*Judge Brian Platt (left) with Heather Heron and her Best on Show-winning Ivory Satin at the 2026 Royal Rabbit Show, hosted by the Natal Rabbit Club at the Royal Agricultural Show.*

With 187 rabbits entered and strong competition for the top awards, the Natal Rabbit Club's exhibition at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show earned glowing praise from international judge Brian Platt, who described it as "the premier rabbit show in the country".

It was high praise from a judge with nearly five decades of involvement in rabbit showing, whose experience includes some of Britain's most prestigious championship events and international judging appointments.

Platt was equally complimentary about the standard of the animals presented for judging, observing that "the top rabbits were quite difficult to separate".

Ultimately, it was an Ivory Satin belonging to Heather Heron that claimed the coveted Best on Show title, crowning an exceptional competition for an exhibitor who dominated several sections of the judging.

Reserve Best on Show went to Gina Nolazana of Makhaya Farm Rabbits with a Himalayan, which also secured the Best Overall Fancy award.

*Judge Brian Platt (left) with Gina Nolazana of Makhaya Farm Rabbits and her Reserve Best on Show, a Himalayan.*

An outstanding Show for Heather Heron

Heron's success extended well beyond the overall championship. Her Smoke Pearl claimed Best Overall Fur, while an Ermine took Best Overall Rex. Her winning Ivory Satin also earned the Best Satin title.

Across the competition, Heron collected an impressive 12 Best of Breed awards, demonstrating the breadth of her success among the various breeds represented.

In the Fancy Section, she took Best of Breed honours with Belgian Hare, Dutch, SA Hotot and Tri Dutch rabbits. Her Fur Section successes included Chinchilla, SA Frosted Pearl, Siamese Sable, Smoke Pearl and Wheaten.

She also won Best of Breed with a Standard Rex, along with both the Ivory Satin and Chinchilla Satin in the Satin Section.

For Gina Nolazana of Makhaya Farm Rabbits, the Himalayan's Reserve Best on Show award was another significant achievement, placing it among the very best rabbits in a closely contested competition.

Breed honours shared among exhibitors

Beyond the overall champions, the results reflected the variety of breeds and the dedication of their breeders.

Dejavú Rabbitry enjoyed a particularly successful Fur Section, securing Best of Breed awards with Californian, Chinchilla Giganta, Cinnamon and New Zealand White rabbits.

Agape Rabbits – MBF claimed Best of Breed in the Harlequin and SA Phendula classes, while Eva Stainforth took top breed honours with a Flemish Giant and a German Lop.

Aloe Stud performed strongly in the Rex Section, winning Best of Breed with both Mini Rex and Satin Rex rabbits. Its Satin Rex also earned Reserve Best Rex.

Gary Grant secured Best of Breed in Netherland Dwarf, while Serendipity took the New Zealand Red award and Reserve Best of Variety in Standard Rex.

Bunz Rabbitry featured prominently among the reserve winners, claiming Reserve Best of Breed honours in Flemish Giant, New Zealand White and Mini Rex.

The results reflected the diversity of the exhibition, with awards recorded across 25 breed classes in the Fancy, Fur, Lop, Rex and Satin sections.

Presiding over the competition was highly respected British judge Brian Platt, whose long association with rabbits has taken him to some of Britain's most prestigious championship shows and judging appointments around the world.

A judge with a remarkable connection to Southern Africa

For Brian Platt, the 2026 Royal Rabbit Show marked another chapter in a lifelong involvement with rabbits that began, rather unexpectedly, in Southern Africa.

As we explored in our earlier profile of Brian, his first encounter with rabbits took place in 1968, when he was a schoolboy at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland, now Eswatini.

During a visit to a friend's family home, he encountered an unusual rotating rabbit shed, designed to keep its occupants shaded from the sun. It was the beginning of an interest that would eventually take him to the highest levels of the rabbit fancy.

After becoming a successful exhibitor in Britain, Platt developed an international judging career. He now serves on several specialist judging panels and holds the British Rabbit Council's highest judging qualification in the Fur and Rex sections.

He has judged at major exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom and overseas, including previous appointments in South Africa.

His commitment to this year's Royal Show was such that he passed up an appointment at the London Championship Show, an event that had played an important role in his early success as an exhibitor.

