Rabbit show jumping
Encyclopedia
Domestic rabbit
A domestic rabbit, or more commonly known as simply the rabbit, is any of the several varieties of European rabbit that have been domesticated....
s leap over appropriately sized obstacles. The activity began in the late 1970s in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(where it is known as Kaninhoppning). It was popularized in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
following an appearance on the TV show That's Life!
That's Life!
That's Life! was a magazine-style television series on BBC1 between 26 May 1973 and 19 June 1994, presented by Esther Rantzen throughout the entire run, with various changes of co-presenters. The show was generally recorded about an hour prior to transmission, which was originally on Saturday...
. There are more than fifty rabbit show jumping clubs throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
Some people compare rabbit show jumping to equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
. Trainers and devotees can win titles and awards during events sponsored by groups such as the U.S. Rabbit Agility Association, Rabbithopping-USA, the American Association of Sporting Events for Rabbits, 4-H Club fairs, and other venues. Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hold local and nationally sanctioned events.
The event depends on the type of rabbit, with separate competitions for small rabbits and larger rabbits. The rules are quite different in all countries except Sweden and Norway, therefore it's hard to organize an international competition. Rabbit jumping is also an activity in America, but has not gained widespread popularity. The official world record in high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
for rabbits is 995 millimetres (39.17 in), by Tösen & Tine Hygom (Denmark). The official world record in long jump for rabbits is 3000 millimetres (118.11 in), by Yaboo & Maria Jensen (Denmark).
Breeds
All breeds are allowed to compete; however, there may be problems with smaller and larger breeds. (Rabbit size is usually determined by weight: small rabbits are considered under 2 kilo/4.4 lbs and giant over 5 kilos / 11 lbs)Small rabbits, such as the Polish
Polish rabbit
The Polish Rabbit is a small breed of domestic rabbit. It is also known as the "Britannia Petite".-History and origin:Despite the name, the Polish rabbit is thought to have originated in England from the common white hutch rabbit, but the exact origins of the breed are unknown. They were first...
and Netherland dwarf
Netherland Dwarf
The Netherland Dwarf is a popular breed of domestic rabbit originating in the Netherlands. Smaller than most rabbit breeds, Netherland Dwarf rabbits weigh 500 g to 1.6 kg and are usually kept as pets or exhibition animals...
sometimes have problems jumping over long obstacles due to their size. However, there are examples of small rabbits that still made it to the highest Scandinavian classes. Smaller rabbits can overcome weaknesses through style and will.
Larger rabbits such as the Flemish Giant
Flemish Giant
The Flemish Giant is a very old and popular breed of domestic rabbit, most famous for its large size compared to other rabbits.-History:The Flemish Giant is an old breed of domesticated rabbits, originating from the Flemish region. They have been bred as early as the 16th century around the city of...
and French Lop
French Lop
French Lop is a popular breed of domestic rabbit that was first developed in France in the 19th century out of selective breeding between the English Lop and the Flemish Giant. The French Lop differs from the English in that it is characterized by a heavier stature and shorter ears. The French Lop...
will put a lot of weight on their front legs in the landing while jumping high over higher obstacles, which may cause injury. Generally, long-haired Angora
Angora rabbit
The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft wool. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara , Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 18th century, and spread...
type breeds, if not clipped, are excluded from competing because of the difficulties their coats cause with agility and vision.
Neither English Lop
English Lop
The English Lop is a fancy breed of domestic rabbit that was developed in England, in the 19th century through selective breeding, and is believed to be the first breed of lop rabbit developed by humans, and possibly one of the oldest breeds of domestic rabbit...
should be entered as they risk injury to their ears.
The ideal jumping rabbit has long legs and a long back, which will help it see over longer obstacles and correctly judge the height or length in order to get over. In the case of the Belgian Hare
Belgian Hare
The Belgian Hare is a fancy breed of domestic rabbit, that was developed through selective breeding to closely resemble the wild hare in physical appearance, and is believed to be one of the most intelligent and active breeds of domestic rabbit...
, the legs should be strong and muscular so high jumps will not hurt them. In Scandinavia, where rabbit show jumping has a strong base, most are crossbreeds, bred with good jumpers as parents, similar to the method of breeding show dogs.
See also
- Rat agilityRat agilityRat agility is a sport for pet rats. It basically uses scaled down versions of the obstacles used for dog agility. The sport originated in Sweden and can trace its origin back to table runs in the 1980s.Rat agility is performed in two classes...
- Dog agilityDog agilityDog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
- Cat agilityCat agilityCat agility is a sport in which trained cats are lured through timed obstacle courses by their handlers.Cat agility contests, like similarly themed dog agility contests, are modeled after the equestrian sport of show jumping. Under the rules, cats must complete a course in under 270 seconds,...
- Behavioral enrichment