Be very very quiet, we're jumping rabbits!
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If you think your rabbit has what it takes to be a show jumper, hop on down to Lithgow's very first Rabbit Hopping competition to be held at Lithgow Public School on Sunday, July 7.
The event will be run by the Rabbit Hopping Society of Australia and will showcase some amazing bunny talent with competitions running from 9am through to 3pm and a beginners class at 1pm.
Rabbit hopping enthusiast Vanessa Allan who also works at Lithgow Veterinary Hospital has been competing with her mini lop cross rabbit Snickers, for four years.
"It's a really fun thing to do and a good way to bond with your rabbit," she said.
Ms Allan said the beginners class was an opportunity for people who have a rabbit and wanted to see how they go in a competition environment.
"We put the rabbits in the harness and put them over jumps like you would a horse. All rabbits can jump it's just up to them if they want to do it in a particular environment," she said.
She said you couldn't force a rabbit to jump, they had to want to do it.
"We don't force them to jump, we may prompt them a little like you would a dog but they'll often do it themselves because they enjoy it.
"You can't drag them, they have to want to do it, if they don't then they wont, they jump because they want to," she said.
Ms Allan said shy rabbits were not usually the best to jump, but rather a rabbit with an outgoing personality would enjoy it more.
"Naughty bunnies usually like to jump themselves, they're all fired up and ready to go and the more they do it the better they get, but it's fine just to give your bunny a go at something new," she said.
She said there were also different courses that rabbits could jump including straight, crooked, long jump and high jump.
"Snickers competes on straight and crooked courses, he even jumps over water," Ms Allan said.
The current Australian record for long jump is 1.70m held by Splash Rabbits Maximus who is a mini lop rabbit.
For high jump the record is 76cm, held by Splash Rabbits Minties who is a polish rabbit.
The world record for rabbit high jump is one metre and the world record for long jump is three metres.
Ms Allan said rabbit hopping was a serious business and it had grown.
"It originated in Denmark and has been going for 70 odd years, it's a pretty big thing.
"The bigger events run over a few days normally and there are judges and timed events," she said.
Ms Allan has travelled all over with Snickers, from the Penrith area to Gosford and said she attended the national event around Easter time at Moore Park each year.
"It's not for everyone but I enjoy it and so does Snickers," she said.
Ms Allan urged people to come down, watch and maybe even participate in Lithgow's first rabbit hopping event.
"It's a free event so come check it out and have a bit of a giggle with us," she said.
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Alanna Tomazin
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
