WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa — With a hop, skip and another hop, frogs from the local lake competed to earn their borrowers cash prizes.
The Broadway Bullfrog Race Championship, one of many events at the all-day West Burlington Fourth of July Celebration, gives the humble bullfrog the chance to race like a horse in the Kentucky Derby.
This was the 20th anniversary of West Burlington's celebration, featuring a parade, food trucks, live music, bike races and water games.
Participants could rent frogs from a selection of 20 uniquely named individuals starting at 7:00 p.m. for $100 each. Kids with little green nets stood guard on the outside of the large chalk circle that marked the frogs' finish line.
11 frogs were sold, amounting to a prize pool of $1,300. Among the racers were Beehop, Hiphop, Frog the Bounty Hunter, Kermit, Ribbet Downey Jr., Gwen Stefroggy and Kim Frogdashian.
The group was separated into three heats, with the winner of each moving on to the championship. Losing frogs were returned to the big black tub filled with pond water and duckweed, waiting to be trucked off to where they came from.
Most of the frogs put up a good fight. Some preferred to hang out in their buckets. But only one rose to the challenge and became champion - Big Daddy, who was a crowd favorite to win. He earned his borrower $900. Second place came out with $300, while third got their money back with $100.
After a hard-fought victory, the championship frogs were plopped into the tub, covered with a net, and driven back home to hop another day.
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