Lionhead Rabbit Working Standard 

Gail Gibbons (activated 2007)

Gail's Varieties:  Chestnut, REW, Sable Point, Siamese Sable, Tortoise (Black)

Additional COD Varieties:  Black, Blue, Blue Point, Chocolate, Chocolate Chestnut, Chinchilla, 

Lilac, Opal, Orange, Otter (all 4 varieties), Pointed White (all 4 varieties), Sable Marten, 

Smoke Pearl, Smoke Pearl Marten, Seal, Squirrel, Tortoise (Blue), Tortoise (Chocolate)

 

SCHEDULE OF POINTS:

GENERAL TYPE.............................................................40

Body.....................................25

 Head.......................................10

Ears..........................................5

FUR..................................................................................45

Mane.....................................30

Coat.......................................15

COLOR...........................................................................10

CONDITION......................................................................5

TOTAL...........................................................................................100

 

Showroom Classes & Weights:

Senior Bucks & Does:

6 months of age and over, not over 3 3/4 pounds. Ideal weight 3 1/2 pounds.

Junior Bucks & Does:  

Under 6 months of age, not over 3 1/4 pounds. Minimum weight 1 5/8 pounds.

NOTE: Juniors which exceed maximum weight limits may be shown in higher age classifications. No animal may be shown in a lower age classification than it's true age.

 

General Type:

Body - 25 Points: The body is to be short, compact, and well rounded. The shoulders and chest are to be broad and well filled, with broad shoulders matching the hindquarters.  The depth at the shoulders should round back to broad, deep, & well rounded hindquarters. The lower hips should be well filled. They should have a high head mount. Legs should be of medium length and medium bone relative to the size of the animal. Stance to be high enough to show full chest and mane.

            NOTE: This is a posed breed and is NOT shown with it's head on the table.

 Faults: Long, narrow body; flatness over shoulders or hips; chopped off or undercut hindquarters;  

    any specimen that shows raciness; low head set.   

                                                              

HEAD - 10 Points: The head should be bold, with good width between the eyes.  The muzzle should be well filled. The head should be attached to the body with a high head mount and no visible neck. There should be a slight roundness between the eyes, but the head is not to be round from all directions. Eyes should be bright and bold.  Eye color as described in the individual variety.

 

    Faults:   Long, narrow head; pointed or weak muzzle;  low headset.

                                                               

EARS - 5 points: Ears are to be short, well set on top of head, erect, well furred, and of good substance with a strong ear base. They are to be rounded at the tips. Ears should balance with the head and body.  When relaxed, ears will be carried in a slight "V".  

    

     Faults:  Ears that are pointed, lack furring, or do not balance with the body.

    Disqualifications:  Ears that exceed 3 1/2 inches in length.  Wool  more than 1/2 way up the ear.

 

 

FUR & WOOL:

MANE - 30 Points: The mane is to be wool. It should be a strong wavy wool with a guard hair tip.  Crimping of the wool is especially evident in the junior animals.  The prominent portion of the mane (top and sides near the ears) should be at least two inches in length on senior animals. The mane is to form a full circle around the head, extending to a "V" at the back of the neck. The wool of the mane should be dense enough to make the mane full and prominent.  It may fall into a fringe between the ears or form a wool cap across the brow.  Any wool in front of the ears should enhance the prominence of the mane, but not obscure the eye.  The face below the wool cap should be clean of wool.  The side trimmings and chest wool may be noticeably longer. 

 

    Faults:  A mane that is thin in appearance or has gaps; a gradual change on the forehead  between the eyes 

    and ears from normal fur to the wool of the mane.

    Disqualifications:  Breaks in the mane.  A mane that consists of normal fur instead of wool. 

    Wool longer than 1 inch between the eyes.

 

COAT - 15 Points: (ROLLBACK) The fur should be soft, dense, of medium length and prime. It should show lots of life and glossiness. Ideally, the saddle, flanks, & rump of the animal should be clean of wool.  Transition wool is allowed on the lower rear sides and rump of juniors and seniors.  Transition wool is defined as a significantly shorter wool found on the hips and face.  Transition wool is not to exceed 2 inches.  

 

    Faults: Fur that is long, thin, or poor in texture; Excessive wool on the flanks of a junior animal.

    Disqualifications:  Wool across the saddle on junior or senior animals.  Lack of a distinct break between

    wool of mane and any wool on the flanks.  

 

COLOR - 10 Points: The fur and eye color to be described under each variety.

 

CONDITION - 5 Points: As per ARBA definition.

Judging is to be by classes of sex and age in each variety, with Best and Best Opposite of Sex of each variety being selected. The Best of Breed and Best Opposite Sex are to be selected from the BOV and BOSV.

