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Sacramento, CA….Senator Ted Gaines (R-Roseville) today hosted the 37th Annual Capitol Frog Jumping Contest at the State Capitol. Elected officials, legislative staffers and media participated to see who can make their frog jump the farthest. “It was an honor to sponsor the 37th Annual Capitol Frog Jump in my first year representing Calaveras County and the 1st Senate District,” said Gaines. “The event is such a staple to the Capitol community and a great way to get the word out about the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee taking place at the end of this month.”

The only skill required of the frogs (and their frog jockeys) entered in the contest was the ability to leap far and wide. Trophies and bragging rights were awarded to winners of the following categories:

The “Longest Jump” award went to Michelle Clarke with the office of Senator Bob Dutton. Her frog, Unicorn, jumped a whopping 10’5”.

The “Shortest Jump” award went to Ken Spence with the office of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. His frog, “The Hurricane,” jumped a meager 4’3”.

The “Media Jump” award went to reigning champ, Bob Moffitt, with Fox 40/Capitol Public Radio. His frog, “Freelance Flier,” jumped 8’6”.

As for Senator Gaines, his frog, “Tax Cutting Toad,” jumped 5’8” finishing in the middle of the pack. By comparison, the current world record is 21′ 5 3/4″.

The event was not short of drama, with one wayward frog seizing the opportunity to escape to the State Capitol trout pond where he now happily resides.

Started in 1928, the frog jump was inspired by Mark Twain’s fictional work, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” The Calaveras County Fair adopted the Jumping Frog as their theme 10 years later. The public can watch the official Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest at the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee in Angels Camp, which runs May 19-22, 2011. For more information, visit www.frogtown.org.

Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento and Sierra counties.