Hall Of Fame
Inducted: 2023
Madelyn Beckstrom
Madelyn started in Rabbits when her daughter Alissa was 9 years old and got her first French Lop.
In 1984 Madelyn got her own start in rabbits with her first Polish. That is also the year she joined Rochester Area Rabbit Club, and is now a lifetime member.
Madelyn has held several officer positions within the many years of being a member. Around the same time Madelyn became a member of the MSRBA and was the bulletin editor for 15 years. Her and her husband Carl were awarded a Lifetime membership with the club.
Madelyn was the Rabbit project leader for Dodge County for 38 years, helped with Mn State fair judging contest and got the open class Rabbit show started in the county.
Madelyn is a Dodge County fair Lifetime and Hall of Fame member.
Madelyn got her ARBA registrar license in 1992 and recently retired her license in 2023.
Madelyn holds a Lifetime membership with the ARBA.
Madelyn thanks her daughter Alissa for getting her involved in the rabbit world were she has,met the most amazing people.
Inducted: 2023
Marlys Schoenhals
Marlys Schoenhals has been Inducted into the MSRBA Hall of Fame for her 30 plus years of membership and her contributions to the club.
She started in rabbits in the mid 1980’s with Polish, Holland Lops, Dwarf Hotot and Mini Rex. She was also part of the Lionhead development team. She currently raises Polish, Holland Lops, Fuzzy Lops and works with Lillie on Mini Rex.
She has been a rep for Anoka County Rabbit Club and Borderline Rabbit Club.
She has held a long standing seat on the Scholarship Committee and State Fair Committee.
She strives to support MSRBA Charter Clubs and Shows. She is a stickler for following the rules and knowing that gives every MSRBA member equal opportunities to succeed with their hobby.
We all know Marlys to go above and beyond to help when she sees something that’s needing to be done. Many members can share positive moments they have spent with Marlys.
Inducted: 2022
Pete Dudley
Pete Dudley first began showing rabbits when he and his wife, Char, started raising
English Angoras in 1988. After learning more about rabbits, they soon switched to raising and showing Netherland Dwarfs. Pete’s early leadership roles remained in the Suburban Twins Rabbit Club where he helped run their annual show every year. He did many behind-the-scenes tasks at the show including hauling equipment, setting up the for the show, and tearing down the showroom. As a member of the club, he attended the MSRBA meetings to help make decisions for the MSRBA. He remained an active member of the Suburban Twins Rabbit Club until the club was discontinued.
Around the year 2001, Pete and Char switched their focus to assisting their daughters in raising rabbits. During the next 20, Pete began his work volunteering and assisting with youth shows and programs whenever he can. After helping county 4-Hers for many years, Pete became a member of the State Fair Rabbit Committee to help with the show and activities at the fair. His goal at the state fair is that all participants learn and continue to be involved in the rabbit project.
In 2008, Pete accepted the position of MSRBA Treasurer and Secretary. He held this
position through the year 2010. Pete spent many hours each month keeping membership renewals in order and balancing the MSRBA budget. Pete rewrote the computer system to ensure that members are reminded of lapsed memberships. This helped the overall member totals of the MSRBA.
Every year, Pete assists with the yearly MSRBA youth scholarship auction. Pete donates rabbits and helps ensure that the auction is run smoothly. Pete also donates rabbits to the yearly American Himalayan Rabbit Association (AHRA) auction. For both of these auctions, he donates all his earnings back to the scholarship funds.
In 2015, after both of his girls had graduated from high school and moved on to college, Pete decided to continue raising the Himalayans that his youngest daughter, lnga, began raising in 2001. He has become an advocate and promoter of the breed ever since. This became evident when the American Himalayan Rabbit Association awarded him a lifetime membership after only being a member for a few years. Pete keeps a small herd of about 30 black Himalayans in the barn. Choosing to breed for the best genetics in an effort to increase the overall quality of the breed. His methods have been met with great success earning Best in Shows and Reserve in Shows as well as high placings at the national convention.