 Image Shows Correct Stance

 And Ideal of No Flank Wool

 

 

COLOR DESCRIPTIONS:

BLACK: The surface color is to be rich, jet black over the entire animal and extending well down the hair shaft.  The undercolor is to be a dark slate-blue.  Eyes - Brown.  

Faults: Fault animals for having faded color, scattered white hairs or light undercolor. 

(Included on the SECOND CERTIFICATE  - Theresa Mueller)

BLUE POINT:  The points (nose, ears, feet, & tail) are to be a medium bluish-gray color.  The point color fades to a light creamy white body free from smut or dark shading, to contrast with the darker points.  Undercolor should be a creamy white.  Darker shading it permissible around the eyes.  Eyes:  Blue-Gray.  

Faults:  Streaks, blotches, or smut on the body; brown (sepia) tinge to points; points too light to contrast well with the body color; scattered white hairs.  

Disqualifications from Competition:  White on the underside of the tail; any marten type markings.  

(Included on the FOURTH CERTIFICATE - Lynne Schultz)

 

CHESTNUT AGOUTI:  The surface color on the top sides of the body is to be light brown, ticked with black.  The intermediate band is to be a well-defined orange over a dark slate-blue undercolor.  The chest is to be light brown over a dark slate-blue undercolor.  The undercolor of the belly is to be slate-blue.  The top of the tail is to be black, sparsely ticked with light brown, over a dark slate-blue undercolor.  The nape of the neck is to be orange, with ears laced in black.  Eyes - Brown. 

Faults:  Animals that are too light in color of the intermediary band or undercolor, or are too light or dark in surface color.

(Included on the FIRST CERTIFICATE - Gail Gibbons) 

 

CHOCOLATE AGOUTI:  The surface color on the top and sides of the body is to be a rich chestnut brown, ticked with chocolate tipped guard hairs.  The intermediate band is to be tan over a dove gray undercolor.  The chest is to be a light brown over a dove gray undercolor.  The top of the tail is to be chocolate, sparsely ticked with tan, over a dove gray undercolor.  The nape of the neck is to be tan, with the ears laced in chocolate.  Toenails to be uniform and dark.  An allowance is to be made for distortion of ring color in mane and transitional wool areas.  Eyes - Brown  Faults:  Fault animals that are too light or too dark in surface color, or too light in the color of the intermediary band or undercolor.  

(Included on the SEVENTH CERTIFICATE - Antia Moore)

CHINCHILLA:  The surface and sides of the body is to be pearl white ticked with jet black.  The intermediary band is to be a well defined pearl white over a dark slate-blue undercolor.  The chest is to be a pearl white over a slate-blue undercolor.  The undercolor of the belly is to be a slate blue.  The top of the tails is to be black, sparsely ticked with white, over a dark slate-blue undercolor.  The nape of the neck is to be white with the ears laced in black.  Toenails to be uniform and dark.  An allowance is to be made for distortion of the ring color in the mane and transitional wool areas.  Eyes - Brown. 

Faults:  Fault animals that are too light or too dark in surface color, or too light in the color of the intermediary band or undercolor.  Brown patches or brownish intermediary bands are undesireable.  

Disqualifications from Competition:  Disqualify animals with extreme dark or light color, brown patches of color, or extreme brownish tinge in ring color.  Animals without black lacing on ears are to be disqualified.

(Included on the SEVENTH CERTIFICATE - Antia Moore)

 

LILAC:  The surface color is to be dove-gray with a pinkish tint over the entire animal and extending well down the hair shaft.  The undercolor is to be a pale dove-gray.  Toenails may be light but not white and must be uniform.  Eyes - Blue-Gray.  Ruby cast permissible but not desirable.  

Faults:  Faded or rusty color or scattered white hairs.  

(Included on the FIFTH CERTIFICATE - Lee Nevills)

 

OPAL:  The surface color on the top and sides of the body is to be medium blue mingled with fawn and is to carry as uniformly as possible down the sides of the body.  The intermediary band on the hair shaft of the surface color is to be fawn over a medium slate-blue undercolor.  The head, ears, legs, and feet, are to match the surface color of the body.  The chest is to be fawn over a medium slate-blue undercolor.  The underside of the tail and around the vent are white to the skin.  The foot pads, around the nostrils, eyes, and inner surface of the ears are to be white.  The top of the tail is to be a medium blue, sparsely ticked with fawn, over a medium slate-blue undercolor.  The nape of the neck is to be fawn.  The belly is to have a white surface color (except where lap spots appear), back of forelegs, inside of hind legs, top of hind feet, and underside of lower jaw.  The undercolor of the belly is to be slate-blue.  Toenails to be medium to dark and must be uniform.  Eyes - Blue-gray.  

