Rabbit hopping demo tomorrow

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The emerging sport of rabbit hopping will be demonstrated to a local 4-H club Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Morton Avenue gymnasium. The public is invited, admission is free and people can bring their own rabbit and harness to give hopping a try.

    The presenter will be Lauren Verow, a rabbit breeder from Frankfort and secretary of the Eastern Maine Rabbit Breeders Association (EMRBA) who also represents EMRBA at the state level. She has 50 rabbits at her Wild Eden Rabbitry, attends more than half a dozen shows per year, and got involved in rabbit hopping as a fun thing to do with rabbits between shows.
    “The club is eager to learn more about rabbit hopping,” says Piscataquis 4-H Animal Club leader Mary Kate Povak of Sebec, a SeDoMoCha Middle School science teacher and former 4-H’er. “It seems like a great activity for those who have rabbits and are looking for something fun to learn.”
    Champion hoppers can jump over 30 inches in the high jump and eight feet long in the long jump, according to one European rabbit hopping website.
    “Rabbits are really predisposed to pick up learning how to jump because they’re pretty intelligent animals and they already like to run around when you put them on the ground,” explains Verow. “So most of them take to it pretty easy.” Her Holland Lop “loves to run. She’ll stand at the edge of the cage knowing that she’s going to get a harness on her. But that’s also the personality of the rabbit. Not every Holland Lop will be a good hopper.”
    In theory, any rabbit can hop. But rabbits with heavy wool, like Angoras, or rabbits with big, floppy ears might not be so good. The breeds that seem to excel are English Spots, Holland Lops, Britannia Petites, Rhinelanders and Belgian Hares. English Spots are a running breed and she knows of one in particular that “within minutes” caught on and “was jumping very high jumps and it was enjoying it.”
    Verow will explain the development of hopping in the U.S., basic training tips, and proper equipment people can buy or build themselves. The jump uprights are made of wood and the rails are usually PVC or wood.
    The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognized rabbit hopping as a sport as of October 2013 at their annual convention and charted the American Hopping Association for Rabbits and Cavies. Their goal is to eventually have ARBA-certified, rabbit-hopping judges across the country.
    Most of the hopping done now in the U.S. is as a fun event, usually associated with 4-H. More sophisticated competitions are held in Europe.
    Beginner show jumping courses have about 10 low jumps spaced two feet apart. It can include relay racing and individual timed races. Scoring is based on a scorecard with preference to best time after deducting for any faults. Faults can include upsetting an obstacle, out of bounds, and exceeding time limits, among others, in the case of the New Jersey 4-H rules.
    Verow will make available packets of information listing resources for people who want to explore the topic further. For more information, contact Povak at mkpovak@gmail.com.