Thrown-out 'Chubba' slims down and surprises everyone with victory

As the Benton County Fair wrapped up Saturday, one guinea pig was going home with the title "Best in Show." It was an extraordinary triumph for the furry white creature known as "Chubba Bubba," whose early life hit a hard road. For real.

Around Christmas several years ago, Kay Mattson of Albany was running near Thornton Lakes when she came across what she thought were dead rats in the road. When she saw one move, she realized that the animals were young guinea pigs.

She and her husband, Chris Goldfinger, rescued the two survivors, who they named Bonnie and Clyde.

"They were pretty freaked out," Mattson said.

Mattson thinks they were thrown from a vehicle.

"It was really amazing to me that anybody would do that to an animal," she said.

About two years ago, the daughter of a friend watched Bonnie and Clyde while Mattson and Goldfinger were abroad.

Mattson thought that the girl, Tam Volkmann of Corvallis, would give them a good home, so Bonnie and Clyde started on a new journey.

Tam, now 11, fell in love with the white guinea pigs. She renamed them Chubba Bubba and Hubba Bubba.

But because he too closely resembled his name, Chubba Bubba had to go on a diet before he was entered as a 4-H contender at the 96th Benton County Fair & Rodeo, which finished its four-day run Saturday.

For Chubba Bubba, it could mean a return to larger portions. For the fair, he had to do some training.

"We had to slim him down," said Tam's mom, Kelly Volkmann. "We got a little excited about the feeding."

"He was way too fat," agreed Tam, but no more. "He has a nice long figure, nice shoulders."

His personality is a winner, too.

"He's really nice," Tam said. "He likes to get petted a lot. And he likes to eat. A lot."

Tam has given Chubba Bubba a chance to shine, but he's returned the favor by getting Tam started with 4-H - an organization she said she loves: "It's really good for kids to learn how to take care of animals."

Tam is a member of the Benton County Rabbiteers, the oldest small animal club in the county, which includes guinea pigs, poultry and pigeons.

"The Benton County Rabbiteers turned out to be more time than I expected, but it's been worth every minute," said Tam's father, Skip Volkmann.

As for Chubba Bubba winning "Best in Show? "It certainly was a surprise," Volkmann said.

Club co-leader Lisa Still said that Chubba Bubba's win was unexpected, but not unthinkable.

"They've taken great care of it," she said.

Genetics also play a part in winning Best in Show, she noted.

"Apparently, that was a very nice guinea pig that got dumped," Still said.

Next up for Tam is a rabbit she's buying from a fellow 4-Her.

Would Tam ever consider parting with Chubba Bubba or Hubba Bubba?

"Never," she said. "They're too awesome."