Winlock girl, 7, honored as Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association's 'Rabbit Lady'

Owen Sexton, The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
·2 min read

Jul. 2—On June 21, 7-year-old Jamie Snedden and her mother, Natalie Merchant, both of Winlock, were in Cashmere competing in the Rabbit Royalty competition held by the Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association.

Jamie won the title of the competition's "Rabbit Lady."

In doing so, she earned the chance to compete in the Rabbit Lady competition at the 101st American Rabbit Breeders Association Convention taking place this October in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Chronicle spoke with Merchant over the phone on Friday, June 28, to talk about the Cashmere competition and find out how Jamie earned the title of Washington's Rabbit Lady.

"It was our state convention, it was the big show of the year," Merchant said. "She does all the breeding and chooses which rabbits go to the shows, which ones we need to sell to people, things like that."

Originally from Longview, Merchant moved to Winlock around three years ago. She and Jamie raise rabbits as members of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Currently, Jamie breeds, shows and sells mini lop rabbits. She has eight under her care.

Her skill in breeding and raising rabbits wasn't what earned her the Rabbit Lady title. Instead, it was her knowledge overall.

"She had to go and identify rabbits by breed just by looking at them and answer other knowledge questions. She also had to do an interview with the judges and tell them about her rabbits," Merchant said.

Now that Jamie has earned the chance to compete for the national Rabbit Lady title, Jamie and Merchant are planning on holding fundraisers at various events and festivals this summer to help pay for the trip to Kentucky.

Ahead of them is a 36-hour drive to compete with her rabbits.

"We're planning on having a little booth at STP (Seattle to Portland bike race), and then at the Napavine Funtime Festival," Merchant said. "Selling drinks and snacks, pepperoni sticks, things like that."

The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic is scheduled from July 13 to July 14, and the Napavine Funtime Festival is scheduled for July 20.

For those who won't be riding in the STP event or in attendance at the Napavine Funtime Festival but are still interested in donating toward Jamie's trip to Kentucky, email the family at [email protected].

Originally founded in 1946 as the Washington State Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association, the Washington State Rabbit Breeders Association changed its name in 1954 and aims to promote and encourage raising domesticated rabbits for meat, fur, laboratory study and show purposes along with promoting the state's rabbit industry.

For more information, including how to get involved, visit https://wsrba.net/.

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