Faults:  Light surface color, light color in the intermediary band, or light in undercolor.  

Disqualifications from Competition:  White undercolor. 

(An allowance is to be made for color band distortion in the mane and transitional wool areas)  

(Included on the FIFTH CERTIFICATE - Lee Nevills)

 

ORANGE:  Surface color is to be a bright golden color, extending well down the hair shaft and carried evenly over the head, outer ear, front of foreleg, outside of the hind legs, and top of tail.  Chest color is to be consistant with the body surface color.   Belly, back of forelegs, inside of hind legs, top of hind feet, and underside of lower jaw is to be white with an off-white undercolor.  Lap spots should be present.  Underside of the tail and vent area, inside of ear, eye circles, and under nostrils should be white.  Eyes - Brown.  

Faults:  Fault severely for smut or ticking on body or lacing on ears, lack of lap spots, color faded or washed out in appearance.

(Included on the FOURTH CERTIFICATE - Lynne Schultz)

 

OTTER:  Black, Blue, Chocolate and Lilac compete together.  Otters should not be judged as a marked variety.  Markings are to be the final consideration after type, fur and body color. Surface & Under Color:  The  surface & under color of the head outside of the ears, front of the fore feet, outside of the hind feet, and the top and sides of the body are to be as described in the respective self varieties. Markings:  Black and Chocolate animals will have orange to creamy orange marking color, while Blue and Lilac animals will have fawn markings and ticking color.  The belly nostrils, eye circles, jowls, underside of the tail, inside of the ears, back of the fore feet and the inside of the hind feet and legs are to be creamy white, highlighted by an orange or fawn marking as it meets the self color of the body.  The border color between the belly and flanks shall continue down to the hind feet as it meets the color of the body.  The undercolor of the belly is to be as described in the respective self varieties.  The triangle and collar are to be orange to creamy white.  No ticking is preferred.  The eye color is to be as described in the respective self varieties.
Faults:  Brown or rusty tinge on body color; orange to creamy orange hairs in areas other than the patterned areas; mealiness on the ears, head, muzzle; faded or indistinct markings.  Scattered white hairs over the body.
(Included on the SIXTH CERTIFICATE - Regina Mayhugh)

 

POINTED WHITE:  Body color is to be pure white.  Markings may be Black, Blue, Chocolate, or Lilac, and must be present on the nose, ears, feet, & tail.  Allowances should be made for developing color on juniors.  Toenails must show color.  Eyes - Pink.  

Faults:  Markings extremely faded, frosted appearance to the marking color.  

Disqualifications from Competition:  Any Tan Pattern marking appearing in the marking pattern.  

(Included on the THIRD CERTIFICATE - Dawn Guth)

 

REW:  Color is to be pure white and uniform throughout.  Eyes - Pink.

(Included on the FIRST CERTIFICATE - Gail Gibbons) 

 

SABLE POINT:  Color on the nose, ears, feet, legs, and tail is to be a rich sepia brown color.  The marking color is to shade rapidly to a brown body color.  The entire upper body is to be a creamy brown color, with a lighter, almost white, undercolor.  A slightly deeper body color may occur along the saddle but is not desireable.  The ideal is an animal whose surface color is light enough to give good contrast with the point color.  Eyes - Brown  

Faults:  Blotchy surface color on body, markings too light to provide good contrast with the body.

(Included on the FIRST CERTIFICATE - Gail Gibbons)

 

SABLE MARTEN: The surface color of the head, outside of the ears, back, outside of the legs, and the top of the tail is to be a rich sepia brown with a slightly lighter undercolor. The surface color will fade to a lighter sepia on the sides and chest. All blending of color is to be gradual and free from blotches and streaks. The nostrils, eye circles, jowls, inside of ears, triangle, collar, back of fore feet, inside of hind legs, belly and the underside of the tail are to be a silver-white in color. Prominent silver-white guard hairs are to be evenly distributed around the chest, sides, and lowers hindquarters. Eyes- Brown.
(Included on the SIXTH CERTIFICATE - Regina Mayhugh)

 

SEAL:  Color is to be a rich sepia brown (bordering on black) on the saddle from the nape of the neck to the tail, shading to a just slightly lighter tint on the flank, chest, and belly.  Color is to carry well down the hair shaft with undercolor to match shadings throughout.  Toenails must be a uniform dark brown.  Eyes - Brown.  Ruby cast permissible, but not desirable. 

