History of the German Lop

The breed was created in Germany, working to a specific breeding plan, rather than a spontaneous mutation as some new breeds have been.

French Lops were popular, but in the 1950’s German fanciers were finding difficulty in having enough space to keep the really large varieties and thus set about creating an intermediate lop – somewhere between the French and Dwarf varieties. Thus they started to breed French Lop and Netherland Dwarves together. In order to increase vitality, other breeds were introduced at a later stage.

An international show in Saarbrucken, West Germany, in 1960 saw the German Lop on the show bench for the first time. The breed was standardised in Germany in 1970. From that time onwards the variety was exposed, became popular and standardised in other countries e.g Netherlands in 1976 and Switzerland in 1984.

Evelyne Van Vliet started to breed German Lops in Holland around 1980. Later, along with the late Dave Cannon, she arranged for the initial stock to be imported into this country. Stock arrived in Great Britain on the 23rd April 1987, and came out of quarantine on the 23rd October. The initial stock was agouti’s, and were immediately adopted as an unstandardised variety by the Rare Varieties Rabbit Club, and the classes were staged at their stock shows. Evelyne and David started to show and other fanciers, namely Malcolm and his late wife Diane Powell, Christine and Bill Brake (Driftwood Stud), Janet Bee, Clarice Pell and Annette Pollock (Clarinette Lops) and Sheila Burrows (Sentinael Stud), were soon attracted to the Germans. Blacks, Steels and Butterflies were imported between 1987 and 1990, followed by whites in 1993. Sooty Fawn and Chinchilla where then imported and most recently the colours red and blue eyed white have been imported.

German Lop Standard

After due deliberation by the RVRC Standards Committee, full committee and the members ballot, the following standard was drawn up and presented to the British Rabbit Council. It was accepted and became Operative from the 1st of January 1991.

Points

1) Overall type and shape 30

2) Head and Crown 20

3) Ears 20

4) Coat 15

5) Colour or pattern 10

6) Condition 5

TOTAL 100

DESIRED WEIGHT - Adult, minimum 6½lb - maximum 8½lbs)

RING SIZE: L

1) Type - very cobby, massive and muscular. The neck on a good German lop should not be visible. Ideally it should be equally as broad in the shoulders as the hindquarters. From a short nape the line of the back should rise in a slight curve to a well muscled rump which should be short and well-rounded. The front legs are short, straight and thick. The hind legs should lay parallel to the rump and not jutting out when resting. A dewlap in does is permissible.

2) Head - the head should be strongly developed with a distinct width between the eyes. The German Lop should have a roman nose appearance with well-developed cheeks.

3) Ears - The ears should be broad, thick and of good substance, they rise from a strong ridge called the crown on top of the head, carried closely to the cheeks, with the opening turned inwards. The ears should hang down straight just behind the eyes without being carried forwards or backwards. Ear length, measured across the skull, minimum 11inches - maximum 14 inches.

4) Coat - The fur is of normal length, very dense with strong guard hairs.

5) Colour or Pattern - all recognised colours are accepted as well as the butterfly pattern.

6) Condition - firm in flesh, good coat, free from any signs of disease

DISQUALIFICATIONS - weight over 3.855kg (8 1/2lb). Putty nose on butterfly pattern. White patches on coloured rabbits.

Only 2 points caused great debate – weight and colour.

Continental weights were roughly 6¾ lbs to 8lbs. As can be seen in the standard, the weights were not greatly altered, but a disqualification of 8 ½ lbs was introduced in order to avoid any confusion with the French Lop. The standards committee and the full committee voted to accept the agouti colour only. However, the full ballot of members overturned this and voted to accept all recognised colours. The accepted colours on the continent being agouti, black, white, black and blue steel, madagascar, chinchilla and fawn, with the butterfly pattern also.

(Metric measurements and weight were added to a later breed standard.)

Breeding, Feeding and Housing

Shortly after the German Lop came into this country an excellent leaflet was produced by Dave and Evelyne, and I quote from it as follows:

‘The German Lop is very lively, but at the same time, a rather quiet rabbit. The does make very good mothers and can be bred from seven to eight months onwards. The number of babies in litters range from four to eight.

The German Lop is a very productive and fast growing rabbit. Babies reach their minimum adult weight easily within sixteen weeks. After sixteen weeks they are satisfied with a small yoghurt carton of rabbit mixture, good hay, and water. Obviously greens and roots can be supplied at the same time. Another positive point about this breed is that it can be shown successfully for a few years. Being a reasonably sized rabbit, hutches should be around 2’6” x 2’6” with does and litters obviously needing something larger. They will exist equally well indoors or outdoors.’

Progress

The initial breeders put the German Lop on the map at the shows. Janet Bee was the first to win a CC (AOV Fancy) with her Agouti German Lop on the first day of standardisation, 1st January 1991. Dave Cannon won the first BiS and the first London BoB with agoutis. Driftwood Stud won the first Bradford BoB and Best Rare Variety with an Agouti. Diane and Malcolm Powell owned the first German Lop to take BiS at a championship show – London – this time with a White. These breeders helped in the foundation of many of today’s German Lop stud’s, and went on to take many top award at shows, with two of the above continuing to do so.

Over the years several other breeders have taken on the German Lop, either as a first or second breed. There has been a steady increase in numbers, and more classes have been put on at local and championship shows. A National club was formed in 1997, and one can only hope the breed will go from strength to strength. Thanks to Janet Bee for allowing me to reproduce and update the original article written by her late husband Keith Bee.

Christine Brake