His enthusiastic assessment of the 2026 Royal Rabbit Show was therefore a particularly meaningful endorsement of the Natal Rabbit Club's efforts, and of the quality of the rabbits being bred and exhibited in South Africa.

More than a competition

For the Natal Rabbit Club, the Royal Show is also an important opportunity to introduce the public to the remarkable diversity of domestic rabbit breeds and the specialised knowledge involved in breeding and exhibiting them.

As Natal Rabbit Club chairperson Yolande Buhr explained in an interview with Farmer's Weekly during the Show, competitions serve an important educational purpose. Judges assess animals against established breed standards, providing breeders with valuable feedback to help guide their breeding programmes.

Buhr also highlighted the challenges of preserving rabbit breeds in South Africa, where restrictions on importing breeding stock and disease-related losses have made maintaining genetic diversity increasingly difficult.

With some breeds maintained by relatively small numbers of dedicated enthusiasts, the work of breeders and clubs is especially important in securing their future.

Visitors to the Royal were able to explore this diversity at close quarters, with the Club also offering a wide selection of rabbits for sale during the Show.

These included Sable and Smoke Pearl does, pairs of Frosted Pearls and Beiges, an adult Dutch buck, and a Satin pair, as well as young Satins. Chinchilla Gigantas, Harlequins, New Zealand Whites, Californians, Hotots and Netherland Dwarfs were also among the breeds offered.

For many visitors, particularly families and children, the exhibition provided an opportunity to discover breeds they may never have encountered before, speak to experienced breeders and learn more about the characteristics and care requirements of different rabbits.

For exhibitors, the competition offered something equally valuable: the opportunity to have their animals assessed by a highly experienced international judge and to measure the results of their breeding programmes against recognised standards.

With 187 rabbits entered, a closely contested championship and such enthusiastic praise from its judge, the 2026 Royal Rabbit Show was a fitting showcase for the Natal Rabbit Club and its members.

The Royal Agricultural Society congratulates Heather Heron, Gina Nolazana and all the successful exhibitors, and extends its sincere appreciation to the Natal Rabbit Club and Brian Platt for their contribution to the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show.

2026 Royal Rabbit Show – Full Results

Award Key

BOB – Best of Breed
RBOB – Reserve Best of Breed
BOV – Best of Variety
RBOV – Reserve Best of Variety

Overall Show Champions

Best on Show: Heather Heron – Ivory Satin

Reserve Best on Show: Makhaya Farm Rabbits – Himalayan

Section Champions

Best Overall Fancy: Makhaya Farm Rabbits – Himalayan
Best Overall Fur: Heather Heron – Smoke Pearl
Best Overall Rex: Heather Heron – Ermine
Reserve Best Rex: Aloe Stud – Satin Rex
Best Satin: Heather Heron – Ivory Satin

Breed Results

Fancy Section

Belgian Hare: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron
Dutch: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron
Flemish Giant: BOB – Eva Stainforth; RBOB – Bunz Rabbitry
Harlequin: BOB and RBOB – Agape Rabbits – MBF
Himalayan: BOB – Makhaya Farm Rabbits; RBOB – Eva Stainforth
SA Hotot: BOB – Heather Heron
Netherland Dwarf: BOB and RBOB – Gary Grant
Tri Dutch: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron

Fur Section

Californian: BOB and RBOB – Dejavú Rabbitry
Chinchilla: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron
Chinchilla Giganta: BOB – Dejavú Rabbitry; RBOB – Agape Rabbits – MBF
Cinnamon: BOB and RBOB – Dejavú Rabbitry
SA Frosted Pearl: BOB – Heather Heron; RBOB – Eva Stainforth
New Zealand Red: BOB and RBOB – Serendipity
New Zealand White: BOB – Dejavú Rabbitry; RBOB – Bunz Rabbitry
SA Phendula: BOB and RBOB – Agape Rabbits – MBF
Siamese Sable: BOB – Heather Heron; RBOB – Dejavú Rabbitry
Smoke Pearl: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron
Wheaten: BOB and RBOB – Heather Heron

Lop Section

German Lop: BOB – Eva Stainforth

Rex Section

Standard Rex: BOB – Heather Heron
- Best of Variety (BOV) – Heather Heron
- Reserve Best of Variety (RBOV) – Serendipity
Mini Rex: BOB – Aloe Stud; RBOB – Bunz Rabbitry
Satin Rex: BOB – Aloe Stud