The American Fuzzy Lop
Copied in part from the AFLRC Breed Guidebook
The background of the American Fuzzy Lop is interwoven with the history of the Holland Lop. When first introduced, the Holland Lop rabbit was only available in solid colors, and some breeders wanted to add the broken pattern to the Holland Lop gene pool. The breeders bred Holland Lops to French Angoras, and achieved a very gentle rollback coat required for Holland Lops and the desired broken colors. The result of these manipulations was also the wool gene was also introduced into the Holland Lop gene pool and a Holland with long wool was occasionally found in Holland Lop litters. These were generally sold to people who were enchanted with a small wooled lop-eared rabbit.
The pioneer American Fuzzy Lop breeders, including Patty Greene-Karl and Gary Fellers of the east coast and Kim Landry and Margaret Miller of the west coast, noted the marketability of the fuzzy Hollands. Patty Greene-Karl is credited with realizing that the "fuzzy" gene was recessive, so that mating two Holland Lops carrying this gene resulted in a certain percentage of the offspring (theoretically 25%) with wool. Patty decided to develop these rabbits as a new breed, named the American Fuzzy Lop. After working for four years on the development of Fuzzies, she presented her rabbits to the ARBA for the first showing of the new breed at the 1985 ARBA Convention in Houston, Texas. Three separate standards for wooled lops were received from three different individuals, but only the American Fuzzy Lop presented by Patty was granted a working standard.
The original standard called for a maximum weight of 4 ¾ lb with the ideal weight of 3 ¾ lb, a rabbit designed to have the body type, ear carriage, and size of a Holland Lop, combined with a short, easily maintained wool. At the 1986 ARBA Convention in Columbus, Ohio, the American Fuzzy Lop was presented for its second showing, and again passed. At its third showing at the 1987 ARBA Convention in Portland, Oregon, the ARBA Standards Committee did not approve the breed. They stated a lack of uniformity from one animal to another. A new working standard was written by Jeff Hardin at the request of Patty, which was accepted. The revised standard basically described a wooled Holland, calling for a maximum weight of 4 pounds, and an ideal weight of 3 1/2 lb In 1988, ARBA requested only the breed sponsor be allowed to bring her Fuzzy Lops to Convention in Madison, Wisconsin because of limited cage space. The American Fuzzy Lop had to pass that year to become a recognized breed or else its proponents would have to start the procedure all over again. Fortunately, Patty’s presentation passed at this Convention, and the American Fuzzy Lop became a new recognized breed.
General Breed Information:
Maximum body weight: Senior 4 pounds / Junior 3 1/2 pounds
Juniors may not be shown in a senior class until the age of six months. The ideal mature Fuzzy Lop weight is 3 1/2 pounds. Fuzzies are judged in either the solid or broken class. 'Broken' means any acceptable color in combination with white.
Purchasing Your First Fuzzy:
The first thing to consider is type. There are 75 points on type in the ARBA Standard of Perfection. The body should be compact and cobby, with width equal to height at the shoulders, loin and hips. The spinal column is not to be prominent nor should the hip/pin bones stand out. The body must feel very smooth and well-muscled. As you slide your hands from the shoulders they should not catch on the hips. As you slide your hands down the hips to the feet they should not angle in. The head is to present the appearance of a round ball with a flat face. It is massive in appearance and set at mid-height and close to the shoulders. The Fuzzy should not appear to have a neck. Ears are to hang straight down, carried close to the cheeks and extending 1/2 to 1 inch below the jaw. They are covered in regular fur.
The adult wool should be very dense, but not felting or 'angora' type wool. Guard hairs must be well distributed throughout, making it a very easy care coat for a wooled rabbit. The wool is to feel full of life without being excessively soft or silky. There is a minimum length of 1-1/2 inches, with a 2 inch length being preferred. The junior coat differs from the mature senior coat as it will have fewer guard hairs, making it softer and more angora-like. This softness may cause easy matting and will require more grooming to remain tangle free. By the age of six months this softer wool should be molted out and the senior texture should be displayed. A senior animal with a junior-type coat may be disqualified from competition.
