What to look for in a top quality Belgian Hare
HEAD - should be long and fine
EYES - should be bold and bright and a deep hazel
colour
EARS - must have substance and be nicely rounded at the top.
When posing the ears should be at the same angle as the head, not straight up.
The recommended length is 5 inches, if they are too short they look rabbity.
There should be deep black lacing around the top of the
ear.
NECK - should be a good length to give a better appearance when
posed.
FRONT - should be narrow and long leading to a pair of gun
barrel straight legs. The longer the chest and front legs the higher the arch
will be.
FEET - should be solid in colour, free of ticking. The back feet
should be fine and around 6 inches long.
SHAPE - this is what typifies the breed. The back should be
distinctly arches, smoothly round not choppy or square. They should have a
graceful racey appearance. The Hare should be fine and not heavily
boned.
TAIL - should be straight and have no
kinks.
COLOUR - should be solid Chestnut Red evenly distributed,
particularly on the haunches and around the jaw. It should be topped by rich
black wavy ticking evenly over the body. The colour next to the skin should be
dark slate blue. Belly colour should be red but is usually paler and is lighter
in the groin.
CONDITION - the flesh should be firm and free from looseness or
ungainliness. The Hare should have a healthy
appearance.
COAT - should be short and stiffish and fly back when groomed
the wrong way.
WEIGHT - should be 8 - 9lbs
UNPUBLISHED WILKINS - Some quotes from old Fur & Feather articles of the 1940’s written by Wilkins who started
with Hares in the 1880’s.
His book on Belgian Hares is still used as the guide to keeping and breeding Belgian Hares for showing. These are a few of his ideas
about their make up.
“Mere length is little guide to shape and style. I have seen Hares
of exaggerated length that were poor specimens as regards the true Hare like
poise. To start with you must have length of foreleg and this must be well set
so that it naturally carries the fore part of the body well up off the ground.
Where so many Hares fail is that they have a badly developed chest or forepart
of body. I don’t like a too wide chest, but I do like it deep and muscular so
that it balances the hind quarters. Oh yes, a well developed muscular loin
and hindquarters are very desirable – in fact, indispensable- but how often
is this character combined with shallow chested front which quite destroys,
in my mind, the symmetry which is the most delightful character of the breed.
Just think it over and get that one idea in your mind of perfect symmetry, of
perfect curves from nose to tail.
Although feet are apportioned 10 points and ears 10 points these are really so
essential to the correct shape that it brings the aggregate points of a
perfect shape to the total 50 or half the total value of perfection.
Therefore, make shape and all that it implies your foundation stone in Belgian Hare breeding.
As a countryman I know what is meant by a Chestnut shade. If you open a Chestnut
burr when the kernel is fully ripe you will get an idea. It is a glorious colour
you cannot go wrong if you memorise the colour and go for it.
Belly Colour? Well once upon a time
belly colour had a great vogue and the deeper and
richer the more highly was the prized. Really wonderful belly colour was
existent, but somehow as no points were given for belly colour and a white
bellied Hare won as easily under some judges as did a rich red bellied one, the
craze died.
Perhaps it was overdone and like all exaggeration it languished and
died. It may have been of doubtful value, but I confess that somehow I liked a
coloured belly, for most of those which had this trait were good coloured on”
Points awarded in the Belgian Hare Judging Standard
1. Type 30 points
2. Colour 30
3. Feet 10
4. Ears (colour) 5
5. Ears (length) 5
6. Coat & Condition 15
7. Eyes 5
Total 100
The longest and largest of two otherwise equal Hares should win.
Posing
To pose a Hare one hand should be placed behind the front legs under the ribs and should be used to gently lift the front of the Hare. The other hand should hold the ears and gently lift the head. Make sure the back feet are comfortably positioned before you start. When the Hare is in the pose position you can release the ears and stroke down the back. They soon get the idea of what is required, it just needs patience to start with. Sometimes changing to different areas/surfaces where you practice helps.
