03/19/2024
Although I’m still not entirely back to the level of health, stamina and energy needed to pack up a trailer of cavies and head off to hill country for the TRBA State show. This year appears to be a little extra special since we’ve been acknowledged in top spots in TRBA’s annual breed wins seeepstakes. And boy wouldn’t have been great if we had been included in last year’s 2022 Sweepstakes instead of us being left out of the TRBA membership when our membership paperwork somehow got “lost in the mail”. This almost year almost went down as another a “annus horribilis” for us until I learned we had both gotten acknowledgements in the breed sweepstakes, Lisa & I receiving the top spot in teddies and Darby receiving 2nd place to her good friend Wyatt Herzog in American Satins.
Given I’ve not been able to drive in many months and subsequently made the decision to avoid handling the cavies until I was well enoughto avoid spreading disease, Darby, without complaining even once, single handedly cared for 250 - 300 show cavies on a daily basis for over 6 months while also maintaining excellent grades in school, a school that does support or provide any excused absences for her to attend shows for whether it be 4H, FFA or ACBA/TRBA. All other youth cavy members in the state have been given such permission without any issues. Without being given leniency to leave a bit early on show Fridays, Darby has essentially had her hands tied behind her back by the Foster High School administration, the FFA teacher, Ms. Kizziah, and her academic principal. However I see this as a violation of the Americans with Disability Act, as she is unable to work with the larger animals the school clearly approves, like cows and pigs. However given Darby is affected by a genetic connective tissue disease that renders her joints lax and prone to dislocation and other injuries not experienced by those with normal tissues.
It was very difficult for Darby to pick up the slack in the caviary and care for all of our combined animals on a daily basis for many months caring, but she did so and with little to no complaints. Darby is such an exceptional young woman with a maturity that is unmatched in her age group. I’m very proud of all sfd has achieved with cavies despite being actively campaigned against by her school officials who have little to no understanding of what she does or the science and veterinarian teaching and practical hands on learning she gets as she plans breedings and monitors pregnant cavies for deliveries which she is now able to assist in without even calling me in to help. I promise Darby knows more veterinary science & medicine than her FFA teacher who also teaches small animal and Veterinary Medicine. And ultimately Darby will be far more successful in this field than she ever could be.
https://www.trba.net/_files/ugd/78c0be_5ae30a7a687347bc83f3338d8466996a.pdf
