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Nicknames | Rabbit hopping, rabbit agility |
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First played | 1970s, Sweden |
Characteristics | |
Contact | No |
Type | Outdoor |
Equipment | Hurdles |
Presence | |
Country or region | Worldwide |
Olympic | No |
Rabbit show jumping (Swedish : Kaninhoppning [1] ), also known as rabbit agility [2] or rabbit hopping, [3] is an animal sport wherein domestic rabbits are led through a course by their owners, [4] modelled after horse show jumping. [5] [6] It is typically conducted in a closed, indoor arena, with obstacles scaled to suit the rabbits. Competitions have been held in the United States [3] and several European countries. [2] As rabbits are common domestic pets, some owners train their pet rabbits for this sport. [2]
Rabbit jumping started in Sweden in the 1970s, [7] when the first rabbit club started to arrange rabbit jumping competitions. [5]
At that time, the rules were based on the rules from horse jumping, but were later reformed to be better-suited for rabbits. The sport grew throughout Sweden and several rabbit jumping clubs were formed to support the growing interest. In the early 1990s, Norway joined in with rabbit jumping activities, developing new clubs and joining Sweden in rabbit jumping competitions. [5] The Sveriges Kaninhoppares Riksförbund (Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping) was established on September 3, 1994. Rabbit show jumping became popular in all parts of Sweden. [8]
The sport reached the United States in the 1980s. [4] The Rabbit Hopping Organization of America (RHOA) was founded in 2001. [9] [10] The rules and guidelines for rabbit hopping were established for the club with the help of the judges' committee in Denmark and with personal assistance from judge Aase Bjerner. [9]
The American Hopping Association for Rabbits and Cavies (AHARC) was chartered with the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 2013. The rules and guidelines for this association were moulded after RHOA and Denmark clubs. The AHARC held the very first official national competition in the United States during the 2011 ARBA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. The performance competition for rabbits during the 2013 ARBA convention in Harrisburg, PA was a Mid Atlantic Rabbit and Cavy event. AHARC had the first national performance event for cavies during the 2014 ARBA TX convention. [3] A rabbit hopping competition was held during the 2017 North Carolina State Fair. [11] The Rabbit Hopping Society of Australia was founded in 2013, also with the assistance of Aase and Rasmus Bjerner. [12]
In 2015 Freya Pocock Johansson founded Rabbit Hopping New Zealand. [13]
The world record for the highest rabbit jump is 107 cm (42.1 in), and was achieved in March 2023 by Holloway GtCh Tennessine, owned by Marie Kozubková from Czech Republic. [14] As of June 2019, Miss Pinky's Grand Champion Harajuku "Dobby", owned by Julia Samson from Sweden, holds the world record for longest jump, at 301 cm (9.88 ft), achieved in August 2017. [15]
Official rabbit hopping competitions consist of a straight course, a crooked course, high jump, and long jump. In a straight course all the obstacles are placed in a straight line and have to be jumped in succession. In a crooked course, the obstacles are placed in an interloping path in which the obstacles must be jumped in the correct order.
Straight and crooked courses are divided into 5 levels. [8] The measurements are slightly different in different countries.
Mini: Max 26 cm (10 in) high, 30 cm (12 in) long (6-8 obstacles)
Easy: Max 30 cm (12 in) high, 45 cm (18 in) long (8 obstacles)
Medium: Max 38 cm (15 in) high, 65 cm (26 in) long (10 obstacles)
Advanced: Max 45 cm (18 in) high, 75 cm (30 in) long (10 obstacles)
Elite: Max 50 cm (20 in) high, 80 cm (31 in) long (12 obstacles) [5]
The mini-course is an introductory course. In order to progress from easy to medium, etc. a rabbit has to earn promotion points. Rabbits are placed according to the number of faults they have (such as knocking a rail down). Time only comes into play if 2 placing rabbits have tied for the same placing.
A rabbit has a set time (usually 60 minutes) to complete the course. If the time runs out before the course is completed, the rabbit is disqualified.
All breeds are allowed to compete; however, there may be problems with smaller and larger breeds. Dwarf rabbits are smaller than 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) and giants bigger than 5 kilograms (11 lb).
The ideal jumping rabbit has long legs and a medium-long back, which will help it correctly judge the height and length of obstacles. In the case of slender bone structures, such as the Belgian Hare, 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 lurchers, deliberately crossbred racing dogs. Scandinavian Jumping Rabbits can be regarded as their own breed, with well-kept pedigrees.[ citation needed ]
Eventing is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test that required mastery of several types of riding. The competition may be run as a one-day event (ODE), where all three events are completed in one day or a three-day event (3DE), which is more commonly now run over four days, with dressage on the first two days, followed by cross-country the next day and then show jumping in reverse order on the final day. Eventing was previously known as Combined Training, and the name persists in many smaller organizations. The term "Combined Training" is sometimes confused with the term "Combined Test", which refers to a combination of just two of the phases, most commonly dressage and show jumping.
