Starting Out Showing Holland Lops
The Holland Lop rabbit is a very popular breed of rabbit for both pet and show. With their outgoing and affectionate personalities, friendly temperaments, and faces that look like they ran into a wall, it’s no wonder why! Starting out with show Hollands is an exciting adventure, yet one that requires dedication, patience, investment, understanding, sportsmanship, and much trial and error.
Your First Show Rabbit
You have decided to begin showing/breeding rabbits, have chosen your breed, and are ready for your first bunny. You locate a breeder and purchase a baby show quality Holland that you can bond with and win Grand Champion legs on, right? WRONG! Cute as they are, baby Holland Lops go through many stages of physical development which make it impossible to predict how they will look as seniors. Very established breeders are usually able to look at a 6-week old and have a good idea of what the rabbit may develop into, but the only sure-fire way to know that you are purchasing a show quality rabbit is to begin with an older junior or a senior. True, you may not be able to develop a bond with an older Holland as you would when starting out with a teeny tiny pre-junior, but when you’re showing rabbits, you have to aim for type first, everything else second. (And personally, I think it’s hard not to fall in love with any Holland Lop!)
Showability vs. Show Quality
There is a MAJOR difference between the terms ‘showable’ and ‘show quality’. A showable Holland Lop has no disqualifications that would prevent it from being shown. This means that its coat color should be a recognized color, its teeth properly aligned, its toenails the proper color, etc. A show quality Holland Lop is both showable and possesses physical traits that are desirable, per the Holland Lop standard. It must have enough strong points and few enough faults that its overall conformation is very good – good enough to be competitive with other show quality animals. Be wary of purchasing ‘showable’ babies, and understand that baby Hollands can’t be accurately assessed for quality. A 4-week old kit can't even be shown, so to call it show quality is simply not fair - show potential is more accurate.
You have decided to begin showing/breeding rabbits, have chosen your breed, and are ready for your first bunny. You locate a breeder and purchase a baby show quality Holland that you can bond with and win Grand Champion legs on, right? WRONG! Cute as they are, baby Holland Lops go through many stages of physical development which make it impossible to predict how they will look as seniors. Very established breeders are usually able to look at a 6-week old and have a good idea of what the rabbit may develop into, but the only sure-fire way to know that you are purchasing a show quality rabbit is to begin with an older junior or a senior. True, you may not be able to develop a bond with an older Holland as you would when starting out with a teeny tiny pre-junior, but when you’re showing rabbits, you have to aim for type first, everything else second. (And personally, I think it’s hard not to fall in love with any Holland Lop!)
Showability vs. Show Quality
There is a MAJOR difference between the terms ‘showable’ and ‘show quality’. A showable Holland Lop has no disqualifications that would prevent it from being shown. This means that its coat color should be a recognized color, its teeth properly aligned, its toenails the proper color, etc. A show quality Holland Lop is both showable and possesses physical traits that are desirable, per the Holland Lop standard. It must have enough strong points and few enough faults that its overall conformation is very good – good enough to be competitive with other show quality animals. Be wary of purchasing ‘showable’ babies, and understand that baby Hollands can’t be accurately assessed for quality. A 4-week old kit can't even be shown, so to call it show quality is simply not fair - show potential is more accurate.
Type First!
Holland Lops come in many beautiful colors – chocolates, blues, oranges, sable points, smoke pearls, blue-eyed whites… and the list goes on. However, the most established color of Holland Lops is black tort. Because torts are all over the place, it can be tempting to go for an ‘exotic’ color right away, but always keep this phrase in mind: Type before color! If you are looking for a show quality Holland, you will most likely be looking for something in the tort family (torts come in black, blue, chocolate, and lilac – black and blue torts are the most developed). As the Holland Lop breed continues to improve, the quality of some other colors – self colors like black and blue, for example – is increasing. Just keep in mind that the majority of show quality Holland Lops are torts, and that the animal’s type should be first priority. Furthermore, torts are gorgeous - definitely at the top of my list of favorite colors!
Just as type comes before color, type also comes before temperament. Of course, mean or aggressive animals should never be bred, and no good breeder will ever breed rabbits with such temperaments (e.g. biters). However, not all Hollands are the sweet, cuddly type. I have a buck who is extremely outgoing and friendly, but he hates being flipped over and would never in a million years sit still on an 8-year old’s lap. He would never bite or act aggressively towards anyone, but he’s just not the lovey-dovey type. He does well on the show table, though, and I love his busy self, so has a forever home at my rabbitry. Does commonly become territorial of their space as they reach sexual maturity, and can even display ‘cage aggression’ and become grumpy when pregnant, but that’s just something that has to be put up with when breeding and showing rabbits. Most of my show Hollands would make good companions, but some just wouldn’t quite have the patience or calmness for the pet life. When you’re breeding for show, you’re not going to select the sweetest or most outgoing rabbit – as long as the rabbit isn’t mean, type comes first.
