Rabbit Jumping

Rabbit jumping is a sport that groves bigger and gets more popular al around Scandinavia. There is also some rabbit jumping in other parts of the world but not as develop like in Scandinavia. The point is to get trough the track with as few faults as possible. Rabbit jumping is perfect for you that want’s to do something with your rabbit!

History / about The Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping

The rabbit jumping started in Sweden late in the 1970´s, which is when the first rabbit club started having rabbit jumping competitions. The rules were from the beginning based on the rules from horse jumping, but now are the reformed to be suited the rabbit jumping.

1986 did the sport start spreading all over the Swedish country. But it was separately held in two different parts of Sweden with no contact between each other. 1991 did they meet to merge the two parts under the organisation of rabbit breeding in Sweden. The rabbit jumping was grooving bigger still could in not develop in the same speed that it needed. This lead to the organisation we have today.
September 3^rd 1994 is the date that The Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping established.

The Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping has nationwide coverage, today we have about 800 members from about 20 affiliated clubs, which are all arranging competitions in rabbit jumping. Our head work is to develop the sport and make sure we have fair competitions. We also make sure there are two championships every year and a study course to educate judges for the sport. To have a good connection and cooperation with other countries are also something we work for.

There is federations in both Norway (established in 2002) and Finland (2004), there is also some rabbit jumping in Denmark, Germany, UK, and USA. Hopefully the sport will grove and get even bigger in more countries.

About rabbit jumping/ some basic rules

There are two official tracks you can compete in, straight track and winding track. You can also compete official in the long jump and high jump.

The tracks have about 10 obstacles you have to jump over, depending on the class of the track. In straight track are the obstacles places in a row that’s the different from the winding track were the obstacles are places with turns (almost like horse jumping). The one that makes the whole track with the least number of faults and the shortest time is the winner. For each obstacle that is demolished the rabbit and it’s leader gets one fault. Other things that get you fault is if you have to lift the rabbit over a obstacle that is not demolished or if the rabbit jumps the obstacle the wrong way, oblique or in-between the bars of the obstacle. If the rabbits starts before it is allowed to ore gets three corrections. One correction is when the leader gives the rabbit a new run-up. You don’t count the corrections in the easiest class. The rabbit must jump the obstacles in the correct order otherwise it gets eliminated for the wrong way.

In the tracks is there four different classes, a higher class has higher and harder obstacles. All rabbits that get places in a competition get an upgrading point. When the rabbit has three upgrading points in the same track has he qualified for the higher class. The number of places in a competition is based on the number of starting rabbits, there is one upgrading point for each started five number. For example if there is 26 starting rabbits the top six will get upgrading points. However the rabbit must finish the track with less than two faults per round. The most common is that you have two rounds so no more than 4 faults is the limit for getting a upgrading point. If the rabbit makes two rounds without any faults it will receive a upgrading point no matter the placing number.

‘Easy’ is the lowest class, it the class were all rabbits starts its jumping career. The maximum height is 30 cm (11,81 inches) and the track has a least 8 obstacles. When the rabbis have collected three upgrading point in the same track does it qualify for the next class that is ‘average’. In average is the maximum height 38 cm (14,96 inches) of the obstacles and there is at least 10 of them. Like before the rabbit has to collect three upgrading points until it’s qualified for the next class that is ‘difficult’. Difficult has a maximum height of 45 cm (17,72 inches) there are still at least 10 obstacles. In difficult you must collect five upgrading points before you are qualified for the hardest class ‘elite’. The elite has a maximum height of 50 cm (19.96 inches) and the track has 12 obstacles.

The lengths of the obstacles are adjusted for the class. Well, there is a maximum length at 80 cm (31,15 inches) and especially for easy class the maximum length are 45 cm (17.72 inches). The shortest distances between the obstacles are 250 cm (98.43 inches) in al the classes. In ‘difficult’ and ‘elite’ must there be a water jump. The water jump is fail if the rabbit or the leash touches the water surface. The minimum breadth on the obstacles (the bars) is 60 cm (23.62 inches).

