This past weekend, from July 24 through July 27, Dousman hosted their 70th annual Dousman Derby Days.
The annual event is a major source of pride for the small town. It brings in some of the areas best live music, incredible food and drink offerings, an amusement ride midway, a fireworks display, and a parade. Hosted in Cory Park, it’s a fun community gathering that draws people together as they enjoy the Wisconsin summertime weather.
However, Derby Days stands out for its annual Wisconsin State Frog Jump Contest.
When the Village of Dousman was first established in 1882, there wasn’t much around. There were a handful of swampy areas and waterways filled with frogs, which led to the town being nicknamed ‘Bullfrog Station‘. In 1956, the first annual Derby Days was held in Dousman. This important date also marked the first ever state frog jump being held in the Village, a tradition that has carried on for decades.
In 1974, Eric Carlson of Delavan entered his now-famous frog ‘Sam’ into the contest. It was on that momentous occasion that Sam set a state record, leaping 19 feet and 3.5 inches.
As of 2025, that record remains unbroken, although some have come close.
This year, Reagan Hettich and her frog ‘Mermaid’ won the annual championship. Mermaid jumped 19 feet and 1.5 inches, coming up just 2 inches short of the current record.
The event is a huge draw. With a total of 559 frogs jumping this weekend, the contest draws people from across the state who are eager to compete and observe in the tradition.
There are very specific rules surrounding the competition.
Contestants can enter as many as two frogs per day. Each frog is then given three consecutive jumps . The total distance is determined by measuring the space between the starting line position and the final landing spot of the third jump.
Frog owners are not permitted to touch the frogs during the contest. This means they must get creative, and will often stomp, clap, or call out to their froggy friends to encourage them.
Dousman’s Derby Days is one of a kind, giving attendees so much more than a fun place to connect with their community. It also brings healthy competition to the town through tradition.
