© Copyright 2007 - 2010 | National Miniature Lop Rabbit Club | All rights reserved World Wide
Website Design © 2010 | BHD | Breeder Homepage Design | Email BHD
Website Design © 2010 | BHD | Breeder Homepage Design | Email BHD
Secretary:
Denise Laidlow
West Kintocher Cottage,
Kintocher, Crieff,
Scotland
PH7 3NQ
Tel: 01764 683356 EMAIL
Denise Laidlow
West Kintocher Cottage,
Kintocher, Crieff,
Scotland
PH7 3NQ
Tel: 01764 683356 EMAIL
1995 - 2010 15th Anniversary Year
The early days of the breed in the UK
The Miniature Lop as we know it today had a less than conventional start in the UK. The very early rabbits came from two sources. The lops bred down from our own Dwarf Lops (which in effect were the first Miniature Lops in the UK, but were allowed to grow in size) which were known as British Mini Lops and the newer imports which were arriving in from the continent in the late 1980's which were gave the name Holland Lops
With the formation of the new National Specialist Club for the breed, came a new name. That of the MINIATURE LOP.
Standardisation
On the 1st August 1994, the British Rabbit Council granted the Miniature Lop, breed status and along with this came the opportunity to compete in with the rest of the standardised rabbits in the UK for CC's, Best of Breeds and ultimately, Best In Shows.
The first CC for the breed was awarded at Cartmel Agricultural show on the 4th August and it went to a Red Eyed White belonging to Shaun & Michelle Lewis. From then on it the road was set and the race had begun. It wasnt to be long before the first Best In Show award would be given to a Miniature Lop in the UK.
The First BIS
Just over one month after gaining BRC recognition, the first BIS award was won by a Miniature Lop. It was at the Yorkshire & Humberside Lop Circles breed club stock show under judges Sue & Dave Gaunt (husband & wife). The award was won by a REW import belonging to Phil Batey which had just come out of quarantine in the July of that year. This Best In Show was to become the first of a string of BiS awards for this rabbit. He won TEN in all which was a record held for quite some time.
The NMLRC gets affiliation
The first meeting of the new committee was held at Bradford Championship show on January 28th 1995 and the club was formally granted affiliation to the BRC on January 28th. From here on in, the rest, as they, is history.
The club now boast a very healthy membrship of around 300 who are scattered from the far north of Scotland to the very South Coast of the UK. We also have members from the country of origin (Holland) and from the United States as well.
The Miniature Lop as we know it today had a less than conventional start in the UK. The very early rabbits came from two sources. The lops bred down from our own Dwarf Lops (which in effect were the first Miniature Lops in the UK, but were allowed to grow in size) which were known as British Mini Lops and the newer imports which were arriving in from the continent in the late 1980's which were gave the name Holland Lops
With the formation of the new National Specialist Club for the breed, came a new name. That of the MINIATURE LOP.
Standardisation
On the 1st August 1994, the British Rabbit Council granted the Miniature Lop, breed status and along with this came the opportunity to compete in with the rest of the standardised rabbits in the UK for CC's, Best of Breeds and ultimately, Best In Shows.
The first CC for the breed was awarded at Cartmel Agricultural show on the 4th August and it went to a Red Eyed White belonging to Shaun & Michelle Lewis. From then on it the road was set and the race had begun. It wasnt to be long before the first Best In Show award would be given to a Miniature Lop in the UK.
The First BIS
Just over one month after gaining BRC recognition, the first BIS award was won by a Miniature Lop. It was at the Yorkshire & Humberside Lop Circles breed club stock show under judges Sue & Dave Gaunt (husband & wife). The award was won by a REW import belonging to Phil Batey which had just come out of quarantine in the July of that year. This Best In Show was to become the first of a string of BiS awards for this rabbit. He won TEN in all which was a record held for quite some time.
The NMLRC gets affiliation
The first meeting of the new committee was held at Bradford Championship show on January 28th 1995 and the club was formally granted affiliation to the BRC on January 28th. From here on in, the rest, as they, is history.
The club now boast a very healthy membrship of around 300 who are scattered from the far north of Scotland to the very South Coast of the UK. We also have members from the country of origin (Holland) and from the United States as well.
The National Miniature Lop Rabbit Club has been very proud of the fact that, since its formation, its Officers, Committee and Members have worked very closely together to encourage new members and towards the improvement of the breed. In the early days there were very few rabbits which met the standard, many were of poor type and going over the wieght limit. Also the good exapmles of the breed were owned by only a small handful of people and many of our members were pleased to go home from a show with a prize card at all. But they persevered with their breeding and gradually the better stock moved around the country from breeder to breeder, sometimes at very little cost. For the most part, advice, information and stock which has been passed around has been first class. This has allowed the breed to improve out of all recognition and the Miniature Lop can hold its own with the best.
Other Historical Miniature Lops
Following on from the first Best In Show winner we can look towards other landmark victories for the Miniature Lop. The first Best Fancy at a General Championship show was won by another Ruskin rabbit, although not owned by Phil Batey this time. Ruskin's Trooper was a REW son of the first UK BiS winner, Thor and bred by Phil but owned by Paul & Rosemary Harper from Cannock in Staffordshire. Sheryl Faint was to become the first person to win a National Breed Club Best In Show award which she did with a young Agouti at the NMLRC first ever stock show held at the Lancashire Championship Show in Bacup, Lancashire under judge - Jane Bramley. Peter Faint (Sheryl's father) was the next breeder to make history with the breed by winning the first General Championship Show Best In Show award. This came about in 1998 at the Scottish Rabbit Club Championship show on the same day as Phil Batey judged it and made him BiS in the National Miniature Lop Clubs stock show. This rabbit was a Black and was called The Cannon and was a formidable rabbit for a couple of years, taking quite a few more BiS awards along the way. London Championship Show 1999 was to become the best finale of the old millenium that any breeder of Miniature Lops could have wished for. The first 5* Best In Show win. This great accolade went to a young adult Agouti buck called 'Morris' which belonged to Sue Carlile of Solo Stud. The Miniature Lop had certainly by now been accepted as a force to be reckoned with and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Other Historical Miniature Lops
Following on from the first Best In Show winner we can look towards other landmark victories for the Miniature Lop. The first Best Fancy at a General Championship show was won by another Ruskin rabbit, although not owned by Phil Batey this time. Ruskin's Trooper was a REW son of the first UK BiS winner, Thor and bred by Phil but owned by Paul & Rosemary Harper from Cannock in Staffordshire. Sheryl Faint was to become the first person to win a National Breed Club Best In Show award which she did with a young Agouti at the NMLRC first ever stock show held at the Lancashire Championship Show in Bacup, Lancashire under judge - Jane Bramley. Peter Faint (Sheryl's father) was the next breeder to make history with the breed by winning the first General Championship Show Best In Show award. This came about in 1998 at the Scottish Rabbit Club Championship show on the same day as Phil Batey judged it and made him BiS in the National Miniature Lop Clubs stock show. This rabbit was a Black and was called The Cannon and was a formidable rabbit for a couple of years, taking quite a few more BiS awards along the way. London Championship Show 1999 was to become the best finale of the old millenium that any breeder of Miniature Lops could have wished for. The first 5* Best In Show win. This great accolade went to a young adult Agouti buck called 'Morris' which belonged to Sue Carlile of Solo Stud. The Miniature Lop had certainly by now been accepted as a force to be reckoned with and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The Mini Lop Story so far in the UK