Out over the obstacles there must be a start and finish obstacle, these obstacles does not count in the track as the other obstacles, they are for start and stopping the time. In all the classes and tracks you have a maximum time you must be faster than. Most common is two minutes. The leader will be let to know when there are 30 and 10 seconds left.

There is some different judgements (A-F) the most common is judgement C. All the rabbits jumps one round and the sort of numbers comes to the final round. Judgement D is also common that’s when all the rabbits that finish the first round get to start in the second round.

That’s all about the two tracks. Then we have the long and high jump. In these two competitions the rabbit jumps over on single specially design obstacle.

In the high jump is it all about jumping as high as possible. The obstacle increases after every round. The rabbits have three attempts on each height. If the rabbit fails all three attempts he or she is eliminate. The rabbits that did the jump correctly continue to the next round were the obstacle has increased. If more than one rabbit jumps to the same height the winner is the rabbit that has used lesser attempts the jump before. If that also is the same you look at the round before and so on.

Long jump has the same system of getting a winner but here the rabbit must jump as long as possible.

High and long jump have a different system of upgrading points than the tracks. There is only two classes ‘not elite’ and ‘elite’. The rabbits start in not elite and when they make the limits at 60 cm (23.62 inches) in high jump and 160 cm (5,2 feet) in long jump do you get an upgrading point. You can only get one upgrading point per competition so there is no use to make the limit-jump more then once. But when the rabbis has collect three upgrading points (three in long jump and three in high jump, not together) it can start in elite.

You don’t compete about the upgrading points in the elite. Here the winner instead gets a certificate, if the elite class has more than 10 starting rabbits. In high jump the rabbit also must jump 70 cm (27,56 inches) or higher, in long jump 180 cm (5,9 feet) or longer. If a rabbit wins three certificates (counted straight track, winding track, high jump and long jump separately) from to different clubs the rabbit can ad the title Champion to his/hers name. If you become a champion in two competitions you get called Great Champion, three: Super Champion and all four competitions Grand Champion.

One important thing about the obstacles is that they can get demolished so that the rabbit does not get hurt. The obstacles are not allowed to have any outstanding nails. Something you never can forget is that you have to think about the rabbit first. You can not beat or kick the rabbit. Other tings you aren’t allowed to do is the lift the rabbit just holding the leach. The leader of the rabbit must walk next to the obstacles and not over them. And the hand that you hold the leach in must be behind the rabbit all the time.

You must have turned 7 years old to be allowed to start in a competition, your rabbit must be over 4 month. For the high and long jump the rabbit must be at least 12 month. The rabbit does not have to be a specific race to start the competitions. As long as the rabbits are healthy it can start. Pregnant and breast feeding rabbits are not allowed to start. The rabbit must be held in a harness with a leach, necklaces are not allowed.

How do you teach you rabbit to jump?

Before you start teaching you rabbit to jump over the obstacles you must learn it to walk in the harness. When the rabbit feels safe and brave walking in the harness can you start with to low obstacles (about 5 -10 cm (2-4 inches)). Put the rabbit in front of the first obstacle and give it some time to think. You might have to help it over the first time by lifting it or push loose at it´s backside. Commend and let the rabbit walk to the next obstacle. When the rabbit has learn the jump – walk –jump you can add some more obstacles and after a while you can higher them. Think about not to hurray. And don’t practice to much.

You can build obstacles of thing you have at home as long as the rabbit doesn’t get hurt on it.

You can learn most of the rabbits to jump but all of them do not like it. You should never force a rabbit to jump.

World records

The world record in high jump is held by a Danish rabbit called Tönsen. She has jumped 99,5 cm (39,17 inches). Her owner is Tine Hygom.

The world record in long jump is also held by a Danish rabbit, he is called Yaboo and the longest jump was measured to 3 m (9,84 feet).

Rabbit jumping is a fun sport both for owner and rabbit. In the Scandinavia is it grooving and getting more popular, and we wish that with this text we will open the eyes for rabbit jumping in other parts of the world.

Contact us!
You are very welcome to contact the committee for The Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping if you have any questions about the sport or if you want to help us with the cooperation between countries.

Email: styrelsen@skhrf.com