The Angora rabbit, one of the most ancient groups of domestic rabbit breeds, which is bred for the long fibers of its coat, known as Angora wool. They are gathered by shearing, combing or plucking. Because rabbits do not possess the same allergy-causing qualities as many other animals, their wool is an important alternative. There are at least 11 distinct breeds of Angora rabbit, four of which are currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA): the English Angora, the French Angora, the Giant Angora and the Satin Angora. Other unrecognized breeds include the German Angora, the Finnish Angora, the Chinese Angora, the Japanese Angora, the Korean Angora, the Russian Angora, the St Lucian Angora and the Swiss Angora.
Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, held since 1891, and organised by The Kennel Club. It is the largest show of its kind in the world.
The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbits and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy exhibitors, commercial breeders and pet owners in North America and many countries throughout the world.
The Hunter division is a branch of horse show competition that is judged on the horse's performance, soundness and when indicated, conformation, suitability or manners. A "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division.
The Mini Lop is a breed of domestic rabbit that is recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). It is different from the Miniature Lop breed that is recognized by the British Rabbit Council (BRC). The Mini Lop [US] and the Miniature Lop [UK] are different from the Dwarf Lop breed that is recognized by the BRC. The Mini Lop is similar to several other small rabbit breeds, such as the Dwarf rabbit.
Mini Rex is a breed of domestic rabbit that was created in 1984 in Florida by the late Monna Berryhill of Texas. The Rex mutation, derived in France in the 19th century, is recessive and causes the hair to protrude outwards from the body, instead of lying flat, and the guard hairs to be shortened to the length of the undercoat, or a bit longer.
The Flemish Giant rabbit is the largest breed of domestic rabbit. They weigh 6.8 kilograms on average, though the largest ones can weigh up to 22 kilograms. Historically they are a utility breed used for their fur and meat. In the modern day, they are no longer commonly raised for meat, due to their slow growth and very large bones, and are raised for exhibition at rabbit shows. They are often kept as pets as they are known for being docile and patient when being handled.
Rat agility is a sport for pet rats using scaled-down versions of the obstacles used for dog agility events. The sport originated in Sweden and can trace its origin back to table runs in the 1980s, where the owner on one side of the table had to get the rat from the other side to move across the table in the shortest time possible. Rat agility became an official competition in 2000.
Lop rabbit or lop-eared rabbit refers to any rabbit with ears that droop, as opposed to being carried erect. A number of rabbit breeds are characterized by such lop ears. Abnormalities in the skull of a half-lop rabbit were studied by Charles Darwin in 1868.
Lionhead is a breed of domestic rabbit recognized by the British Rabbit Council (BRC) and by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The Lionhead rabbit has a wool mane encircling the head, reminiscent of a male lion as its name implies. Other Lionhead characteristics include a high head mount, compact upright body type, short well-furred 2- to 3+1⁄2-inch ears, and a weight of 2.5 to 3.75 pounds.
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Dog 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. The handler's controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and coordination of the handler.
Plush Lop is a breed of domestic rabbit with two varieties: Miniature and Standard. There is also a Canadian Plush Lop breed in development. Similar in appearance, the Velveteen Lop breed is also in development. Miniature Plush Lops were the first to be developed. Devie D'anniballe began creating this breed in 1995 in the United States. She succeeded in developing them by combining the previously existing breeds of Holland Lop, Mini Rex, and Mini Lop. Her aim was to create the perfect pet by retaining the good qualities of these breeds, while "breeding out" all the problems existing in these breeds.
The Silver Fox rabbit is a rare breed of domestic rabbit developed by Walter B. Garland of North Canton, Ohio, and bred for meat, show, and its unique fur. The breed is recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
A rabbit show is a type of animal show where rabbits are exhibited. Most rabbit exhibitions are sanctioned by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), which recognizes 52 breeds in its Standard of Perfection 2021–2025. Rabbit show jumping, also known as rabbit hopping or rabbit agility, is a performance sport developed in the 1970s based on horse jumping and is distinct from traditional rabbit shows. Rabbit shows are mainly oriented towards exhibitors, rather than spectators, and receive little publicity compared to rabbit show jumping. Exhibitors display rabbits at shows for prize money and other awards.