Hi ho Ferrets, away!  Was so pleased to read Sheila of Bolton Ferret
Welfare and her description of ferret racing, since ich (I)
Frettchenlustbarkeitsfuehrer (ferret frolics leader) Edward Lipinski also
race ferrets.  I race them in two different venues; one on the land and
two, in the wasser (water).
 
I set up a precisely measured course on the park grass that is exactly
25-feet with markers at both ends.  I ask the ferret owners to run the
course with their ferrets in harness and lead (some prefer without the
harness and lead, which is OK with me) and I give them three trial runs so
that they can enter their fastest speed over the 25-feet course length.
 
Since I know the length of the course and the time, measured in 1/100
second to reduce possibility of ties, I then calculate the ferret's speed
in miles per hour (kilometers per hour too)
 
My objective here is to some day publish the average speed of the average
Amerikanische Frettchen (American ferret) after I've collected some 200
speed records and have plotted them on my "bell shaped curve."
 
Now I also do this in the wasser (water) with the ferrets swimming a
straight line course of precisely 25-feet.  The ferrets swim in fresh lake
wasser between two vertical posts stuck in the bottom of the lake with a
white clothes line tied to the two posts at a depth of about 1 foot in
water that is waist deep for me.  To make sure that the Frettchens swim in
a straight line directly over top of the white clothes line, I move with
the ferret behind it as it swims and I guide it by merely touching its
shoulder to maintain its swimming path straight ahead and directly above
the white clothes line.
 
A timing judge oversees the ferrets as they swim the 25-foot swimming
course and clocks their time to completion.  As above in the land race, the
ferret's swimming speed is then calculated in miles per hour (kilometers
per hour).
 
Each ferret gets three swimming runs (if they have the stamina) and the
fastest speed is then recorded.  Here too, as above, I hope to get about
200 data points to plot on my "bell-shaped curve" that should enable me to
publish the average swimming speed of the average Amerikanische Frettchen.
 
Much to my surprise, at first, it was easier to get the ferrets swimming
than getting them to run.  And, of course, the fastest ferret is awarded a
Certificate of FERRET MERIT with its land and water speeds thereon duly
recorded for all to see.
 
Do you, Sheila, think that you might try racing ferrets in this same manner
and over the same length grass and water courses?  Then we could see who
has the fastest speeds, the Englander Frettchens oder Amerikanische
Frettchens?  To date, only the Australians have challenged and they came
in second.
 
Fastest land speed:  3.856 MPH  ( X 1.609 = 6.204 KMPH)
Fastest water speed: 1.741 MPH  ( X 1.609 = 2.801 KMPH)
 
Edward Lipinski, Ferret Endowment for Research, Rehabilitation, Education &
Training Society, NW.
 
Nota Bene.  To enter your ferret in these speed trials please contact
Edward Lipinski to register for Saturday 26 June, 10 AM, weather
permitting.  25 ferret/owners limit, please.
[Posted in FML issue 2710]