Entries are to open Monday 4th March 2024.

The NSW Fancy Rodent Society Inc (NFRS) will again be hosting the rat and mouse show at the Sydney Royal Easter Show for 2024. This will be the 20th Sydney Royal Rat and Mouse Show, with the very first hosted in 2004.

The Sydney Royal Rat and Mouse Show is a great opportunity for exhibitors to spread the word about how wonderful rats and mice are as pets. Many members of the public come through the Sydney Royal Easter Show, so there is plenty of opportunity to talk rat and mouse with others and answer their questions.

Rat and mouse owners from all walks of life are invited to participate in the Sydney Royal Rat and Mouse Show. We welcome breeders, pet owners and members from other clubs.

Basic Information

  • Date of Show: Friday 22nd March 2024
  • Closing Date for Entries: Midnight on Thursday 7th March 2024
  • Entry Fee: $3 per entry per class ($50 cap per membership).  Non-Members entries are $5 each with no capping.
  • Prepaid Parking: $35 per car. Book online.
  • Entries: Enter online. 

Entry into the Sydney Royal Easter Show is free for exhibitors with more than 10 entries in the Rat and Mouse Show. If you are exhibiting less than 10 animals you must purchase your own entry ticket for the Show.

If you have any questions, please visit our Facebook Page or email us at info@nfrs.com.au.

Please ensure you have read the following documents to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations, as well as information regarding the show.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be a member of the NFRS to show my animals at the Sydney Royal Easter Show?

No you do not. Anyone and everyone is welcome to exhibit their animals at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

There are still rules in place for the event, please see the 2024 RES Rat & Mouse General Show Rules link on the NFRS website for details.

 

I am a member of another rodent club, can I still exhibit my rodents at the Royal?

Of course you can! We welcome all participants at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, as well as our usual shows held bi-monthly in Richmond.

 

Where and when is the show being held?

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is held at the Sydney Olympic Park. The Rat and Mouse show will be on Friday 22nd March and is held in the Pet Pavilion, Hall C on Riverina Ave.

 

Pre-Paid Parking Passes for the Sydney Royal Easter Show 2023

The $35 Parking Passes are for those who wish to park their car at the show during the day. You will need one pass per car which will allow you to get into the various parking lots. They’re managed by SOPA, the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, and not by the Royal Easter Show organisers.

 

Entry to the Showgrounds and what you’ll need
Entry to the ground by vehicle to drop off your animals and pick them up again (bump in and bump out) will be via a benchslip and show entry ticket (one per person in the vehicle) through Gate 10 only, and your vehicle will display an entry sticker on the windscreen.
Your benchslip, a purple-bannered A5 plain paper form, and adhesive sticker will permit one vehicle to enter the site for the purposes of delivering exhibits during the specified delivery times only. It does not permit parking on site.

The vehicle must be removed from site immediately after the exhibit is delivered.

Vehicles that remain onsite illegally will be infringed and removed at owner’s expense.

 

Why do my animals need to be vet checked?
It is a rule set in place by the Royal Agricultural Society who hold the Sydney Royal that ALL animals are to be vet checked by RAS provided Vets before entering the show hall.

Vets will look for any signs of pregnancy, parasites, injuries, illness in rats and mice, such as respiratory infections, wounds, etc.

Any rat or mouse that does not pass vet checking will be quarantined in the vetting room and not permitted to enter the show hall.

 

What time does vet checking start?

You are required to arrive at Hall C for veterinary checking no later than 7.00am

Vet checking ceases at 8am sharp, any rats or mice who miss this deadline will not be permitted into the show hall. Please bring extra tubs in case some of your animals are quarantined.

After vet checking, all rodents are to be taken to benches immediately.

 

When will I receive my Exhibitor Entry Passes?

After the entries close, your Exhibitor Entry Pass will be posted to you.

Your Passes (bump in slip and show ticket) allow you to get through the gates at the Royal Easter Show to drop off your rodents close to Hall C.

You will be prompted to show them to security guards to gain entry to the drop off/ pickup area near Hall C where the show is being held.

After you have dropped your gear and rodents off at the hall you are then to drive your car over to one of the car parking areas (P3 is suggested for ease of collecting rodents after the show, if you want to pre-book, but the choice is entirely yours and may depend on which direction you approach and leave the Showgrounds precinct).

