| This has been a difficult year for the
Standards Review Panel (SRP).One issue in particular has consumed most of our time, the
review of the Sheba Mini Yak.It has indeed been a demanding year and I would like to thank
my colleagues for the professional and amicable way they have approached their
duties.Collectively the panel members have well over 100 years experience in the fancy and
I think we have had to draw on all of that experience over the past year. I'm sure that
this has helped us to reach a number of difficult decisions.The SRP puts to you the
following recommendations. Sheba
Mini Yak
The review of the Sheba Mini Yak Standard has been
comprehensive and has indeed consumed most of the panel's time this year.TheStandards
Review Panel noted that there have been numerous changes to the Sheba Mini Yak standard
over the years as well as several unsuccessful attempts to change the standard.Indeed the
problems of this breed have been ongoing for almost 30 years. The panel has identified
three key areas of concern with the breed, with regard to it’s present standard.
1. Foundation genotype:
Sheba Mini Yaks were established as a hybrid between what we would now consider poor
quality Abyssinians and very poor quality Shelties.These genotypes do not exist in the
Australian cavy genome that we have today.The result of the cross between those breeds was
a distinct phenotype.A standard was then developed to match the phenotype of those early
results.Prior to the first wave of imports from NZ (circa 1976), Australia's borders had
been closed to cavies for nearly 70 years. Those imports occurred nearly thirty years ago
(between 40-60 generations).Those and the numerous imports since have had a complete
influence over the fancy in Australia
2. Floor Length Coat: The problem of coat length
began to emerge as Sheba Mini Yak to Sheba Mini Yak matings took place.The hybrids between
the Abyssinians and Shelties would be of the genotype Ll, with an intermediate length
coat.When the genotype was ll the coat would have been longer, but we need to remember
that this all occurred in the early 1970's, prior to the importation of stock from New
Zealand. The longhairs of that era did not have the modifiers that we now have as a result
of imported genetics.
Over the years as Sheba Mini Yaks have been bred together
the coats have got longer as ll and its modifiers established homozygous pairs.This has
led to a regular practice of going back to Abyssinians to compensate for hair length and
it seems also that for whatever reason more "modern" longhairs have also been
infused into breeding programs, further exacerbating the problem.Over the years breeders
seem to have been continually trying to compensate for a coat length that is not
sustainable in a long term "pure" breeding program.Using contemporary genotypes
to do this has hastened the purging of the original genes and led to the problems being
experienced with coat length.The panel view the problem of coat length as serious.The
practice of breeding to Abyssinians does not seem to be effective and we consider that
that practice would have an adverse impact on breeding to the standard.
3. Coat Density and Erect Habit: These two traits
are strongly negatively correlated in the presence of ll.The more dense the coat becomes
through selective breeding the flatter the coat lays.This is simply a function of gravity
and physics.
Conclusion: The panel believe that it is these
genetic issues that are fundamental to the problems of the breed.We strongly feel
tinkering with words in the standard is not going to solve them.Indeed this has been done
on several occasions over the years and the breed still has the same basic issues.We
believe that by tinkering with words in the standard will simply be rehashing previous
failures. Everyone concerned acknowledges the problems with the breed.Indeed that is the
very reason the SRP was asked to conduct this review.The SRP believes that these problems
are serious to the point where the cavy described by the present Sheba Mini Yak standard
no longer exists in Australia.We believe that if the Sheba Mini Yak is to have a future in
the fancy it must evolve as a new breed that does not have the fundamental problems of the
present breed and breeds true to type. However, it is not the role of the panel to develop
new breeds. That is the role of interested fanciers!To facilitate that objective and as an
acknowledgment to the strong interest in the breed we recommend that the breed be given a
Working Title. This will enable fanciers that are interested in the breed to immediately
set to the task of resolving the issues with the breed. In doing that we would strongly
recommend that those fanciers consider the problems we have identified and set about to
resolve them.We believe that interested fanciers and the SRP working together is the only
way that these issues can be permanently resolved.However, the fate of the breed largely
rests with the breeders themselves.
