The World Famous Ruskin Miniature Lops

Over the years the name RUSKIN has become synonymous with top quality REW Miniature Lops. Right from the first white import - Ch Thor, who was a ground breaking rabbit, being the first Miniature Lop to take a Best In Show win at any show in the UK, to the first BRC Supreme Champion Ruskins Gucci, right through to the present day Champion Ruskins MG (Top Miniature Lop for 2009 with 14 BiS, 21 CC's, 19 BoB wins ). Ruskin is also the only Lop Stud to have won the coveted group, BEST LOP at Bradford Championship Show more than once - the last win being in 2010. Ruskin has also won more Best Lop & Best In Shows at UK General Championship shows than any other Miniature Lop Stud. A record we are very proud of!

Right from the very start of our association with this breed, the breeding line has been firmly based on European blood and it still plays a large part in our lines today, although the imports are less frequently sort to widen our gene pool, we still, from time to time find a little gem which will fit in with the breeding program and bring something to the family that might be lacking. Striving to improve the breed and and nurture it forward, sympathetically within the standard has always been our aim, and always will. We have never been stud blind and always look for fault before good and with this in mind, find it easier to make progress and improve all the time, instead of standing still and in some cases, going backwards

The main colour at Ruskin is the Red Eyed White, but we now also work with Steels and occasionally Butterflies (in a few different colours) but all the non REW's do play their part in the REW breeding program and therefore are generally always split for white.. The Steels have had great success in 2010 with 4 BIS wins for our latest Champion - Remington. He is an Edam son and has started producing some wonderful stock.

My partner Ross now also breeds Miniature Lops and is concentrating on Seal Points, although he has one or two compatible colours in the stud as well. You can view his website here

We strive to maintain all round balance in our Miniature Lops and have worked for many years on improving the coat quality and the crown. I wrote an article on slipped crowns a couple of years back which has been a guide to many lop breeders around the world after it was translated into numerous different languages and published in multiple magazines and news letters globally. To read the full article (with diagrams) click the 'crowns' link in the navigation panel to the left.

In 2009 we ended the year by winning Best In Show at the NMLRC Adult Stock Show and also won Best In Show in the Young Support Show. Doing the double was the highlight of the year, for sure. And on top of that, the young Butterfly which took BiS in the YSSS is the first Butterfly to take BIS at a NMLRC stock show in about 10 years, which pleased us greatly too. It is a very difficult colour to get right and you breed soo many which are not quite there and when you do get one good enough, they often get overlooked. The 'double' also meant that the title of NMLRC TOP BREEDER/EXHIBITOR of the Year was in the bag, following on from our previous BIS win at the Young Stock Show in August and a runner up BIS win at the Summer Show.

So what does 2011 bring? Well keep watching this space and it is sure to be updated...............................................................