 

Do I have to pay an entry fee for myself to exhibit rodents at the Sydney Royal Easter Show?

If you are showing more than 10 rodents on the day, you do not have to pay for entry to the Sydney Royal Easter Show for yourself, you get free entry.

You are only required to pay for your show entries (the animals) and a parking pass, if you require one.

Less than 10 entries will require you to buy your own show ticket for entry.

If you are a member of the public just wishing to view the rats and mice and not participate in the show, you will be required to pay the entry fee set by the Sydney Royal Easter Show upon arrival at any of the entry gates.

 

I read that there is a cap of $50 for the Sydney Royal, does this mean I have to pay $50 plus $3 for each of my entries?

No it does not. The cap is an entry fee limit, if a Member enters $75 worth of entries at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, they only pay for $50 worth of entries and the remaining $25 worth are free. So you can enter over $100 worth of entries, but you would only pay $50.

 

I have a few rodents entered in the show, but I also wanted to bring a few extras along for the day. Can I do that?

Yes you can, however you need to make sure that all animals that will be accompanying you on the day are listed on your entry form.  They will also be vet checked.

On the entry form under ‘Class’ select ‘Companion’ for any animal you are bringing for the day who is not entered into the formal show.

Companion animals do not cost anything to enter.

 

Do I have to enter rodents into the show to get free entry, or can I just come along with companion animals to exhibit for the day?

You must enter at least one rodent into the show to be an exhibitor.

That is, you must enter one rat or mouse to be judged on the day.

People with no show entries, just companion animals, will not be permitted to exhibit on the day.

 

Do I have to have a display at the Sydney Royal Easter Show?

You don’t have to have a display however we do encourage you to put together a display that is fun, educational, entertaining, etc.

Your display may be based on the show theme, or promoting your rodentry if you are a registered breeder, or just be a collection of fun rodent facts.

There is an award at the end of the day for best display.

 

Will I need to bring my lunch?

There is ample food for purchase at the Royal Easter Show and you will be given time to go and buy some; be aware it can be expensive! On the other hand… it’s only once a year! Go out and enjoy the selection of food available.

Don’t forget to provide plenty of water for yourself and your rodents, especially if it is forecast to be a warm day. Note that there will be tap water available in our Pavilion, Hall C, to fill water bottles as well as at various locations outside Hall C but close by.

 

Can I let members of the public hold my rodents?

Absolutely not!

Members of the public are allowed to pat rodents on the day whilst being held securely in their owner’s hands, preferably facing away from them so there’s no chance they will be bitten.

Any exhibitor allowing members of the public to hold their rodents will have strict actions taken against them.

 

Do I have to groom my rodents before show?

If they are dirty, yes.

Rats and mice should have trimmed nails, clean tails and be clean in general. Bucks should be degreased, coat should be glossy and clear of debris and built up dirt, this is easily done by bathing your rodents before show. Yeah, easily, haha. I wish!

Any enclosures or accessories you bring along for the day must also be clean, dirty enclosures will not be allowed to be taken into the show hall. Remember clean show tanks too! As a Club, we are on display to the public.

If you need advice on cleaning and grooming rats for show, don’t hesitate to ask a member of the NFRS or contact the NFRS with any queries you may have.

 

How old must rats and mice be to show?

Rats aged 6 weeks – 12 weeks of age are to be exhibited in Kitten Rat Class (maximum of two entries per person), any rat over 12 weeks of age is to be entered into its appropriate marking or colour class.

Mice aged 6 weeks – 10 weeks of age are to be exhibited in Kitten Mouse Class (maximum of two entries per person), any mouse over 10 weeks of age is to be entered into its appropriate marking or colour class.

 

I have an agouti hooded rat, can I show it in the hooded class and the agouti class?

No, colour classes (ticked and non-ticked) are for self rats only (rats who are entirely one colour).

Any rat that is marked is entered into its appropriate marking class (see the Rat Standards on the NFRS website), in this case, hooded.

 

Can I enter my Berkshire marked rat in the Berkshire Class and in Conformation Class?

No you cannot. Conformation Class is for rodents who are under marked, that is, if your Berkshire does not have a full white stomach (or close to), and instead has a few white patches it would go into the Conformation Class. Conformation Class is also for rodents who are unstandardised colours, markings and coat types (e.g. chocolate rats).