Add to the report We recommend that the current
standard continues to be used as an interim measure. A place will be created on the ANCC
website for discussion and development of a new working standard, which should be
submitted to the Standards Review Panel by March 31, 2005The SRP will then consider the
submitted guidelines and comment and suggest amendments if required.We will then discuss
them with a panel of interested fanciers to further refine the guidelines. To facilitate
the process we recommend that interested fanciers appoint a small group of representatives
to coordinate the submission and liase with the Standards Review Panel.The SRP will then
put the guidelines to the 2005 Annual Delegates Meeting recommending that they be adopted.
Ridgeback:
The Standards Review Panel has considered an application
for a Working Title for the Ridgeback.During the year the Ridgeback has been given a Guide
Standard in the UK. The SRP have considered this in their deliberations.The application
for the Working Title in Australia is for a type that is somewhat different to the UK. The
Standards Review Panel believes that the UK version is more sustainable than the proposed
Australian version.Work on the UK version has been progressing for a number of years.The
Standards Review Panel recommends that the Ridgeback be given a Working Title with
guidelines as set out in the UK guide Standard with one modification.The SRP believe that
having rosettes should be a disqualification as this produces a different phenotype. In
the UK a coat without rosettes is considered highly desirable, implying a penalty rather
than a disqualification.
The Ridgeback Working Title; guidelines for
exhibitors and judges.
General Description: The Ridgeback is a smooth
coated cavy with a pronounced unbroken ridge of hair standing erect along the centre of
its back.
Head Eye and Ears: Head to be short and broad with good width to the muzzle.Eyes to
be large and bold, well spaced and may be of any colour.Ears to be large rose petal
shaped, drooping and set with good width between.
Body: To be cobby and compact.
Coat: The coat should be smooth and short.
Ridge: The ridge should be pronounced, unbroken, erect and straight, running down
the centre of the back from between the ears to the hips.The ridge should be up to 2.5 cm
(one inch) in height and be most pronounced at the shoulder and tapering towards the rear
end.
Presentation: The cavy should be in good condition, with plenty of firm flesh,
being clean and tidily groomed.
It should be of a good size and appropriate to age, but whilst size is preferable it
should not be at the expense of quality.
Disqualifications: Rosettes on the cavy.
Glossary
The Standards Review Panel recommends that the following
definitions be added to the glossary in the standards book.
Cobby- (Type) - Broad across the
shoulders continuing through to the rump with the same body width throughout. When looking
down on the cavy it should be rectangular in shape with rounded corners.
Rosette- Abyssinian/Peruvian/Alpaca - Hair that radiates from pinpoint
centre outwards, that evenly.
Crest – Cresteds/ also applies to Coronet & English Merino
– A symmetrical rosette on the forehead between the eyes and ears. Radiates evenly
from a pinpoint centre.
Dalmation
It has come to the Standard Review Panels attention that
the breed Dalmation is often spelt Dalmatian.The panel’s view is that the correct
spelling is Dalmation as per the spelling used by the Dalmation and Roan Cavy Club in the
UK. We recommend that for consistency this should become standard practice for all clubs
affiliated to the ANCC.
**As per the 2004 ADM Minutes, there were comments stating that the website had
both spelling. It was decided that the spelling shall be DALMATIAN
New Full Standards
The British Cavy Council has listed new full standards for
the Alpaca and the Merino in the March issue of Cavies.The Standards Review Panel has
appraised these standards and recommends that the Alpaca and Merino standards be adopted
as Australian standards.
The Alpaca Standard.
| Coat-texture and density |
25 |
| Coat-chops, shoulders, sides and sweep |
25 |
| Frontal |
15 |
| Head, Eye and Ears |
10 |
| Body |
10 |
| Presentation |
10 |
| Belly |
05 |
TOTAL |
100 |
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Coat-
texture and density: The coat should be soft and springy to handle, clearly showing rexoid
characteristics, be free flowing, shown clean and unmatted. The coat should be full
and dense, especially near the body where the undercoat is more evident.
