The main characteristics of this breed of rabbit is a short massive-looking body, a big, block-like head, lopped ears, and thick, soft fur. Breeders attempt to make it feel like a basketball with legs, a head, and a tail. Ideally this rabbit should resemble a Bulldog in appearance and tenacity.
Bob Herschbach discovered the Mini Lop breed at a German National Rabbit Show in Essen, Germany in 1972, where it was known as a Klein Widder. These first Mini Lops were originated from the German Big Lop and the small Chinchilla. These two breeds came originally in Agouti and white colors.
German lops were about 8 lb (3.6 kg), slender and large with thick ears. Herschbach, a Mini Lop promoter, achieved the first procreation of Mini Lops in the United States, mainly through breeding an agouti lop pair and a white female lop in 1972. Their first baby lops were solid colors. A second generation came with broken colors. As a result of the breeding process, they began to obtain a high standard of qualities Mini Lop.
In 1974, when Herschbach's Mini Lop rabbits made their debut in an American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA) convention held in Ventura, California. The outcome was that the breed needed to be downsized to a more compact, attractive size. In order to achieve this, Herschbach enlisted the assistance of other breeders by letting them breed more of his Mini Lops. One final touch resulted in changing the breed name from Klein Widders to "Mini Lop" to make it more appealing to the public.
In 1977 the Mini Lop breed was under new sponsorship; Herb Dyke was the person in charge of this task.
In 1978, Herschbach and Dyke created a correspondence club for the Mini Lops. Within a year, they had over 500 members who had contacted the ARBA with support for the Mini Lop rabbit. In 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the National Rabbit Convention, this breed marked its success when it was recognized as an official rabbit breed sanctioned by ARBA.
Shortly after, the Mini Lop Club of America was founded to promote it.
In popular media
Bun-bun, the obligatory cute talking animal of the popular web comic Sluggy Freelance, is a Mini Lop rabbit. In addition to being cute (looking) and able to talk, Bun-bun has a keen mind, a bad attitude, and a switchblade. Bun-bun's origin probably lies in the comic's creator, Pete Abrams, attempting to humorously juxtapose a cute animal with a personality that was quick to resort to dry-witted disrespect and violence. The mini lop has since become one of Sluggy Freelance's most popular characters.
Showing Mini-Lops
Colors
Agouti: Chinchilla (black, blue chocolate, lilac, sable, or smoke pearl basic colors) Chestnut Agouti Lynx Opal
Broken: Broken - any one color recognised color mixed with white Tri-colored
Pointed white group: White body with black blue chocolate or lilac tips(nose, ears, feet, legs, and tail)
Self Group: Black Blue Chocolate Lilac White
Shaded Group Frosted Pearl Sable Seal point Seal Smoke Pearl Tortoise
Ticked Group Silver/Silver Fox Steel
Wide Band Group Cream Fawn Orange Red
Schedule of points according to the ARBA Standard of Perfection:
General Type 80
- Body 43
- Head 20
- Ears and crown 12
- Feet, Legs & Bone 5
Fur 10 Color & Markings 5 Condition 5
Weight Limits and showroom classes according to ARBA's Standard of Perfection:
- Senior Bucks- 6 months of age and older, weight 4 1/2 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs
- Senior Does- 6 months of age and older, weight 4 1/2 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs
- Junior Bucks and Does- Under 6 months, weight 3 lbs to 6 lbs
