Though uncommon in the United States, the Beveren has a rich European history. The breed was first developed in Beveren, Belgium in the 19th century. The Beveren was derived from crosses of the Brabanconne, St. Nicolas Blue, and the Blue Vienna. In 1902 in Beveren, Belgium the first standard was instituted for the "Blue Rabbit of Beveren". 1905 saw the first exhibition of the Beveren Blue in Norwich, Great Britain. During the First World War, the "V" for victory remarkably came from the v-shaped ear carriage of the Beveren. During this time the Beveren gained a great amount of popularity with the British. Through the lengthy development in the 20th century, British fanciers developed the blue, black, blue-eyed white, lilac, brown and pointed varieties. Comparatively speaking, the Beveren standard as printed in the ARBA Standard of Perfection remains very much the same in type and structure as that originally developed long ago. One major difference is that the ARBA only recognizes black, blue, and blue-eyed varieties in the American Beveren. Also, our British counterparts place a great emphasis on color and coat quality unlike other countries, including the U.S., who award twice the percentage that the British give for type; the percentage which remains for coat is consequently less.
Due to the limited number of Beverens in the United States, U.S. fanciers have begun importing stock from Britain to alleviate some of the problems associated with constant inbreeding. We are hopeful that the Beveren will continue to gain popularity in the United States.
