Lily was best in show

Meet Lily. She might seem on the surface like a cute pet but in her a six-month life this Woy Woy guinea pig has won more awards than most do in a lifetime.

Lily won best in show at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April this year and the same award at the Gosford Agricultural Show on Sunday, May 2.

Champion Bivoir Gilded Lily, as she is officially known, was just four months old when she won best in show at the Royal Easter Show this year, a rare occurrence in guinea pig competitions.

Guinea pigs are also known as cavies, the word deriving from their Latin name of Cavia Porcellus.

They are named for shows by their championship status, then stud name and given name.

Owner Nichole Johnson, 24, said she started out with pets at the age of nine.

"I showed my first guinea pig in a pet class at a local show when I was 15 and I won best pet," she said.

"A few years later, I searched around and found the NSW Cavy Club.

"I joined the club and started to breed and show pedigree guinea pigs.

"I still consider them as my pets.

"It's just a bonus I get to show them," she said.

There are over 40 breeds of guinea pigs and each are put into separate groups: marked, coarse coat, satin, self, crested, ticked and longhair.

Marked is a smooth-coated cavy with a pattern on the coat, such as a spotted Dalmatian, a white Himalayan with dark nose, ears and feet; and tortoise and white with black, red and white in a checkerboard pattern and many more.

Coarse coat has three breeds.

Rex looks like a scrubbing brush.

Abyssinian has rosettes and ridges on the body and the Sheba Mini-Yak resembles a mop.

"The Satin's coat is unique, having a hollow hair shaft that reflects the light, making their coat look like a sheet of satin.

"Any recognised breed can be satinised," Ms Johnson said.

She has won a couple of other best in show awards at local shows.

"Another two proud moments were winning best in show at our club's Christmas Show in 2002 and winning reserve in show at Lismore's North Coast National last year," she said.

"I recommend guinea pigs as pets for people aged four and up.

"Local shows have pet classes to 'show off' your pet guinea pig.

"Our club also travels to Narrandera each August to compete at our annual National Cavy Show."

Anyone interested in showing or having pet guinea pigs may email bivoir_cavies@hotmail.com.

Email, May 10