Rabbit show jumping: the sport of kaninhop, its rules and records

What is rabbit show jumping?

It is show jumping, scaled down to rabbit size. New Jersey 4-H guidelines describe it as a performance sport in which rabbits are directed through a course of jumps from 4 to 20 inches (about 10 to 50 cm) high. The jumps look like horse jumps, but the rails are made to fall away if the rabbit touches them, and the aim is to get round with as few faults as possible.

A rabbit and handler compete as a team. The Swedish rabbit hopping federation, SKHRF, explains that on straight and crooked courses the rabbit must clear the jumps in the right order within a set time. Every knocked-down jump counts as one fault, the fewest faults wins, and the fastest time breaks a tie.

Where did kaninhop begin?

In Sweden. SKHRF says rabbit hopping has been around in Sweden since the 1970s, and that over more than five decades it has grown into an established sport with clubs, competitions and a community. The New Jersey 4-H guidelines say it began in the early 1970s and was patterned after miniature horse jumping, and that the first Swedish national championship was held in 1987.

SKHRF was formed as a national federation on 3 September 1994, and today has clubs from Skåne in the far south to Lappland in the far north. The New Jersey 4-H guidelines say the sport has spread across Europe, with clubs in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and the UK, that it reached the United States in 2001, and that it is catching on in Japan and Australia.

Kaninhop history at a glance

How does a kaninhop course work?

There are four main events, SKHRF says:

• Straight course: the jumps are set in a straight line, one after another.
• Crooked course: the jumps are set along a winding route with turns, to be taken in the right order.
• High jump: a single jump is raised step by step. The rabbit that clears the greatest height in the fewest attempts wins.
• Long jump: a single jump is made longer step by step. The rabbit that clears the greatest length in the fewest attempts wins.

Rabbits move up through classes as they improve. These are SKHRF's maximum sizes for each class; not every jump on a course has to be this big.

In the high and long jump, SKHRF says a rabbit earns a promotion pin by clearing 60 cm (23.6 in) high or 160 cm (63 in) long, and can move up to the elite class after three pins.

What are the rules?

They are detailed, and most are there to protect the rabbit. SKHRF says the rabbit's health and well-being always come first, that the rabbit must be healthy, and that it must be at least five months old. In its words: "Aldrig tvinga kaninen att hoppa", never force the rabbit to jump.

A 2026 county fair rulebook from the University of Wisconsin Extension gives a good picture of a typical American event:

• Rabbits must be five months or older, and giant breeds cannot compete.
• Rabbits over 9 lb (about 4 kg), and does that are pregnant or nursing, may not jump.
• Each rabbit must jump "on their own free will", and every knocked-down rail is a fault.
• There is a two-minute time limit on the straight and crooked courses, with extra faults after that.
• Kicking, hitting, dropping or lifting a rabbit by its lead means instant disqualification, as does using your feet to push it along.

What are the rabbit jumping world records?

Guinness World Records lists the highest jump by a rabbit as 99.5 cm (39.2 in), by Mimrelunds Tösen ("The Lassie of Quivering Grove"), owned by Tine Hygom, in Herning, Denmark, on 28 June 1997. It lists the longest jump as 3 m (9 ft 9.6 in), by Yabo, handled by Maria Brunn Jensen, in Horsens, Denmark, on 12 June 1999.

Speed has a record too. In July 2023 Guinness reported that Penelope, a rabbit trained by 18-year-old Ole Roski from Germany, set the record for the fastest time to complete 10 jumps by a rabbit, 7.16 seconds, on the Italian television show Lo Show dei Record in Milan.

Is rabbit show jumping safe for rabbits?

It can be, if the rabbit is fit, willing and trained kindly, but welfare groups urge caution. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) sees value in the sport because it shows rabbits to be intelligent, active, trainable animals that bond with their owners. It also warns that many pet rabbits live in hutches with no room to exercise and may have muscle and bone problems, so strapping a harness on them and asking them to jump is dangerous.

The RWAF says any training must be reward-based, "never just by pulling the harness and dragging the rabbit over the jump", that events should have a quiet resting area, and that "the welfare of each individual rabbit must be prioritised above the owner's desire to compete". It also asks owners to think honestly about whether the sport is for the rabbit or for them.

Which rabbits are good at show jumping?

Small to medium, energetic rabbits with a steady temperament. The New Jersey 4-H guidelines list breeds such as Dutch, Mini Rex, Polish, Netherland Dwarf, Holland Lop, Havana and Mini Satin as good choices, while warning that English Lops (long ears and back), giant breeds such as the Flemish Giant and French Lop, and Angoras (whose wool tangles) are poor candidates. They add that a rabbit's temperament and the trainer's patience matter more than breed. Our guide to rabbit breeds describes each one.

How can I try rabbit hopping gently at home?

Keep it short, low, free and fun. This is how we would do it, based on the New Jersey 4-H training steps, SKHRF's welfare rules and the RWAF's advice against harnesses for exercise:

1. Check your rabbit first. Only try with a healthy adult rabbit at a good weight; the New Jersey 4-H guidelines say never to jump an overweight rabbit. If you are unsure, ask your vet.
2. Choose a safe space. Use a fenced or indoor area with a soft, grippy floor such as carpet or mats, away from dogs and cats. Your rabbit's own run or playpen is ideal.
3. Start with poles on the floor. Lay a few rails about 15 cm (6 in) apart and let your rabbit hop over them in its own time, with a small healthy treat at the end.
4. Add a tiny jump. Raise one rail no more than 5 cm (2 in) off the ground, using rails that fall away if touched. Reward every hop over it.
5. Raise it slowly. Add no more than 5 cm (2 in) per session, as the New Jersey 4-H guidelines advise, and always start with a low warm-up jump.
6. Keep sessions short. The New Jersey 4-H guidelines suggest 15 to 20 minutes at first. Stop if your rabbit lies down, which they say means it is tired.
7. End on a win. Finish every session with an easy jump your rabbit clears, and never force it, as SKHRF says.

What does kaninhop tell us about pet rabbits?

That rabbits are athletic, clever and full of energy, far more than their reputation as quiet hutch pets suggests. The RSPCA says rabbits need at least 3 m x 2 m x 1 m (about 10 x 6.5 x 3.3 ft) of space to move, play, exercise and hide, that a hutch alone is not enough, and that a happy rabbit may "binky", leaping and twisting in mid-air. A rabbit with that much room will jump for joy whether or not it ever sees a course.

Our guide to rabbit enrichment has plenty of ways to keep a bouncy rabbit busy, and our page on rabbit behaviour and body language explains what binkies and other moves mean. For everything else, start with our rabbit care guide, or enjoy more rabbit facts.