Our Director...... Ruth-Ann Bell
Beginning at the tender age of 8 in the 4-H Program, Ruth-Ann Bell has been raising rabbits for 27 years. An active youth member, she served in various capacities for the rabbit and cavy hobby not only in her local 4-H Club, but in several ARBA chartered clubs as well. As a youth she served, as a youth Director for the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association and President for the Dauphin County Youth Rabbit Breeders. Ruth-Ann promoted the rabbit and cavy heavily as a youth and was the 1994 Pennsylvania State Rabbit Queen. She also served as the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeder’s Convention youth secretary for 3 years.
Ruth-Ann met her husband, Brian, at a rabbit show during her senior year in high school. The two of them were married between her sophomore and junior year in college after Brian’s senior year in 1999. Ruth-Ann graduated cum laude with a degree in Small Animal Science and then later went on to receive her certification as a Veterinary Technician. She received her ARBA Registrar’s license in 1999 and her ARBA Judge’s license in 2001. Since receiving her judge’s license, Ruth-Ann has judged within the US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and, as of June, Australia. She enjoys traveling to meet new people, make new friends, pass on her passion for the rabbit industry, and teach others and to learn.
Ruth-Ann has raised several different breeds including Californians, Havanas, Tans, New Zealands, Florida Whites, and American cavies. Over the years Ruth-Ann has served as Treasurer for the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association, Vice President and then subsequently President for the American Tan Rabbit Specialty Club, and as the Representative for the Mid-Atlantic Tan Club to the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association. Most recently, Ruth-Ann has finished a term as one of the founding directors for the Mid-Atlantic Rabbit and Cavy Shows. She has planned four of the Judges’ Conferences for the ARBA National Convention in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. She has also given back to the youth by serving a Co-Leader with Brian for a local 4-H Club when the Bell family resided in New Jersey. She also assisted a group of youth to start an ARBA chartered youth club in New Jersey.
Currently, besides being the District 9 Director for the ARBA, she sits on the Judge’s Continuing Education Committee. She is also the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Rabbit Breeders Association, Secretary of the East Coast Havana Organization, Director for the Mid-Atlantic Tan Club, and sits on the Constitution Committee and Standards Committee for the American Tan Rabbit Specialty Club.
Ruth-Ann and her husband have been deeply involved with the running of the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association Convention since 2005. The two have worked tirelessly as a team to help oversee the growth and success of this prestigious show as it has grown to be one of the largest in the United States, outside of the National Convention. Each year in February, Ruth-Ann, Brian, and their dedicated team host exhibitors from across the United States in Pennsylvania and work diligently to ensure that exhibitors have a fun, enjoyable show. Approximately 14,000 animals are judged over the weekend between open, youth, and specialty shows.
As one of the founding members of Mid-Atlantic Rabbit and Cavy Shows, Ruth-Ann was a member of the core team of individuals, along with her husband, that were instrumental in bringing the 90th ARBA Convention and Show to Pennsylvania in October of 2013. This was the first time that the ARBA Convention was held in District 9 since 1976. Ruth-Ann was the General/Open Superintendent for the Convention and oversaw that the show itself ran as smoothly as possible and helped to orchestrate many of the behind the scenes details to guarantee that the exhibitors truly felt the convention’s slogan of “History Awaits in the Keystone State”.
Ruth-Ann and her husband have 6 children, five boys and one girl, which Ruth-Ann homeschools. Their children have also begun to become heavily active in the rabbit and cavy hobby as well and take turns traveling to many shows with Ruth-Ann. Their oldest, Jacob (11 years old) is the current ARBA Prince and is the 2014 Pennsylvania State Prince as well as the 2012 and 2012 Pennsylvania State Prince. Their twins, Caleb and Isaac (9 years old), are competitive as well as Isaac is the current ARBA Lord and Caleb was the 2012 ARBA Lord with the other twin being the 1st runner-up for the respective year. Each of the twins has also served as the Pennsylvania State Lord in 2012 and 2013. Caleb and Isaac were also the Runner-Ups to their older brother, Jacob in the 2014 Pennsylvania Prince Contest. Eli (7 years old), who is fourth in line, is the 2014 Pennsylvania State Lord and was a Runner-Up behind his twin brothers at the 2013 ARBA Convention. Levi (6 years old) was runner-up to Eli at the recent 2014 Pennsylvania State Convention. Each of the boys continually places well at the state level in Showmanship, Breed ID, and Judging. The oldest three were the 2nd place Junior Breed ID Team at the ARBA Convention and Jacob was 2nd place in Junior Showmanship at the National Convention. Abigail (3 years old) has also begun to catch the “rabbit fever” and has a few of her own rabbits and cavies as well. She looks forward to keeping up with her brothers in the coming years. While the children are all competitive, they love to have fun and help with shows however they can, particularly with set-up and tear-down. The Bell children raise Havanas, New Zealands, Tans, Silver Fox, and American cavies.
