The Belgian Hare, a rabbit breed of British origin, is responsible for the domestic rabbit movement in the United States. Winter "William" Lumb and Benjamin Greaves had the greatest influences on the creation of the breed, and stated that it was bred to resemble the wild hare. The first of this breed reached American in 1888, and the breeders (E.M. Hughes, W.N. Richardson, and G.W. Felton) founded the American Belgian Hare Association, the first of its kind in the U.S.
Shortly after the Belgian Hare's arrival in the U.S., the country experienced the dramatic "Belgian hare Boom." Between 1898 and 1901, thousands of Belgian Hares were imported into the country. Large companies dealing with Belgian Hares were established and clubs for the sleek breed could be found in almost every major city.
Eventually, as time when on, the Belgian Hare lost a lot of its popularity. The market became so heavily saturated that prices for stock dropped to less than $25 for a fine exhibition animal. Commercial breeds became more popular and, but the 1940's, Belgian Hates became a rare find in showrooms. Still, there were some dedicated breeders who worked to keep the breed from becoming extinct.
