If you’ve been to a state or county fair, it’s likely you’ve had a chance to see an unusual sport that’s becoming more popular around the world. It’s called “rabbit show jumping,” a trend that started in Sweden in the 1970s when members of a small rabbit club started holding hopping contests for their pet rabbits. At first, the rules were based on horse show jumping, which is an Olympic event. Soon, the rules were changed to make them better for the bunnies. Here’s how it works: Each rabbit is led around a course by its owner, using a special leash and harness. In a straight course, the rabbits hop over several jumps made of stacked bars that fall off if the rabbits jump too low. In another event, sometimes called “rabbit agility”, the rabbits don’t only jump, they must also make it across or through several “obstacles”, such as ramps, bridges, tunnels, and teeter-totters. Each rabbit has two minutes to make it through the course,. The goal is for the rabbit to make it through without knocking over any bars or failing to navigate any of the obstacles. The rabbit with the fewest mistakes wins. If there's a tie, it goes to the faster rabbit. The one thing all contestants know and understand is, the rabbits only hop if they want to.
