There has been consideration put forth to change the Holland Lop classes from Broken and Solid to Groups such as the Jersey Woolies have, or even Varieties like the Netherland Dwarfs.
I want to talk about this.
To begin with, a lot of folks feel the groups will promote colors as "torts only win". I find this odd- I've seen a smoke pearl take BOB, I won my first BOSB with a chestnut holland, my second with a broken blue tort. My sable point herd buck has two legs, and the broken siamese sable I sold to Mel in Oklahoma took BOSV- not to mention the various blacks, blues, smoke pearls, otters etc that have won classes or even varieties and breed!
Do "colors" win as often as tort? Of course not. ARE some judges colorblind (as in- if it's not a tort, it doesn't win)? I believe a few are. So what are we going to accomplish by changing the class configuration- sure you'll see a lot more colors, but I worry about the quality going downhill- how many folks will jump on the color band wagon perceiving an "easy win" or "easy legs", since all the group or color variety will need is 3 exhibitors and 5 rabbits. People can easily stack a class/color group to get that.
Secondly, if a colorblind judge is judging the breed, a tort is still going to be the only thing to win breed. So--- other than making it easier to get legs, how has that changed anything? Should an inferior animal get legs just because of the color? NO!
Do I think folks should promote the breed colors? Yes. I am not anti-color. True, if you come to my barn, the majority of my hollands are tort. I don't like REW. I'm not a fan of otter. Sorry. However, you will see sable point, blue tort and siamese sable. Some of my animals carry dilute, others carry REW. In a lot of cases, I'm a simple breeding away from all kinds of colors on *quality* animals. Will I keep them over a tort? ONLY if it's a superior animal in type. I can't stand the phrase "nice...for a color." So- it's an inferior animal, but oh, it's a COLOR so suddenly what would be a pet rabbit in a tort coat is worthy of not only keeping, but breeding? OH! And since the variety managed 5 rabbits and 3 exhibitors, this PET is a GC now? Meh.
Rather than address color concerns, let me raise a different way to change Holland classes- Let's make them junior, intermediate and senior classes.
Oh yeah, I said it.
Rather than keeping my juniors home for a year to a year and a half without being able to show them competitively against 3 year old monster-headed bucks, let's make it to where from 6-10 months, these guys can still show. Why not? There are plenty of other breeds that have three age classes.
In any event, there will be no changes to the Holland Lop classes in the near future. Discussion is still raging though. Where do you stand on the issue? :)
-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry
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2 comments:
Dearest Kristen,
Although I do not have the chance to show my rabbits here, I am all supportive for Body Type. That should be the main priority for Hollands because that is their "trademark". I understand very well when you said that if colored is being passed easily, quality will be at stake and jeopardized.
I can relate very much with you because I see a lot of substandard colored Hollands sold as show quality. If the tort has got overall good standard, it deserves to win hands down. No compromise should be given.
Ultimately, the color should be bred into the tort of good standard not the standard bred into the color.
Although I have a few colored Hollands with me, I must say that there is definitely a lot of work to be done with them. My love is still for all those massive heads and bodies of the TORTS.
I've never shown Hollands, but I have heard the debate on dividing the classes by group or variety. I much prefer your method, adding an intermediate class.
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