(Included on the FIFTH CERTIFICATE - Lee Nevills)

 

SIAMESE SABLE:  The surface color is to be a rich sepia brown on the head, ears, back, outside of legs, and top of the tail.  The surface color will fade to a lighter sepia on the sides, chest, belly, inside of legs, and underside of tail.  Dark face color is to fade from eyes to the jaws and all blending of the color is to be gradual and free of blotches or streaks.  The under color will be slightly lighter than the surface color.  Eyes - Brown.  

Faults:  Animal with streaks, blotched, poor color blending.  Scattered white hair, or lack of darker color in the loin area.  

Disqualifications from competition:  White underside on the tail, martenized markings  

(Included on the FIRST CERTIFICATE - Gail Gibbons)

 

SMOKE PEARL:  Color is to be a rich smoke gray on the face, ears, saddle, outside of legs, and top of the tail. Saddle color is to shade off gradually to a soft pearl gray on the flanks, chest and belly, inside of legs and underside of the tail. All blending of color is to be gradual and free from blotches or streaks. The under color will be slightly lighter than the surface color.
Eyes- Blue-Gray. Ruby cast permissible.  

Faults: Blotchy shading, animals that are too dark or too light to show a contrast of shading.
(Included on the THIRD CERTIFICATE - Dawn Guth)

 

SMOKE PEARL MARTEN:  Color is to be a rich smoke gray on the head, ears, saddle, outside of legs, and top of the tail. Saddle color is to shade off gradually to a soft pearl gray on the flanks, chest and belly, inside of legs and underside of the tail. All blending of color is to be gradual and free from blotches or streaks. The under color will be slightly lighter than the surface color. The nostrils, eye circles, jowls, inside of ears, triangle, collar, back of fore feet, inside of hind legs, belly and the underside of the tail are to be a silver-white in color.  Prominent silver-white guard hairs are to be evenly distributed around the chest, sides, and lowers hindquarters. Eyes- Blue-Gray. Ruby cast permissible.
Faults: Blotchy shading, animals that are too dark or too light to show a contrast of shading.

(Included on the SIXTH CERTIFICATE - Regina Mayhugh)

 

SQUIRREL: The surface color on the top and sides of the body is to be blue mingled with white. The intermediary band is to be white over a medium slate-blue undercolor. The chest is to be a light pearl over a medium slate-blue undercolor. The undercolor of the belly is to be slate blue. The top of the tail is to be blue, sparsely ticked with white, over a medium slate-blue undercolor. The nape of the neck is to be white. Toenails to be uniform and dark. An allowance is to be made for distortion of ring color in mane and transitional wool areas. Eyes - Blue-gray.
Faults:  Fault animals that are too light or too dark in surface color. Brown patches or brownish intermediary bands are undesirable.
Disqualifications from Competition:  Disqualify animals with extreme light or dark color, brown patches of color, or extreme bluish tinge in ring color. Animals without blue lacing on ears are to be disqualified.
(Included on the SEVENTH CERTIFICATE - Anita Moore)

 

TORTOISE (Black): The surface of the body is to be a rusty orange color on the loin, blending with a gray-black on the sides, rump, belly, head, feet, and tail. The color is to extend well down the hair shaft to an off white under color. Eyes - Brown.

Faults:  Stray White Hairs;  Underside of tail light in color.

(Included on the FIRST CERTIFICATE - Gail Gibbons) 

 

TORTOISE (Blue):  The body color is to be fawn, blending into a blue shading over the lower rump and carrying well onto the haunches. Top color should carry well down into the undercolor, blending into a cream color next to the skin. Top of the tail should match the body color, with the underside to be blue, blending into a cream next to the skin. Belly should match shadings, with cream undercolor. Head shadings should be darkest blue at the whisker bed, blending into a lighter shade along the jaw line, darkening again at the ear base and blending up into the ears to match the body color. Eyes-Blue/Gray  

Faults:  Stray white hairs; fading shading  

Disqualifications:  White belly or tail

(Included on the FOURTH CERTIFICATE - Lynne Schultz)

 

TORTOISE (Chocolate):   The surface of the body is to be a rusty orange color, blending with a light to medium chocolate "shading" on the sides, rump, belly, head, ears, feet and tail. The color is to extend well down the hair shaft to an off-white undercolor. Toenails to be uniform and may be medium to dark brown.   Eyes - Brown. Ruby cast permissible but not desirable.

Faults:  Surface color too light or too dark, smut over the back, scattered white hairs. Light color on the underside of the tail is undesirable

(Included on the FIFTH CERTIFICATE - Lee Nevills)

 

IT IS IMPORTANT WHEN JUDGING COLOR IN THE LIONHEAD TO REMEMBER THAT THE WOOL OF THE MANE MAY SOFTEN OR DIFFUSE COLOR IN THE MANE AREA OF THE COAT.