Pete continuously works to help the rabbit industry grow- He focuses mostly on the youth as that is the future of the MSRBA and ARBA. His favorite thing is to get youth involved in the breed, often selling rabbits for far less than they are worth. When he sells a rabbit, he follows up with the youth making sure the rabbit remained healthy, helping the youth breed their rabbits, and celebrating with the 4-Her when the rabbit wins. With every rabbit Pete sells, he encourages them to become members of the ARBA and MSRBA and tries to keep them informed of upcoming shows.
Pete tries to attend the ARBA national conventions each fall. While he does exhibit a few rabbits, he spends the majority of his time volunteering for different organizations. He starts the convention by assisting the youth organization with the judging and royalty contest. He times the judging and conducts interviews each year. After the youth contests are over, he helps with the AHRA booth and show. He writes for the breed and does any task that is needed including sitting in the booth to answer questions and assist with the raffle.
Pete has been involved with rabbits for over 30 years, and he looks forward to exhibiting at every show and helping new breeders find success for many years to come.
Inducted: 2022
Richard Steinberg
Richard acquired his first rabbit in the spring of 1971. In July of that year, he joined the Minnesota State Rabbit Breeders Association and has maintained his membership for over 50 years. For over half of a century, Richard has provided the Association with leadership, knowledge, support, and labor.
Richard encouraged other rabbit aficionados from the area to follow him and further expand the number of sanctioned MSRBA clubs by forming the Owatonna Area Rabbit Club (OARC). In May 1972, the recently developed club boldly hosted their first ARBA sanctioned show, providing MSRBA members with another well organized opportunity to exhibit their animals. Bravely serving as the initial Show Superintendent, Richard was so effective that members recognized his skill and gratefully accepted his willingness to hold that position in over half of the club’s subsequent exhibitions.
Richard further emboldened the OARC to embark on the significant task of hosting four MSRBA Conventions and Shows. Who was Superintendent of all four State Shows? Rich! Richard also enriched both organizations by offering to often serve as OARC MSRBA representative. When the OARC dissolved in 2004, Richard belonged to the Rochester Area Rabbit Club (RARC) where he again frequently held the position of MSRBA Representative, as well as Superintendent for all eight MSRBA Conventions and Shows hosted by the Club since 2009.
Richard’s powers of persuasion, communication and credibility were instrumental in influencing the bringing of the 2010 American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention, which boasted over 15,000 entries, to the Minneapolis Convention Center, showcasing the strength of the MSRBA to the ARBA and the rest of the rabbit world.
Richard added more jewels to the MSRBA crown by contracting all 75 of the Convention judges. Mr. Steinberg’s responsibilities also included organizing and assigning breeds and judges to their appropriate tables. Richard was well qualified to select the judges for the National Convention, as he too, is an ARBA sanctioned judge. He has displayed his undeniable talent by judging MSRBA shows, as well as being an ambassador for our Association. He’s been invited to judge throughout the country and often volunteers to facilitate and educate youth.
Richard has been an eager, innovative, and forward thinking proven leader and MSRBA team member, whose participation goes beyond reproach, and whose ultimate goal has always been the betterment of our hobby and organization.
Welcome to the MSRBA Hall of Fame Richard.
Inducted: 2022
Jody Windt
Jody was MSRBA Vice President in 1996 and then again in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 he became the MSRBA President until 2020. Welcome to the MSRBA Hall of Fame Jody.
Inducted: 2021
Louise Bergeron
I remember Louise Bergeron as being one of the most active and involved people in the Minnesota rabbit hobby. Louise was the MSRBA Secretary/Treasure in 1997 – 2000. She was the driving force in the old Borderline Rabbit Club for who knows how many years. She was also very involved in Minnesota 4-H Rabbit Show for many years.