Coat-chops,
shoulder, sides and sweep: The chops should be even, dense and well furnished, and of a
length in keeping with the age of the cavy and the length of the shoulders. The
shoulders should be broad with hair of appropriate length continuing evenly around the
sides. The sweep should fall over the hind quarters of the cavy and be full and of
even length, being generally a little longer than the sides. When viewed from
above, no gaps, thin areas or uneven length should be evident. Allowance should be
made for the fact that the coat will appear thinner at the ends in older exhibits, because
the undercoat will not be as long.
Frontal:
The hair constituting the frontal should originate from the shoulders and be brushed so as
to evenly cover the face, with no gaps. At the side of the head, this hair should
meet hair from the ‘chops’ of the cavy and fall in a manner producing a
‘curtain effect’ at the front of the cavy. The frontal should be even and
of a length in keeping with the age of the cavy and the length of the shoulders and chops.
Head,
Eye and Ears: Head to be short and broad with good width to the muzzle. Eyes to be
large and bold, well spaced and may be of any colour. Ears to be large rose petal
shaped, drooping and set with good width between.
Body:
to be firm, fit and of good size appropriate to age.
Presentation:
The cavy should be in good condition, with plenty of firm flesh, being clean and tidily
groomed. . It should be presented on an appropriately sized board and must be
shown with a central parting.
Belly:
The belly should be curly, woolly and dense.
Remarks: The Alpaca is genetically bred from the Peruvian, as such two rump
rosettes are essential to the breed to have the coat growing forward, from these rump
rosettes, towards the head. The placement of these rosettes is also important in producing
density in the sweep. If the rosettes are high, more hair is pushed into the sweep
and it has sufficient density to support its extra length. With low rosettes, the sweep
can lack density and as it grows, cause it to hang to show a ‘split’ in the
sweep. Given good placement of the rosettes, there should be no problem with the
development of the sweep.
Note: Alpacas may be shown in any
colour, or mixture of colours.
The Merino
Standard
| Coat-texture and density |
25 |
| Coat-chops, shoulders, sides and sweep |
25 |
| Coronet |
15 |
| Head, Eye and Ears |
10 |
| Body |
10 |
| Presentation |
10 |
| Belly |
05 |
TOTAL |
100 |
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Coat-
texture and density: The coat should be soft and springy to handle, clearly showing rexoid
characteristics, be free flowing, shown clean and unmatted. The coat should be full
and dense, especially near the body where the undercoat is more evident.
Coat-chops,
shoulder, sides and sweep: The chops should be even, dense and well furnished, and of a
length in keeping with the age of the cavy and the length of the shoulders. The
shoulders should be broad with hair of appropriate length continuing evenly around the
sides. The sweep should fall over the hind quarters of the cavy and be full and of
even length, being generally a little longer than the sides. When viewed from
above, no gaps, thin areas or uneven length should be evident. Allowance should be
made for the fact that the coat will appear thinner at the ends in older exhibits, because
the undercoat will not be as long.
Coronet:
The coronet is on the front of the head, being a rosette that should radiate from a small
pinpoint centre. It is to be well formed and symmetrical; and should be in keeping
with the head, eyes and ears of the cavy to give an overall balanced appearance.
Head,
Eye and Ears: Head to be short and broad with good width to the muzzle.
Eyes to be large and bold, well spaced and may be of any colour. Ears to be
large rose petal shaped, drooping and set with good width between.
Body:
to be firm, fit and of good size appropriate to age.
Presentation: The cavy should be
in good condition, with plenty of firm flesh, being clean and tidily groomed. It
should be presented on an appropriately sized board and must be shown with a central
parting.
Belly:
The belly should be curly, woolly and dense.
Note: Merinos may be shown in any
colour, or mixture of colours.
To eliminate confusion in the fancy the Standards Review
Panel recommends that the word English should be dropped from the breed name in Australia
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