Coming soon: show jumping for rabbits!
Everybody is familiar with show jumping for horses, but in Germany such events are also organised for rabbits. Officials at the Hagelands Neerhof not-for-profit organisation have now decided to import the event to Belgium and will be organising a show jumping event for rabbits soon!
“Jumping is in their blood” says Frans Schuermans, the president of Hagelands Neerhof. “Only at show jumping events they jump a little higher.”
A group from Bremen in Germany is coming to Aarschot (Flemish Brabant) for a show jumping event for rabbits on 25 and 26 January.
Frans Schuermans: “The rabbits have to jump over the obstacles as quickly as possible. Their trainer ensures they proceed in the right direction. Not all rabbits are suited to show jumping: Flemish giants are too big to get over the obstacles. Dwarf rabbits are too small”.
People keep the rabbits at home like pets. They are trained from the age of six months with the aim of getting them to jump higher and higher. After years of training they can jump up to one meter.
Frans Schuermans says the rabbits enjoy the show jumping: “Some people claim it’s animal abuse, but it’s quite the opposite. Jumping is part of their nature and the animals are treated just like people.