By Flannery Dean, CBC News
Posted: Nov 6, 2012 8:24 AM ET
Last Updated: Nov 6, 2012 8:23 AM ET
Meet Q-tip. Her owner is Chelsea Dwyer of the Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H Hop Club. (Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H Hop Club ) You can't make a bunny hop unless he wants to. This is especially true when you're asking one to bounce over a 20-inch jump, not just once but twelve times in a row.
"Training depends on the bunny," said Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H Hop Club member Aleta Alblas, 17.
Alblas is one of 16 members of the Hop Club, the first in Ontario, and an offshoot of the Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H Club's rabbit club of which she's also a member, that had its debut at the Royal Agricultural Fair last weekend.
That makes for 16 members and 17 bunnies. Hop Club leader, Joanne Alblas, Aleta's mother, says they were a hit with a crowd at the Royal.
"It was unbelievable," she said, explaining that the audience kept growing as the day wore on.
'The journey of a thousand hops began with one jump'
The Hop Club, which trains at the Ancaster fairgrounds, started last year after Aleta watched a training video from an Alberta-based Hop Club. She was fascinated. Aleta, who has 30 bunnies, began agitating for the creation of a Hamilton Hop Club.
But first she wanted to make her own jumps.
"My daughter's goal in life last year was making rabbit jumps," said Joanne.
After consulting her father and brother, Aleta came up with the first jump prototype.
"It worked well," she said.
She became so proficient in making the jumps that she's responsible for "at least 10" of the 12 jumps that make up the club's 14 x 28 ft course.
Aleta's perseverance paid off. The Hop Club officially formed last spring and has seen its membership more than double in size in that time.
'Training depends on the rabbit'
To train the rabbits, Aleta and other members start by placing the jump on the ground and getting the bunnies to step over it. Once that task is complete, they slowly raise the jump by a few inches. Eventually the bunnies are clearing a 20-inch height.
Now every bunny hops on cue.
"One girl had a rabbit flying around the track two weeks later," said Aleta. "But then another rabbit has been trying to learn for two years."
The bunnies in the group represent a mix of breeds, from satin-New Zealand bunnies to Netherland Dwarfs to a Kijji find.
There's no discriminating when it comes to bunnies. The club has a BYOB mandate — Bring Your Own Bunny.
"You've got a pet bunny," said Joanne, "we'll try it."
Catch Aleta and her two bunnies, Chester and Rio, as well as the rest of the Hop Club Nov. 10 in the Direct Energy Centre at the Royal.
The club will put on three shows at 10:30, noon and 3:30 p.m.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Hamilton bunnies impress at Royal Agricultural Fair
Dengan url
http://hemiltoninfo.blogspot.com/2012/11/hamilton-bunnies-impress-at-royal.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Hamilton bunnies impress at Royal Agricultural Fair
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Hamilton bunnies impress at Royal Agricultural Fair
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar