At the Easter show’s Sydney Royal Cavy competition, almost 100 guinea pigs enter, but only one can win the coveted best in show ribbon
Entrants turn to one other and a tense silence falls over the crowd. Four glossy guinea pigs sit side by side atop green velvet mats, wide-eyed and still as onlookers peek at them over the gate. They are waiting for the judges’ final call – which rodent is the best of the Sydney Royal Cavy competition?
Assessing guinea pigs is a meticulous craft. Debbie Lawrie, who has 20 years of experience, was flown in from New Zealand to judge the Easter Show competition on Thursday.