 

I have a mouse entered in Standard Self, can I also enter it into a pet class?

No you cannot. Because the judging for the pet classes and the type classes run concurrently, we do not allow animals to be entered into both sections.

 

What Rat Coat types and colours are not standardised by the NFRS? Can I still show these varieties in similar looking colour classes?

No. If your rats colour or coat is not standardised by the NFRS then you are not permitted to enter it in any class other than conformation and pet classes. If you have a ruby eyed chocolate you cannot enter it in the Buff colour class, if you have a pink eyed chocolate you cannot enter it in the Champagne colour class, etc.

The current coat types for rats not standardised by the NFRS include silk, patchwork, powderpuff, velour and hairless. The rat colours currently not standardised by the NFRS are chocolate and any chocolate dilutes (ruby eyed chocolate, for example), blue dilutes other than blue, silver and opal, apricot, and mink champagne.

 

How many rats and/or mice am I allowed to enter at the show? 

There are currently no classes or categories that have entry limits.

 

My rats/mouses variety is not listed in the NFRS standards. Can I still show it?

You can show your unstandardised rodent in the conformation class and pet class only.

Any rat or mouse varieties not standardised by the NFRS are not permitted in the show classes, even if they appear similar to another variety.

E.g. mink champagne rats cannot be entered into the PEW class even if they are very light and are a near match to a PEW.

 

Am I allowed to show wild rodents?

Definitely not!

Only domesticated fancy rats and mice are allowed to be exhibited at shows.

One of the key components of the judges scorecard is temperament, any rodent that is difficult to handle or aggressive will have points severely deducted.

We do not promote the taming and keeping of wild rodents, we promote the keeping of domesticated rodents (Rattus Norvegicus and Mus Musculus).

 

Am I able to hand out business cards or small brochures with my contact details on them if someone asks me?

Yes, please do bring some small brochures or business cards along however please only hand these out if someone asks you for your details. You must be a registered breeder to do so.

Do not hand out information or promotional items to anyone who is not interested as this is disallowed by the RAS.

 

How does the show actually run?

On the day of the show, after you exit vet checking and enter the hall, you will find an envelope with your name on it on one of the benches near the Vet Room, alongside a copy of the day’s entries.

Set your rodents and display up one of the other benches, feel free to to hang posters, any show awards etc. It’s up to your imagination!

In the envelope you will find tickets with numbers and classes on them, refer to the entry booklet on the bench to see which numbers match your rodent entries.

Please do not write on your tickets!

Your rodents are assigned numbers for each of the classes they are entered so the rodent is anonymous to the judges, that is, the rodent is the one being judged, not the owner.

This makes judging a much fairer system.

The chief steward will announce the opening of the show and throughout the day stewards will announce which categories are going up next for judging, pay attention to the announcements so you don’t miss your call!

Remember to bring your own show tanks. If you have trouble finding a show tank when you need one, ask exhibitors around you if they have an empty one or ask a steward for assistance.

The entire category is called up at one time, e.g. if you had a standard ticked mouse and its number was 125, your number is not called, instead the head steward will make an announcement for all standard ticked mice to be taken to the stewards tables to then be taken to the judges table for marking.

When your rodents class has been called, place your rodent into the appropriate sized show tank (rats go in the larger tank, mice in the smaller ones), close the lid and place the number in the lid (you may want to bring a roll of tape along to tape your number to the lid, or Blu- tack, as sometimes the rodents pull the tickets into the tub and chew them up).

You then take your rodent to the Stewards Table, the steward will mark off that your entry has arrived for judging, and when the judges are ready the steward takes the rodents to the respective judges and they are marked.

When rodents are finished being judged, the steward will bring them back to the Stewards Table, please keep an eye out for your returns!

It’s a good idea to bring a highlighter on the day to make your entries stand out in your entry booklet, and a pen to mark off which ones have gone up to be judged and have finished showing for the day. Or of course you could do it when you receive your Catalogue of entries in the mail with your admission passes.

Awards will be announced throughout the day for the classes.

All major awards are announced at the very end of the show.

Note that there will be some downtime as we are required by the Royal Agricultural Society
to spend some time discussing rodents with Farmer Dave at the indoor arena. This is fun stuff
and you are welcome to take a seat at the arena and watch our proceedings with Farmer dave.