There are presently nineteen accepted colors in the American Fuzzy Lop, although many other shades can be found in the rabbitry. If you want to purchase a show-quality animal, make sure it is an accepted color. These include: blue, chestnut, chinchilla, lynx, opal, squirrel, pointed white, blue-eyed white, chocolate, lilac, ruby-eyed white, sable point, siamese sable, siamese smoke pearl, tortoise shell (black & blue), fawn, black and orange.
American Rabbit Breeders Association
American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit Club
The pioneer American Fuzzy Lop breeders, including Patty Greene-Karl and Gary Fellers of the east coast and Kim Landry and Margaret Miller of the west coast, noted the marketability of the fuzzy Hollands. Patty Greene-Karl is credited with realizing that the "fuzzy" gene was recessive, so that mating two Holland Lops carrying this gene resulted in a certain percentage of the offspring (theoretically 25%) with wool. Patty decided to develop these rabbits as a new breed, named the American Fuzzy Lop. After working for four years on the development of Fuzzies, she presented her rabbits to the ARBA for the first showing of the new breed at the 1985 ARBA Convention in Houston, Texas. Three separate standards for wooled lops were received from three different individuals, but only the American Fuzzy Lop presented by Patty was granted a working standard.
The original standard called for a maximum weight of 4 ¾ lb with the ideal weight of 3 ¾ lb, a rabbit designed to have the body type, ear carriage, and size of a Holland Lop, combined with a short, easily maintained wool. At the 1986 ARBA Convention in Columbus, Ohio, the American Fuzzy Lop was presented for its second showing, and again passed. At its third showing at the 1987 ARBA Convention in Portland, Oregon, the ARBA Standards Committee did not approve the breed. They stated a lack of uniformity from one animal to another. A new working standard was written by Jeff Hardin at the request of Patty, which was accepted. The revised standard basically described a wooled Holland, calling for a maximum weight of 4 pounds, and an ideal weight of 3 1/2 lb In 1988, ARBA requested only the breed sponsor be allowed to bring her Fuzzy Lops to Convention in Madison, Wisconsin because of limited cage space. The American Fuzzy Lop had to pass that year to become a recognized breed or else its proponents would have to start the procedure all over again. Fortunately, Patty’s presentation passed at this Convention, and the American Fuzzy Lop became a new recognized breed.
General Breed Information:
Maximum body weight: Senior 4 pounds / Junior 3 1/2 pounds
Juniors may not be shown in a senior class until the age of six months. The ideal mature Fuzzy Lop weight is 3 1/2 pounds. Fuzzies are judged in either the solid or broken class. 'Broken' means any acceptable color in combination with white.
Purchasing Your First Fuzzy:
The first thing to consider is type. There are 75 points on type in the ARBA Standard of Perfection. The body should be compact and cobby, with width equal to height at the shoulders, loin and hips. The spinal column is not to be prominent nor should the hip/pin bones stand out. The body must feel very smooth and well-muscled. As you slide your hands from the shoulders they should not catch on the hips. As you slide your hands down the hips to the feet they should not angle in. The head is to present the appearance of a round ball with a flat face. It is massive in appearance and set at mid-height and close to the shoulders. The Fuzzy should not appear to have a neck. Ears are to hang straight down, carried close to the cheeks and extending 1/2 to 1 inch below the jaw. They are covered in regular fur.
The adult wool should be very dense, but not felting or 'angora' type wool. Guard hairs must be well distributed throughout, making it a very easy care coat for a wooled rabbit. The wool is to feel full of life without being excessively soft or silky. There is a minimum length of 1-1/2 inches, with a 2 inch length being preferred. The junior coat differs from the mature senior coat as it will have fewer guard hairs, making it softer and more angora-like. This softness may cause easy matting and will require more grooming to remain tangle free. By the age of six months this softer wool should be molted out and the senior texture should be displayed. A senior animal with a junior-type coat may be disqualified from competition.
There are presently nineteen accepted colors in the American Fuzzy Lop, although many other shades can be found in the rabbitry. If you want to purchase a show-quality animal, make sure it is an accepted color. These include: blue, chestnut, chinchilla, lynx, opal, squirrel, pointed white, blue-eyed white, chocolate, lilac, ruby-eyed white, sable point, siamese sable, siamese smoke pearl, tortoise shell (black & blue), fawn, black and orange.
American Rabbit Breeders Association
American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit Club