HEAD - should be long and fine
EYES - should be bold and bright and a deep hazel
colour
EARS - must have substance and be nicely rounded at the top.
When posing the ears should be at the same angle as the head, not straight up.
The recommended length is 5 inches, if they are too short they look rabbity.
There should be deep black lacing around the top of the
ear.
NECK - should be a good length to give a better appearance when
posed.
FRONT - should be narrow and long leading to a pair of gun
barrel straight legs. The longer the chest and front legs the higher the arch
will be.
FEET - should be solid in colour, free of ticking. The back feet
should be fine and around 6 inches long.
SHAPE - this is what typifies the breed. The back should be
distinctly arches, smoothly round not choppy or square. They should have a
graceful racey appearance. The Hare should be fine and not heavily
boned.
TAIL - should be straight and have no
kinks.
COLOUR - should be solid Chestnut Red evenly distributed,
particularly on the haunches and around the jaw. It should be topped by rich
black wavy ticking evenly over the body. The colour next to the skin should be
dark slate blue. Belly colour should be red but is usually paler and is lighter
in the groin.
CONDITION - the flesh should be firm and free from looseness or
ungainliness. The Hare should have a healthy
appearance.
COAT - should be short and stiffish and fly back when groomed
the wrong way.
WEIGHT - should be 8 - 9lbs
UNPUBLISHED WILKINS - Some quotes from old Fur & Feather articles of the 1940’s written by Wilkins who started
with Hares in the 1880’s.
His book on Belgian Hares is still used as the guide to keeping and breeding Belgian Hares for showing. These are a few of his ideas
about their make up.
“Mere length is little guide to shape and style. I have seen Hares
of exaggerated length that were poor specimens as regards the true Hare like
poise. To start with you must have length of foreleg and this must be well set
so that it naturally carries the fore part of the body well up off the ground.
Where so many Hares fail is that they have a badly developed chest or forepart
of body. I don’t like a too wide chest, but I do like it deep and muscular so
that it balances the hind quarters. Oh yes, a well developed muscular loin
and hindquarters are very desirable – in fact, indispensable- but how often
is this character combined with shallow chested front which quite destroys,
in my mind, the symmetry which is the most delightful character of the breed.
Just think it over and get that one idea in your mind of perfect symmetry, of
perfect curves from nose to tail.
Although feet are apportioned 10 points and ears 10 points these are really so
essential to the correct shape that it brings the aggregate points of a
perfect shape to the total 50 or half the total value of perfection.
Therefore, make shape and all that it implies your foundation stone in Belgian Hare breeding.
As a countryman I know what is meant by a Chestnut shade. If you open a Chestnut
burr when the kernel is fully ripe you will get an idea. It is a glorious colour
you cannot go wrong if you memorise the colour and go for it.
Belly Colour? Well once upon a time
belly colour had a great vogue and the deeper and
richer the more highly was the prized. Really wonderful belly colour was
existent, but somehow as no points were given for belly colour and a white
bellied Hare won as easily under some judges as did a rich red bellied one, the
craze died.
Perhaps it was overdone and like all exaggeration it languished and
died. It may have been of doubtful value, but I confess that somehow I liked a
coloured belly, for most of those which had this trait were good coloured on”
Points awarded in the Belgian Hare Judging Standard
1. Type 30 points
2. Colour 30
3. Feet 10
4. Ears (colour) 5
5. Ears (length) 5
6. Coat & Condition 15
7. Eyes 5
Total 100
The longest and largest of two otherwise equal Hares should win.
Posing
To pose a Hare one hand should be placed behind the front legs under the ribs and should be used to gently lift the front of the Hare. The other hand should hold the ears and gently lift the head. Make sure the back feet are comfortably positioned before you start. When the Hare is in the pose position you can release the ears and stroke down the back. They soon get the idea of what is required, it just needs patience to start with. Sometimes changing to different areas/surfaces where you practice helps.