A Word on Cost
With Holland Lops, you basically get what you pay for. Show quality Holland Lops start out at around $50, with your best show quality Hollands at $200+ and top herd bucks at $500+. If you intend to show (and breed) seriously, purchase the best rabbits you can afford. Remember, is doesn't cost any more to feed a $200 rabbit than it does a $20 one.
A Note to 4-H Members
Keep in mind that if you plan on owning only one show quality bunny to show strictly in 4-H, your rabbit is a pet for 364 days of the year. The fair is only a week long, and the rabbit show lasts merely one day. Will you love and care for your rabbit each and every day of the year? If your rabbit doesn't win at the show, will you be unhappy with your pet? First and foremost, your rabbit should be your companion that you will be happy with every day, whether it wins Best in Show or places last in its class.
It’s All Relative
Finally, remember that showing rabbits is extremely subjective. I’ve had rabbits not place at all in one show, and then turn around and win Best of Breed in another show on the same day, just because each show had a different judge. How your rabbit places at each show depends on several different factors, including the number of rabbits being shown, the quality of those rabbits, and the judge. Show rabbits for the love of the animals and the fun of the hobby – not for the glory of winning every time.
Holland Lops are amazing little rabbits with lots of love to give. They’re a hard breed to raise and a hard breed to show, but in the end, the reward that they bring far outweighs the obstacles that you encounter along the way. Go enjoy your Hollands, and have fun at the shows!
Holland Lops come in many beautiful colors – chocolates, blues, oranges, sable points, smoke pearls, blue-eyed whites… and the list goes on. However, the most established color of Holland Lops is black tort. Because torts are all over the place, it can be tempting to go for an ‘exotic’ color right away, but always keep this phrase in mind: Type before color! If you are looking for a show quality Holland, you will most likely be looking for something in the tort family (torts come in black, blue, chocolate, and lilac – black and blue torts are the most developed). As the Holland Lop breed continues to improve, the quality of some other colors – self colors like black and blue, for example – is increasing. Just keep in mind that the majority of show quality Holland Lops are torts, and that the animal’s type should be first priority. Furthermore, torts are gorgeous - definitely at the top of my list of favorite colors!
Just as type comes before color, type also comes before temperament. Of course, mean or aggressive animals should never be bred, and no good breeder will ever breed rabbits with such temperaments (e.g. biters). However, not all Hollands are the sweet, cuddly type. I have a buck who is extremely outgoing and friendly, but he hates being flipped over and would never in a million years sit still on an 8-year old’s lap. He would never bite or act aggressively towards anyone, but he’s just not the lovey-dovey type. He does well on the show table, though, and I love his busy self, so has a forever home at my rabbitry. Does commonly become territorial of their space as they reach sexual maturity, and can even display ‘cage aggression’ and become grumpy when pregnant, but that’s just something that has to be put up with when breeding and showing rabbits. Most of my show Hollands would make good companions, but some just wouldn’t quite have the patience or calmness for the pet life. When you’re breeding for show, you’re not going to select the sweetest or most outgoing rabbit – as long as the rabbit isn’t mean, type comes first.
A Word on Cost
With Holland Lops, you basically get what you pay for. Show quality Holland Lops start out at around $50, with your best show quality Hollands at $200+ and top herd bucks at $500+. If you intend to show (and breed) seriously, purchase the best rabbits you can afford. Remember, is doesn't cost any more to feed a $200 rabbit than it does a $20 one.
A Note to 4-H Members
Keep in mind that if you plan on owning only one show quality bunny to show strictly in 4-H, your rabbit is a pet for 364 days of the year. The fair is only a week long, and the rabbit show lasts merely one day. Will you love and care for your rabbit each and every day of the year? If your rabbit doesn't win at the show, will you be unhappy with your pet? First and foremost, your rabbit should be your companion that you will be happy with every day, whether it wins Best in Show or places last in its class.
It’s All Relative
Finally, remember that showing rabbits is extremely subjective. I’ve had rabbits not place at all in one show, and then turn around and win Best of Breed in another show on the same day, just because each show had a different judge. How your rabbit places at each show depends on several different factors, including the number of rabbits being shown, the quality of those rabbits, and the judge. Show rabbits for the love of the animals and the fun of the hobby – not for the glory of winning every time.
Holland Lops are amazing little rabbits with lots of love to give. They’re a hard breed to raise and a hard breed to show, but in the end, the reward that they bring far outweighs the obstacles that you encounter along the way. Go enjoy your Hollands, and have fun at the shows!
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