Thrianta
A small, compact Dutch rabbit known as the "Fire of the Fancy" for its orange-red coat.
Origin
The Thrianta was created in the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands by H. Andreae, a schoolteacher from Assen, who had orange rabbits in his shed by 1938. He bred them from Black Tans, Havanas and a self-colored tortoiseshell Papillon (English Spot). The breed entered the Dutch standard on May 1, 1940, just days before the German invasion; some Dutch sources give 1949. The war left it nearly extinct and it later dropped out of the Dutch standard, but devoted breeders revived it, and the Dutch specialty club restored the name Thrianta in 1976. It reached Britain in the early 1980s and the United States in the 1990s, and ARBA approved it in 2005, with full recognition from February 1, 2006.
Typical Adult Size
Small and compact, with an ARBA maximum of 6 pounds (about 2.7 kg). The British ideal is about 2 to 2.75 kg.
Coat Type
Short, dense, glossy fur that shows off the depth of the color.
Colors
A single color: a brilliant orange-red, carried as evenly as possible from nose to tail, including the belly and under the tail, with brown eyes.
Temperament
Usually described as friendly, inquisitive and easy to handle, which makes the Thrianta a pleasant pet as well as a show rabbit.
Grooming and Care
Easy to groom: a weekly brush, more during molts. Keeping it out of strong sunlight helps preserve the rich color. Like any small, active breed, it needs daily exercise and plenty of hay.
Distinctive Features
The color, above all: one of the most intensely orange-red coats in the rabbit world, on a short, rounded, compact body with a bold head and short upright ears.
What Makes It Notable
When ARBA approved the Thrianta in 2005, it was the first new breed passed by the ARBA Standards Committee since 1988. Its American breed club gave it the nickname "Fire of the Fancy". In its homeland, the orange coat is often linked with the Dutch royal House of Orange.