JoAnn Statler and the
Lionhead Rabbit In America
written by : Gail Gibbons

In March of 2000, JoAnn took a trip to attend the Crufts Dog Show
in England. It was during that trip that a friend in Yorkshire, with
whom JoAnne was staying, took her to visit the Secretary of the
English Lionhead Rabbit Association. It was during that visit that
JoAnn first saw the Lionhead breed. JoAnne says "it was love at
first sight". She purchased three Lionheads and made arrangements
to have them shipped to her, after she had returned to the United
States. To JoAnne's delight her friend, Lana, contacted another
English Lionhead breeder and included additional stock in the
shipment. Instead of three Lionheads arriving, there were five!

JoAnne only breeds purebreds Lionheads, so she has used these imported Lionheads as the base for her entire breeding program.
With careful breeding of type to type she feels she has made great progress in improving head and ears. Her bloodline produces many Lionheads with great manes and many that hold manes as adults.

As she has watched the Lionhead breed grow in the United States
she has found great pride in the fact that she was the first serious
breeder to bring the Lionhead Rabbit into America and begin
promoting them to the fancy.

These five Lionheads have formed the base of the Statler breeding program.

from left to right Statler's Mr Tibbs - buck Broken Chestnut Agouti (from Belgium imports) Statler's Cricket - buck Black - Sport (BEW Carrier) Statler's Rugby - buck Siamese Sable (Harlequin Carrier) Statler's Elsa - doe Silver Tipped Steel Statler's Dandy Lion - doe Harlequin (Black/Orange)

Statler's Cricket