Traveling the country, he's judging rabbits as a way of life

Americans breed rabbits for cash, raise rabbits as pets, eat rabbit meat in stews, wear rabbit fur and dangle rabbit feet as good luck charms, but Lynchburg, Ohio, resident Terry Fender spends his time examining rabbits to make a living, as a certified American Rabbit Breeders Association judge.\nFender's 16-year ability to gauge the best floppy-eared and four-legged mammal-like rodent was on display Saturday and continued through Sunday at 51st Monroe County Fair. His task: find the "best of show" from about 200 rabbits representing a dozen classes among more than 30 different breeds.\n"I turned a hobby into a living," Fender said while trying to wipe the rabbit fur from his contact lens with his finger. "I work on the side, and I am not making as much money as before I became a rabbit judge but I'm a hell of a lot happier."\nVisiting about 70 rabbit shows per year at county and state fairs across the country, Fender said he judges between 200 and 300 rabbits per show -- an estimated 17,500 rabbits per year. He said the difference between rabbits is often not noticeable by appearance alone because each class and breed has different expectations about what constitutes a "winning" rabbit.\n"Most of it's black and white but some of its objective, because you as a judge have a personal standard, like what does a 'medium-length' body mean? It's a hands-on job where you have to get a feel for their condition," Fender said. "Some rabbits just stand out -- they have a flash about them -- and their overall finish is the icing on the cake. Some rabbits pose well, as if they're posing themselves, besides their coat and collar finish having good gloss."\nTraveling between 12 and 15 states per year in search of rabbits to judge may not suit the average American, but Fender said his duty to define the "best of show" among hundreds of otherwise winning rabbits and interacting with the rabbit-owning 4-H kids is enough to keep him going one day to the next despite progressive stomach troubles.\n"I live on the road a lot of the time, I sleep in a lot of motels and I eat a lot of Chinese buffet," he said. \nAccording to the ARBA, there are about 50 different breeds of rabbits including the American Fuzzy Lop, English Angora, Jersey Wooly, Netherland Dwarf and Silver Fox. Rabbit owners paid $1 to enter each rabbit into one of 12 classes depending on age, sex and weight. \nRibbons were awarded for the first three places in each class, "Best of Breed" and "Best Opposite." Rosette ribbons were also awarded for "Reserve Grand Champion" and "Grand Champion."\nFender was spotted rubbing his hand along each rabbit's back, rubbing the pads on each rabbit's foot, checking the rabbit's genitals and teeth. Depending on the breed, he also allowed some rabbits to hop along the judging table to expose the body shape beneath the furry fluff.\nFender said participant feedback often separates a good judge from the next because most of the participants are children, and everybody deserves to be treated with respect for taking the time to raise and care for rabbits. He also said a judge should raise rabbits for themselves so they understand the work ethic and human spirit needed to care for some of God's smallest creatures.\n"The main thing for a judge is to explain themselves and to answer any questions about why they made the decisions they did," Fender said. "If you're going to be a good judge, you should raise rabbits yourself -- I have 300 at home. If I'm going to spend my life critiquing rabbits, I feel like I should step up and put some on the table myself"