Commercial Body Evaluations
Just one of the many challenges of the Giant Angoras,
is to get a great commercial body type underneath a wonderfully dense coat.
For fellow Giant Angora breeders, this starts with how to evaluate your Giants.
If you are unsure on how a great commercial body type feels like,
I would recommend attending a local rabbit show and seek out
a New Zealand breeder. Ask them if they could let you have hands on one
of their top rabbits. Hands on experience is great.
Here is also couple of my favorite articles;
By Amy Hillecke-Watson
How to set up a rabbit correctly for proper evaluation. |
POSING ANGORA RABBITS FOR BEST EVALUATION
To pose the rabbit and get a good photo for evaluation the lighting, background, and surface is key. Sit the rabbit on a piece of carpet, which gives a safe, non-slick surface. It is wise to train them on a small grooming stand or table so they don't have anywhere to wander to while you are teaching them to sit quietly for grooming. The easiest pictures to see clearly have a single color, neutral background. Bright, even, indirect lighting helps to remove glare and shadows. To pose your rabbit, work to have them sit calmly and relaxed with their front toes even with their eyes, and elbows resting on the table. Their rear toes should line up with the point where the leg joins the body. They should be gently collected but still sitting naturally so that the body is not stretched out on the table. The head in dropped so the chin is tucked under a bit, it sets off the lovely arch of the body. This takes some patience to get the rabbit to sit quietly, but is worth it when taking photos, because if they are upset, they tend to flatten, and if you have to hold them in position, they will fight, which makes them tuck under their butt, hunch their back, stretch out their neck, or otherwise distort their actual structure.
There are 5 different Angora breeds with 3 distinct body types. Below are the correct definitions obtained from ARBA & IAGARB
Angora "Commercial Type" Pose ~French, Satin & Giant
ARBA Definition of Commercial Type: Rabbit's are to be of medium length, with depth of body equaling width of body throughout. The high point of the top line should be over the hips. The side profile will taper from hindquarters through to the shoulders. Fullness of body and the firmness of flesh are important qualities.
Rabbit's are to be posed with front feet directly under the eyes and the toes of the rear feet aligned with the front of the hips. Posing in a tucked up or stretched out position is inappropriate.
Further ARBA S.O.P. Commercial breed specific's include...
French ~ Medium body length, with well filled hindquarters. It is to be smooth and rounded, with good depth. Shoulders should be slightly narrower than the hips, forming a moderate taper. Top line is to show a gradual rise, starting behind the ears and reaching it's highest point over hips. The profile view from the side should be a definite oval shape. Looking down on the animal, it should be oblong shape. Flesh firm and smooth
Satin ~ Medium body length, with smooth, well filled hindquarters, of good width and depth. Side view should show a slight taper from hindquarters to shoulders. Flesh firm and smooth
Giant ~ Body to be of commercial type, with good width and depth, tapering slightly from hindquarters to the shoulders. To be balanced throughout. Flesh firm and smooth
Angora "Compact Type" Pose ~ English only
ARBA Definition of Compact Type:
Rabbit's are lighter in weight and shorter in body length than commercial type. Slight rise in top line due to the depth of shoulders being slightly lower than the depth over the hips. The top line should rise from behind the ears to a high point over the hips, then round down to base of tail. Rabbit's are to be posed with front feet directly under the eyes and the toes of the rear feet aligned with the front of the hips. Posing in a tucked up position in undesirable
Angora "Cylindrical Type" Pose ~German only
IAGARB Definition of Cylindrical Type:
The body is of medium length, cylindrical, of good depth and width for
balance. The ideal body is as wide at the shoulders as it is deep. The
length should be three times that same measurement.The strong hind legs are of medium length. The head is of good width, not too narrow, attached to a short neck. The ears are meaty, well-haired, carried erect, in balance with the body. Older does should have a well-formed dewlap.
*I was told by German breeders that their body type should resemble a "loaf of bread"
Thank You Lisa Liles Rodenfels for permission to use her commentary of how to achieve success in posing and photo op suggestion's