Ferret racing, at a fete

[Paid 935]

I have managed to get myself press ganged into the kids summer fete, and fancy doing a ferret race, I have the basics

 

6 ferrets, 6 pipes, but am wondering if any one has done, or seen any good twists on the way it can be done ?

 

any help much appreciated.

 

I have all sorts of different pipes to join up to make the run a little more interessting

[ferretman121 1]

dig a tidy hole in the ground, deep enough so its hard for the ferret to get out, iv seen that done before

[deanflute 550]

I have managed to get myself press ganged into the kids summer fete, and fancy doing a ferret race, I have the basics

 

6 ferrets, 6 pipes, but am wondering if any one has done, or seen any good twists on the way it can be done ?

 

any help much appreciated.

 

I have all sorts of different pipes to join up to make the run a little more interessting

 

 

No idea really? only ever seen it done the one way. Maybe if you could get 12 ferrets you could do a relay race to even it out if 1 ferret is winning all the time,Get 1 ferret to the end of the pipe then put another in to run back? if not just use the three pipes with 6 ferrets.

[Ideation 8,216]

What about a ferret maze? six ferrets in one end and the winner is the first out the other. You could bury the pipes.

[ferretracer 24]

there is so many different things you can do with ferret racing you can add in seesaws, waterjumps, weaves the list goes on or to save on the amount of people needed for the racing you can add a turning circle to get them to turn round and come back, your probably doing this as a one off so you wouldnt want to put to much time and effort into it. you can see a few photos here www.hbferretclub.co.uk thats the club i belong(im the membership secretary) to and i race mine as well at the vairous events we do, if you,ve got any questions you can contact me through a pm here or at ferretfancier3@hotmail.com

 

On another note a lot events require you to have insurance if things go wrong

Edited February 9, 2011 by ferretracer

[The one 8,398]

A barrel with 6 numbered bits of pipes out the bottom which ever one the ferret comes out wins ,a lot less bulky than transporting a racing setup about mate

[Paid 935]

Nice one lads, some cracking ideas there, and thanks for the link ferretracer.

 

Any other ideas more than welcome

[ferretracer 24]

A barrel with 6 numbered bits of pipes out the bottom which ever one the ferret comes out wins ,a lot less bulky than transporting a racing setup about mate

 

yep thats another idea as well, we do that as well but not very often, we call it ferret roulette, it dose,nt always go to plan some ferrets fall asleep inside, or wont come out at all.

 

yep no worrys, about the link its what i and the club do all summer long, where abouts are u based cos if u get really stuck i may be able to borrow some of the clubs kit and help out.

[Paid 935]

I'm not too far from you in Surrey, but am enjoying making it myself, as I have a load of stuff to make it from, and the ideas and photos of your link will really help.

 

Thanks for the offer mate :-)

[Jamie m 668]

A good idea is make parts of the runs out of mesh so folk can see them going

[StephOC 6]

I did this a few years ago for my local fair. It and had some sections of see-through pipe that I'd scrounged and some wire sections so that prople could see.

 

A roll of chicken mesh and wire hoops (a bit like croquet hoops) and tent pegs, every few meters, is a really easy way to support the wire into an arch and pin it into the ground. Connected to purple drainage pipes, etc.

 

There were small cages at the start and end of the courses to hold and catch the ferrets. I think I had just two courses, and four ferrets.

I had a big cage for them to rest in which fitted inside an old canvas bird-hide tent so that they had shade between races, and also so I only had to watch one side of the cage, it couldn't be surrounded by kids poking their fingers through the bars!

 

I would also recommend a rope and some posts to create a boundary to your set up, and a clock (I didn't have this but have seen 'proper ferret racers' who have) made out of bit of wood with hands that you can turn to point to when the next race will be on so people don't have to keep asking.

 

Also, try to be next to the beer tent for a good atmosphere! We got loads of really interested people who enjoyed it, from tiny kids who had never seen a ferret before to to old men telling me how lovely it was to see people with ferrets as they'd not kept them since they were lads! (Or maybe it was because there were three women running it?) It was a good day! Good luck!

[ferretracer 24]

I'm not too far from you in Surrey, but am enjoying making it myself, as I have a load of stuff to make it from, and the ideas and photos of your link will really help.

 

Thanks for the offer mate :-)

 

 

no worrys, it is good fun you will be surprised at the interest you get from racing them