To have a class there must be 5 animals in the category shown by at least 3 different exhibitors. A simple way to approach it is – to win a class you must beat 4 other rabbits and 2 other exhibitors in the class. A little wrinkle in it is that gender also comes into it. In other words 3 senior bucks and two junior bucks of the same variety will make a class. 2 senior black does and 3 junior black does will make a class. So you can get a leg for winning a class as described above.
From there we go to the best of variety. Varieties in Polish, in order of judging, are Black, Blue, Broken, Chocolate, Blue Eyed White & Ruby or Red Eyed White. Notice they are judged in alphabetical order. (Blk, Blu, Brok, Choc, White.) And they are judged Senior Buck, Senior Doe, Junior Buck, Junior Doe within the variety. So if there are 3 exhibitors showing any combination of 5 males or 5 females, senior or junior in a variety one can win a leg for Best Of Variety (BOV) So if there is 1 senior blue buck, 2 senior blue does, 1 junior blue buck, 3 junior blue does and they are shown by at least three different exhibitors someone can win BOV. But now also in our above scenario if a buck is BOV one of the does can win Opposite Sex of Variety (BOSV) because there are 5 does in the variety. If a doe wins BOV a buck can not win (BOSV) because there is only 2 blue bucks being shown. If you have 5 bucks and 5 does in each class shown by at least 3 exhibitors someone is guaranteed a leg for a class of bucks, a leg for a class of does, a leg for BOV and a leg for BOSV. If there are any less than 5 animals in a class you have to do the math. If there are less than 3 exhibitors doesn’t matter how many animals you can not get a leg.
Then we go on to the next step which is Best Of Breed. This is the best animal chosen from all the varieties. It is called BOB. Again the 5 and 3 applies but from the judging of the BOV the judge has set aside a BOV and if there is more than two animals in each variety – a BOSV. So in Polish if you had all varieties represented you would have a blk blue, brok, choc, BEW & REW coming on to the table to be judged for BOB. If a doe is chosen as BOB then the judge brings up all the bucks and from them chooses Best Opposite Sex Breed. (BOSB)
There is one more step. The BOB of all the breeds then compete for the best in show. (BIS)
So the Polish, Angoras, Netherlands, New Zealands, etc. all come up against each other for BIS. And the second best animal is chosen as Reserve In Show regardless of sex.
So provided the 5 animals 3 exhibitors condition is met one can get a leg for winning a class, BOV, BOSV, BOB, BOSB, BIS, RIS. If your rabbit wins 3 legs in three different shows under at least 2 different judges one of which legs is a senior you can apply to ARBA for a grand champion certification for that rabbit. However, if your rabbit wins a class, then wins BOV, then wins BOB all in one show under the same judge you can only count 1 leg toward the grand champion certificate. I know it is unfair but that’s the rules.