Loudoun Rabbit Hoppers Return Home Victorious From PA Convention

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The Loudoun County 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club scored several wins at the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeders Association's (PaSRBA) annual convention, the largest rabbit convention on the East Coast. Rabbit hopping, an activity growing in popularity across the country, is a combination of dog agility and horse jumping, where you place a harness on a rabbit and encourage them to hop over miniature jumps.

Virginia does not host any rabbit hopping competitions, although the Loudoun County 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club is hoping to start one in May, according to Jen Kasianides, who has three daughters who are members of the rabbit hopping club. Kasianides and her family moved to Loudoun in 2014 and joined the club immediately upon arrival.

The PaSRBA convention took place Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 at the Lebanon Expo Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. "This was our family's first time participating in this particular competition, but other members have gone to it for a handful of years," Kasianides said in an email to Patch.

Rabbit hopping is a sport that began in the late 1970s and came to Loudoun County in 2011, according to Anna Kasianides, Jen's daughter who serves as reporter and historian for the Loudoun County 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club.

At the Pennsylvania convention, a team of Loudoun 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club members called the Loudoun Legends finished in first place in the Beginner B Straight Line Team Hopping competition. The Loudoun Legends members were Eleni Kasianides with her rabbit Hazel, Sarah Burns with her bunny Yogi, and Alisa Hart with Cocoa Bean.

In the same competition, another group of Loudoun 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club members with the team name Happy Hoppers came in third place. The team's members were Grace Kasianides and her bunny Mia, Isabel Ludwig with Kenya, and Mary Grace Menuey with her rabbit Toffee.

Sarah Burns and Yogi took first place in both the Advanced Straight Course and Intermediate Agility Course. Mary Grace and Muffin placed first on the long jump, with Grace Kasianides and LouLou placing second. For the high jump, Sarah Hart placed first with Cinnamon.

Isabel Ludwig and her rabbit Kenya scored second place in the Beginner A Straight Course.

The Loudoun County 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club also participated in educational competitions. Eleni Kasianides won Best Overall Senior Presentation and was honored at an awards banquet. Grace Kasianides was named a 2020 PaSRBA Princess as part of a Royalty contest when she placed first in her age group. Grace's win was a result of her placement in an interview, knowledge test, breed identification contest, judging contest, and written management essays.

The Loudoun County 4-H has nearly 20 clubs, including rabbit hopping. The next meeting of the Loudoun County 4-H Rabbit Hopping Club is Feb. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds at 17558 Dry Mill Road, northwest of Leesburg.

The rabbit hopping club has appeared at varioius community events, including the Joshua's Hands Festival in Waterford, the Bunny Bonanza in Sterling and the Loudoun County Fair.

"Most rabbits who participate seem to enjoy it," Jen Kasianides said. "Generally, if rabbits don't enjoy hopping, their handlers choose a different rabbit who is more energetic and enthusiastic about hopping."

The competitions have strict rules about the handling of rabbits. Any pulling on the leash, use of feet to direct the rabbit, or abusive handling of any sort is grounds for disqualification.

"We constantly seek to teach our members about proper housing, care, handling, training, etc.," she said. "Since Rabbit Hopping is a performance activity, it is definitely in the owner's best interest to interact often and care well for their rabbit."