The Holle Cropper is a small, delicate, short but broad cropper with extraordinary grace and liveliness; it originated in the Netherlands. It carries its body horizontally and stands on its toes in an alert jaunty manner with its head carried well back toward its tail. A vertical line through the eye falls behind the foot position. It has a large, wide rather than high globe which, combined with the roundness of the body, gives the impression of a sphere with the tail as a horizontal handle.
CARRIAGE (20 pts.): Should be horizontal, standing on its toes with just sufficient action of its neck to animate the body with a tremulous motion that is kept under control. The wings and tail should be carried straight back horizontally from the body. The neck is well coiled and falling into the hollowed back with an easy action so that the globe merges with the body to form a round outline, with the head resting lightly in the center of the globe.

GLOBE (20 pts.): It is all important that the globe should be in proportion to the size of the body and round from every angle, fitting with the circular outline of the bird. It should be kept well inflated and evenly rising from the chest to fall into the hollowed back where it merges with the body, thus linking body, neck, and globe to give a circular outline which starts under the tail and continues under and around to the juncture of the globe with the rump.

BODY (20 pts.): Short and compact, round as possible with a short, straight keel and a broad rounded chest. The back should be hollow without any suggestion of flatness or rounded shoulders (roach back). The body should combine with the globe to give the bird a "ball-like" appearance.

HEAD, EYES, BEAK, AND NECK (10 pts.): The head should be medium size, dove-like in shape with the frontal rising up well from the wattle. The eyes should be bold and bright; dark bull eyes in whites and yellow, orange, or pearl in other colors. The cere is fine and silky and colored according to the body color. The beak is medium in length, the wattles small and fine in texture. The neck should be long, elegant, S-shaped, and loose and easy in motion when strutting. The head should be held centered in the globe and not dropped off to one side.

LEGS, TAIL, AND WINGS (15 pts.): The legs are straight and close set, parallel from the front view and clean or slightly feathered. The feet are small, fine, and neat. The tail is short, compact, broad feathered but tightly closed and carried horizontally. The wings are well-braced, fitted closely to the body, with the flights slightly shorter than the tail and carried on top of it without crossing.

CONDITION, COLOR, & MARKINGS (15 pts.): The bird should be in a bright, fit state of health, with the plumage completely feathered out. The feathering should be short and bright, except the vent area, where fluffiness is demanded to complete the round outline. It may be self (or solid colored), pied as in other pouters, or tiger-splashed. Colors, which are all the standard pigeon colors, must be bright, clean, even, and lustrous.

FAULTS: Body and tail length that spoils the ball-like appearance. Narrow body or chest. Failure to fill the globe. Lack of animation and motion. Crooked or bent legs. Lack of horizontal posture. Unevenness in globe or body outline. Poor or faded color or mismarkings. Poor condition or missing feathers. Prominent wing butts. Wry tail.

Back To Standards
Back To Home