KEN HART

Gnarojin Stud

Ken was a schoolboy when he first entered the cavy fancy in 1971. On a holiday at his uncle’s farm, Ken discovered that his cousin appeared to have quite a bit of pocket money from raising pigs. Upon his return to the city Ken decided to breed his own pigs and no doubt earn as much money as his cousin. Adapting this idea to the limits of city life, Ken began breeding guinea pigs. A month after Ken obtained his first cavies he saw an advertisement for a show. Thinking this would be the door leading to the fruition of his dreams, he attended and became a member of the Western Australian Cavy Club in March 1971.

While still a schoolboy, Ken applied and was accepted as a judge.  He judged his first show in March 1974. Ken often says that he became interested in cavies as a schoolboy and never grew up. In reality however, cavies have defined his life. They have inspired his career choices as first an animal technician, and now an animal scientist. Ken now has many friends across every state of Australia and all over the world, in addition to meeting his wife, Liz, at the National Show.
After thirty eight years, cavies have not yet managed to make Ken financially wealthy, but they have certainly enriched his life.

KAREN NICHOLS

Leander Stud

Karen has been exhibiting cavies for thirty five years under the stud name Leander. She has bred and shown animals from most of the major groups, but now concentrates on Dutch, Abyssinian and American Crested.  Many of Karen’s cavies have made it to Best in Show level within NSW. Further to this, she has achieved Reserved Marked at the National Show with her Dutch cavies. She became a qualified judge in 1983 and has officiated at shows across every state of Australia. Karen has judged The Sydney Royal Easter Show Cavies Competition a number of times and has also judged the National Show on three occasions. Karen was recently honoured with a life membership to the NSW Cavy Club for services to the club over her 35 years of membership.