still work together and bond over raising and showing their rabbits. Wyatt explained that the Netherland Dwarf rabbit is the second smallest breed weighing in at around 2-2.5 pounds, having a short, stumpy, and stocky frame with short ears. Wyatt raises and breeds the rabbits with the Standard of Perfection in mind—the book that details the perfect rabbit, categorizing and scoring rabbits up to 100 points. He loves watching the rabbits develop and presenting them at events across the country.

Wyatt has traveled to 16 states competing at different shows including three large conventions: one in Reno, Nevada, one in Louisville, Kentucky, and one in Springfield, Massachusetts. These shows have judges who score the rabbits based on the Standard of Perfection. Wyatt shared that the Netherland Dwarf is posed sitting up, with the perfect body being described as a baseball sitting on top of a cantaloupe. At many of these events, his rabbits have earned Best of Breed and even Best in Show. He might need to dedicate a room for housing his ribbons thanks to the number of ribbons he has gained over time. Currently he is thinning down his herd, and shared that he currently has 20-40 rabbits, but that number is constantly in flux based on his goals.

What he enjoys most about raising rabbits are not the rabbits, but the people. He mentioned he has met many great people over his time raising rabbits, making many friends, gaining mentors, and developing a close community with tight bonds that feels like family. He has traveled and shared many of his greatest life events and achievements with these people, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. He noted that one of his greatest achievements was when he won Best in Show with one of his home-grown rabbits—a challenge he set for himself in the beginning.

He loves and appreciates that GCA has been so flexible in working with him to pursue this hobby. Many times, when he has had to travel and compete in an event, GCA allowed him to participate and to work with him to complete assignments and tests. He has never felt like he has missed out on his education thanks to GCA and its flexibility. There are many directions Wyatt could go with this hobby including being a judge or becoming more involved in the American Rabbit Breeders Association, but he knows that one thing is for sure—whether he has 100 rabbits or 1 rabbit, he plans to remain involved in some capacity. We are so proud of Wyatt and his

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