Cavy chaos: Hundreds attend New Zealand's biggest guinea pig show

A prize-winning guinea pig is draped with a winner's ribbon during the New Zealand National Guinea Pig Show in Taupo on Sept 26, 2026. The annual event brought together breeders, exhibitors and judges from New Zealand and overseas to compete across a range of guinea pig breeds and classes. - Photo: AFP

TAUPO, (New Zealand): Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts took the coveted Best in Show title Saturday (Sept 26) at New Zealand's National Guinea Pig Show, which drew hundreds of fans to see the coifed and combed cavies.

Nearly 300 guinea pigs were paraded before crowds at Taupo's Great Lakes Centre, some of which had support guinea pigs in tow as they prepared for the show.

Competitors travelled from throughout New Zealand and the two judges flew in from England and the Czech Republic for the show.

Judges closely examined each pig, looking at the colour and condition of their coat and their general health.

Some of the competitors prepared their pigs for months, putting them on special diets and sometimes spending hours a day grooming to have them in the best shape possible.

"Blow drying him to get him ready after a bath would probably take two hours," New Zealand Cavy Council president Andy Lawrie said of his 11-month-old long-haired alpaca, Supreme Grand Champion Romulus Propaganda, which came in second.

"All my long hairs this year have been themed after political type terms," Lawrie said, explaining the lengthy name while combing the rodent's lengthy mane.

Competitor Griffin Hopkins celebrates his pig Geode Ember finishing runner up in its class during the New Zealand National Guinea Pig Show in Taupo on September 26, 2026. The annual event brought together breeders, exhibitors and judges from New Zealand and overseas to compete across a range of guinea pig breeds and classes. - Photo: AFP

The national champion, a black short-haired guinea pig hailing from Timaru on New Zealand's South Island, is owned by teenager Josh Wilson-Jones.

He was meticulous in preparing his pigs for show, going through every individual hair before presenting Claremont Girl Clash of Hearts to the judges.

Tahlia Chapman and her son, Griffin Hopkins, had several pigs competing in multiple classes.

A long haired guinea pig competes at the New Zealand National Guinea Pig Show in Taupo on Sept 26, 2026. The annual event brought together breeders, exhibitors and judges from New Zealand and overseas to compete across a range of guinea pig breeds and classes. - Photo: AFP

One of Chapman's rough coat Rexes won its category, bringing her to tears.

Earlier in the day she said she didn't have "particularly high hopes".

"But I just love coming in, seeing everybody, and supporting everyone," she said.

Judge Jirka Kytner (left) from the to Czech Republic examines a guinea pig during the New Zealand National Guinea Pig Show in Taupo on Sept 26, 2026. The annual event brought together breeders, exhibitors and judges from New Zealand and overseas to compete across a range of guinea pig breeds and classes. - Photo: AFP

Where some exhibitors were bathing their pigs close to the show, Chapman said rough coats needed to be as coarse as possible.

"We try and avoid bathing as much as we can because it will soften them."

Casey Scovell is new to the show scene and brought her pigs on a ferry from the South Island to compete.

She said the key to a good cavy was "their body condition".

"Special grains and lots of fresh vegetables and hay," she said of the diet for her Rex, Barbarian. - AFP