Rosie the Ribeter: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Who holds the world record triple jump record – for bullfrogs? Rosie, the Ribeter. She set the record in May 1986 at 21 feet 5 ¾ inches. Her record has stood for over 30 years. This is her story.

It all started with Mark Twain and his famous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” After it was published, the Calaveras County fair started the Jumping Frog Jubilee™, which has run since 1928.

Over the years, the frogs have jumped farther. Why? Scientists say it’s because of the frog jockeys, the men and women who catch and jump the frogs.

Read this extraordinary story of a man and a frog.

History of the Jumping Frog Jubilee™ Mark Twain’s first successful short story was “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” published in 1865. The humorous story was based on a story he heard in Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, where he’d spent time as a miner. Calaveras County, California drew on this legend and added the Jumping Frog Jubilee™ to its county fair in 1928.