Taupo's Great Lakes Centre played host to one of the country's fluffier competitive traditions this weekend: the National Guinea Pig Show, where close to 300 cavies were paraded, preened and judged in front of hundreds of spectators.
The top honour, Best in Show, went to Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts, a black short-haired guinea pig from Timaru on the South Island, owned by teenager Josh Wilson-Jones. His prep routine sounds closer to pageant training than pet care — he reportedly went through every single hair on the animal before presenting it to the judges.
Runner-up was Supreme Grand Champion Romulus Propaganda, an 11-month-old long-haired alpaca cavy belonging to Andy Lawrie, president of the New Zealand Cavy Council. Lawrie says blow-drying the pig after a bath takes about two hours, and he names his long-hairs after political terms — hence the unwieldy title.
This is serious hobby territory. Some exhibitors spend months getting their animals ready, running special diets and grooming for hours a day. Judging was handled by two specialists who flew in from England and the Czech Republic, assessing coat colour and condition along with general health. Different coat types need opposite approaches, too: Casey Scovell, a newcomer who ferried her pigs over from the South Island, swears by body condition, special grains and piles of fresh vegetables and hay for her Rex, Barbarian — while fellow exhibitor Tahlia Chapman avoids bathing her rough-coat Rexes entirely, since washing softens the coarse texture judges want. Chapman still had reason to celebrate, with one of her Rexes winning its class and bringing her to tears, despite arriving with low expectations.
For travellers, it's a reminder that New Zealand's event calendar goes well beyond wine festivals and adventure sports. Taupo, in the central North Island, sits on the shore of a vast volcanic lake and is usually pitched at trout fishers, hikers and Skydivers — but a couple of times a year, the town's Great Lakes Centre hosts gatherings like this that pull dedicated communities from both islands. If your trip happens to line up with a niche show or championship, turning up as a spectator is often free or cheap, and you'll meet a side of local life most itineraries miss.
It's also a genuinely family-friendly spectacle. Exhibitors like Chapman brought their kids along to compete in multiple classes, and the crowd of several hundred made for a lively hall of hair dryers, hay and very relaxed rodents.
No word yet on where next year's national show lands, but cavy clubs around New Zealand run events through the year if you want to catch one — just don't expect the pigs to sit still for photos.
Story via Malay Mail Life (reporting by AFP).