Inducted: 2021
Steve and Kim Hafermann
Steve and Kim got their start into showing when, purchasing a couple Californians for a meat herd. Kim saw Mini Lops, which then led to Kim falling in love with the Mini Lop breed and Steve taking on French Lops. They called their operation Hafermann’s Laker Rabbitry after the Prior Lake mascot and Steve’s Alma Mater. Along with their children Robert (Robbie) and Sarah, they were active in the MSRBA from 1987 up until Kim’s passing from cancer in 2005. In that time, they were members of Hop to it Rabbit Club, Suburban Twins Rabbit Club, and founding members of the Minnesota River Valley Rabbit Club who held their shows at the Mankato Curling Club. Steve held the position of Vice President of the Minnesota State board. Both were very active with the MSRBA Youth Organization helping to organize fundraisers (raffles, merchandise, etc.) ran the youth royalty, showmanship, and helped in guiding the youth executive board. Steve and Kim were very active in the Scott County 4-H Rabbit Project, taking leadership positions, barn supervision, educational roles, and vital positions in assisting in the growth of the project in the county and state. Steve and Kim with the help (with their daughter, Sarah) progressively improved their herd to get to the point where they were competing on the national scene. One of Kim’s proudest moments was winning Best of Breed Mini Lop at the 2003 ARBA Convention in Wichita , Kansas. They continued to be active members of the MSRBA up until Kim’s death at which point the herd was sold and gifted to members around the state/nation.
Inducted: 2021
Doris Leibel
Doris Leibel played a very important roll with rabbits in Minnesota. Doris was a charter member of the MSRBA. She passed away in September of 1991. Doris worked with the University of Minnesota 4-H rabbit program for many years. She joined the ARBA in 1949. She also served as ARBA Director for several terms. Doris was very active over the years as a breeder of various breeds of rabbits and at one time had her own processing plant. She published several local, state and national bulletins and served as secretary of the national Dutch Specialty Club at one time. She worked closely with the Minnesota state 4-H and 4-H local clubs and was instrumental in helping many innovative programs for the youth of Minnesota.
Doris received her ARBA Registrar’s License in 1953 and her ARBA Judges License in 1955 and officiated at many shows throughout the country. Doris has helped many people over the years in Minnesota.
Inducted: 2021
Rene Goedderz
Rene Goedderz ARBA Judges number 636 passed away January 23, 2016. Anyone who had the opportunity to know Rene is well aware that courage and strength were two of Rene’s most pronounced attributes. Rene was a continuous ARBA member since March 7, 1983. She obtained her registrar’s license on May 18, 1988 and her ARBA Judges license on September 7, 1993.
Many of you may not be aware that Rene raised a number of different breeds over the years including Angoras. One cannot think of the Britannia Petite breed without thinking of Rene Goedderz. No one can argue that Rene had a dramatic impact on the Britannia Petite breed and the ABPRS over the years. Rene successfully sponsored the presentations of the Agouti, Chestnut Agouti, Black, Black Otter, Blue-eyed White, Broken and Sable Marten varieties. Rene was President of the ABPRS for the original charter filed with the ARBA in 1990. Rene was the ABPRS President at the time of her passing. She has been a faithful supporter of the breed and the ABPRS throughout her involvement with Britannia Petites. Rene’s passion for the Britannia Petite was unwavering even in the face of opposition to the introduction of varieties other than the original Ruby-eyed White. This showed her courage and strength in the face of adversity. Rene was always quick to voice her opinion but her strong will was matched only by her big heart. We all knew Rene for her accomplishments as a breeder, club officer and ARBA Judge. Rene was not along in her passion for the ARBA as she also fostered a love for the fancy in her family as well. Rene is deeply missed by all who she touched with her spirit, knowledge, humor and passion. Rene’s contributions to the ARBA remain testament to her passion for the fancy and will live through each of the countless lives she has touched. There is little doubt that she and Doc Reed are having spirited conversations about the most recent Britannia Petite varieties right now and eagerly going over the ARBA Standard of perfection.
Rene you are dearly missed!