Outside of rabbits, Ruth-Ann is heavily involved with her local church where she sings in “Redeemed”, the church’s praise band. Ruth-Ann also enjoys playing handbells. Ruth-Ann and Brian are pilots and enjoy flying both gliders and in their small 1946 airplane. The children enjoy “debating” who will get to fly first with either mommy or daddy. Ruth-Ann also enjoys running and reading, when she can squeeze it into her busy schedule.
Ruth-Ann met her husband, Brian, at a rabbit show during her senior year in high school. The two of them were married between her sophomore and junior year in college after Brian’s senior year in 1999. Ruth-Ann graduated cum laude with a degree in Small Animal Science and then later went on to receive her certification as a Veterinary Technician. She received her ARBA Registrar’s license in 1999 and her ARBA Judge’s license in 2001. Since receiving her judge’s license, Ruth-Ann has judged within the US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and, as of June, Australia. She enjoys traveling to meet new people, make new friends, pass on her passion for the rabbit industry, and teach others and to learn.
Ruth-Ann has raised several different breeds including Californians, Havanas, Tans, New Zealands, Florida Whites, and American cavies. Over the years Ruth-Ann has served as Treasurer for the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association, Vice President and then subsequently President for the American Tan Rabbit Specialty Club, and as the Representative for the Mid-Atlantic Tan Club to the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association. Most recently, Ruth-Ann has finished a term as one of the founding directors for the Mid-Atlantic Rabbit and Cavy Shows. She has planned four of the Judges’ Conferences for the ARBA National Convention in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. She has also given back to the youth by serving a Co-Leader with Brian for a local 4-H Club when the Bell family resided in New Jersey. She also assisted a group of youth to start an ARBA chartered youth club in New Jersey.
Currently, besides being the District 9 Director for the ARBA, she sits on the Judge’s Continuing Education Committee. She is also the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Rabbit Breeders Association, Secretary of the East Coast Havana Organization, Director for the Mid-Atlantic Tan Club, and sits on the Constitution Committee and Standards Committee for the American Tan Rabbit Specialty Club.
Ruth-Ann and her husband have been deeply involved with the running of the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association Convention since 2005. The two have worked tirelessly as a team to help oversee the growth and success of this prestigious show as it has grown to be one of the largest in the United States, outside of the National Convention. Each year in February, Ruth-Ann, Brian, and their dedicated team host exhibitors from across the United States in Pennsylvania and work diligently to ensure that exhibitors have a fun, enjoyable show. Approximately 14,000 animals are judged over the weekend between open, youth, and specialty shows.
As one of the founding members of Mid-Atlantic Rabbit and Cavy Shows, Ruth-Ann was a member of the core team of individuals, along with her husband, that were instrumental in bringing the 90th ARBA Convention and Show to Pennsylvania in October of 2013. This was the first time that the ARBA Convention was held in District 9 since 1976. Ruth-Ann was the General/Open Superintendent for the Convention and oversaw that the show itself ran as smoothly as possible and helped to orchestrate many of the behind the scenes details to guarantee that the exhibitors truly felt the convention’s slogan of “History Awaits in the Keystone State”.
Ruth-Ann and her husband have 6 children, five boys and one girl, which Ruth-Ann homeschools. Their children have also begun to become heavily active in the rabbit and cavy hobby as well and take turns traveling to many shows with Ruth-Ann. Their oldest, Jacob (11 years old) is the current ARBA Prince and is the 2014 Pennsylvania State Prince as well as the 2012 and 2012 Pennsylvania State Prince. Their twins, Caleb and Isaac (9 years old), are competitive as well as Isaac is the current ARBA Lord and Caleb was the 2012 ARBA Lord with the other twin being the 1st runner-up for the respective year. Each of the twins has also served as the Pennsylvania State Lord in 2012 and 2013. Caleb and Isaac were also the Runner-Ups to their older brother, Jacob in the 2014 Pennsylvania Prince Contest. Eli (7 years old), who is fourth in line, is the 2014 Pennsylvania State Lord and was a Runner-Up behind his twin brothers at the 2013 ARBA Convention. Levi (6 years old) was runner-up to Eli at the recent 2014 Pennsylvania State Convention. Each of the boys continually places well at the state level in Showmanship, Breed ID, and Judging. The oldest three were the 2nd place Junior Breed ID Team at the ARBA Convention and Jacob was 2nd place in Junior Showmanship at the National Convention. Abigail (3 years old) has also begun to catch the “rabbit fever” and has a few of her own rabbits and cavies as well. She looks forward to keeping up with her brothers in the coming years. While the children are all competitive, they love to have fun and help with shows however they can, particularly with set-up and tear-down. The Bell children raise Havanas, New Zealands, Tans, Silver Fox, and American cavies.
Outside of rabbits, Ruth-Ann is heavily involved with her local church where she sings in “Redeemed”, the church’s praise band. Ruth-Ann also enjoys playing handbells. Ruth-Ann and Brian are pilots and enjoy flying both gliders and in their small 1946 airplane. The children enjoy “debating” who will get to fly first with either mommy or daddy. Ruth-Ann also enjoys running and reading, when she can squeeze it into her busy schedule.