This is the story of how we got into chins and started showing them…

How It All Started...by Lizz Benson

Moving out of home for the first time is a daunting experience for most people, and as I had come from a small rural town, were all my family and friends lived; everyone knew (or knew of) me and I knew (or knew of) everyone, I found moving in with my partner Matthew very difficult as it was to the centre of a city.

Although it was only 30mins away it felt a million miles to me. After 6mts of feeling very homesick and lonely, it was my birthday coming up soon so I asked Matthew if I could have a pet, a hamster, he said no because he didn’t like small skitty animals, but I could have a chinchilla! I was so excited, I knew a little bit about them but not a great deal so I immediately went on the internet to do some research, I found out about suitable food, cage, dust bath e.t.c

Within the week I had everything I needed it was all ready for my new fury friend.

As I spoke to my mum most days on the phone, I had mentioned I wanted a chinchilla, she suggested I call my cousin as she bred a small number. As soon as mum put the phone down I rang her, only to be very disappointed, she had gone on holiday and I would have to wait a whole week!

The day she came back I called her, she said she didn't really want to let any go, but seeing although it was me she would think about it and ring me back.

A couple of hours and no nails later she called back! I could choose between 2 Standard females and 2 Wilson White males.

That evening we went to pick one up; it was such a hard decision. Both Matthew and mum thought the standard female because she was very pretty but I just loved the white pair, one in particular stood out; he was silky white all over, with just grey ears, nose and tail but he had a tiny grey patch on is left hip! He was called Fluffy, which we changed to Smudge because of his distinctive mark.

When we got him home he was very shy, and as fast as a bullet! We let him out for short runs each evening, he would dart about the sitting room, catching him was a nightmare! Eventually with a lot of patience (and raisins!) he became very tame, sitting on our knees and enjoying his belly being tickled.

Because of Smudge I began enjoying living away from home, as he was always there to comfort me when I felt lonely.

Smudge
 

Some 6mts past and we saw an advert in our local paper for 2 chinchillas with cage, so after alot of puppy dog eyes and a promise of something new for Matthew, he agreed to let me get them.

The female was beige called Rosie and the male was a standard called Harry, they were both the oddest, ugliest chins I had ever seen, but I guess that’s why they were so endearing!

After some time I began to think Smudge must be lonely, so we (well I) decided to get him a girlfriend so we placed an advert in our local paper-BIG MISTAKE! We were inundated with offers and I just couldn’t say no, we ended up visiting a Chinchilla Rescue place and bringing home Alfie a Wilson White, Cobey a beige and Molly a fur chewed Standard grey; from the paper, a Standard grey called Charley, a mottled ferret like yappy Beige female called Tully (who sprayed us at every opportunity!) and a pair of very nice Wilson Whites called Bubbles and Scampi, the lady who sold us this pair informed us of a show quality breeder in the area and gave us his number as she thought we may be interested to see the difference in our chins.

So I rang a Mr Gary Carter, he was very friendly and offered to come round and look at our chins for us, looking back I cringe!

What a sorry state they all must have looked to him and we were so proud showing them all off. Thankfully Gary didn’t laugh at us he just commented that they were small and of pet quality, feeling very deflated he took us for a look at his chinchillas, WOW! We couldn’t believe the size, quality and beauty of his animals, they were truly stunning.

Gary offered to take us to the Northern Region National Chinchilla Society Show (Feb 2002), which we jumped at the chance!

At first we felt like spare parts! But we soon settled in and really enjoyed it, Joyce Garvey made us feel very welcome, greeting us and explaining what the judge was doing and what his comments meant.

At the show we bought our first pair of show quality chinchillas, a very nice pair of Hetero Ebonies, (who we called Baloo and Beauty below) from Paul Spooner.
 

Baloo & Beauty
 

Paul also gave us some very valuable advice; he said if we were serious about showing we should save our money until the National, so that’s exactly what we did.

Gary had told us on the way home we should get rid of our ‘pets qualities’, which I was adamant I wouldn’t! But after alot of thought and persuasion from Matthew I decided to re-home them all to loving new owners; so I could dedicate our time money and space to improving the quality and health of future chinchillas.

Except Smudge of course and his girlfriend Molly, after all I couldn’t let my first chin go, regardless of his quality.

Smudge & Molly

I began enquiring into the availability of chins at the National, when Gary informed us about a free ad, a well established breeder, Helen Maule was selling alot of her stock, so I got in contact, the females we got were all first ribbon winners, a grand show champ top breeding beige male, 4 younger standard females, a younger standard male, a younger beige female, and 8 polygamous cages, we also arranged to buy a lovely standard trio from Sue Nelson a black velvet and pink white male from Paul Spooner

I thought it would never come, the day of the National Show; it was a thoroughly enjoyable (well done to all those who organised and made it such a success).

Fitting 2 cages and 19 animals in a car is quite a job, all our thanks to Gary Carter who made our dream possible.

That evening we were up until 2 in the morning, arranging the cages, feeding, watering and settling in the chins, but it was all worth it to go into the chinny room in the morning to see and hear them all chirping about!

We have now expanded our herd to 36 breeding chinchillas thanks to the generosity of Paul Spooner, Lyn Gardner, Sue Nelson, Eddie and Richard Crutchley for allowing us to purchase some outstanding animals.

With the biggest thanks going to Helen Maule, who has not just sold us some of the best chins in the country but has also helped us and given us invaluable advice which she continues to do whenever we need it.

Out of all our cracking chins, all the money we’ve spent everyone who visits always commented on Smudge, he seemed to be their, as well as our favourite; a very special chin indeed!

Sadly on the 31st of May 2004 Smudge passed away from natural causes, devastating as it was he son was born the same day, and now lives with a family close by. Molly remains with us.

We now have some excellent babies, coming on very nicely and quite a few pregnant females throughout the year so I hope you will be hearing alot more of my name in the showing seasons to come...