Whincup & Grindey

The cashmere lop is another fantastic breed that again needs quite alot of work it is one that when showed correctly can push quie easily for best lop they have a fantastic solid body with a gorgeous long coat on the top they are beautiful.  More information about coats is further down the page.

Here is one of our old REW buck's CHARIOT.  CHARIOT is bred from pure 100% Alan & Jane Williams line, from whence Simon created his original lines.

Here are two of our Sable doe's at the 2006 Nat. Cashmere anniversary show.  Both had taken BiS in the young stock show and the adult stock show.  The adult (Phi-Phi 05D05946) who is furthest away was the eventual anniversary supreme champion, she has bred numerous litters for us, all producing winning stock.

Here is one of our latest REW doe's who has been doing well on the show table.  WHINCUP & GRINDEY'S FLYER 08D00123, she is a beautiful coated rabbit, and has excellent type. 

The Cashmere Coat

The cashmere lop itself is a very placid rabbit, and easy to care for despite popular belief. 

At home the rabbit is not kept on wire racks despite what many people think, the breed is bedded on straw, woodchip or hay as any other rabbit.  They only go on wire racks when at a show.

The undercoat is just as important (if not more so) than the guard hair, as without a correct undercoat you will never achieve the desired effect.  The undercoat has great density.  You should be able to feel the thickness between your fingers.  It should be silky, not rough, frizzy, felted or cotton-woolish. It should lay quite flat, not stand up or stick out.  In order to attain this it needs to be approximately one inch in length.  It is important that when grooming not to drag the undercoat out.  Many judges in the early nineties commented that they often saw Cashmere’s was being shown that have practically all the undercoat removed and only a thin layer of guard hairs left.  This was rectified, however today many Cashmere’s are once again coming on the table with undercoat removed almost.

The guard hairs are the icing on the cake.  As with the undercoat it should lay quite flat, not sticking up or out in any direction.  It is longer, stronger and heavier than the undercoat, but still remains silky, not wiry but with a slight coarse feeling.  It is this weight and strength that makes it lay flat and resume it’s position if lifted.

The guard hairs flow smoothly and evenly from the base of the neck to the tail and from the centre back down the sides without parting anywhere.  It flows beautifully over the whole body as if poured on from above.  In order to get this smooth flowing effect the guard hair needs to be plentiful and at least one and a half inches in length, preferably longer.  However, it is the overall effect that is important, not the length.

With the correct textured undercoat and guard hair you should suffer very little, if any, knots or matting.  Grooming can be a tiresome nightmare taking many hours if the coat is not of the correct texture.  However, if you are lucky enough to have the correct coats you will find grooming so much easier.

The most important equipment you need for grooming Cashmeres is your fingers.  A comb suitable for longhaired animals may be used to locate any knots or obstructions.  If located you should always tease these out using your fingers. 

Carefully tease the knot apart, first one way and then the other until it becomes free.  If you use a comb you will put out far too much undercoat and probably guard hair too.  Once your cashmere is knot free use your hands or the comb to smooth the coat down.  Do not give the coat a parting or puff it up like an Angora. 

The most problematical time that you experience with cashmere is when it is in the moult (particularly between eight to ten weeks old when the baby-down is shed).  The loose dead coat which has lost its natural oils and silkiness is more prone to knot and should be helped on its way by regular grooming, or better still by gently plucking it out with your fingers.  However, you should not do this until the coat is ready and loose.  By removing the dead coat you are giving the new coat, room to grow quicker and stronger.  If your cashmere does not have the coat that is described, then you are probably showing an incorrect coat.  But remember that even though the coat is important there are just as many points for type and for head, ears and crown.  It is possible to have the perfect coat but if you lack type etc you can still be beaten.