Wiener dog race has biggest turnout yet at Saturday's 'Blast'

The start of one heat of the wiener dog races demonstrates how chaotic they can be. (Photo by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

For the past five years, La Cygne Mayor Debra Wilson and her husband Emil have sponsored the contest that pits dog against dog in a contest of speed, and as it turns out, concentration. It is difficult to say the name of the event without smiling. It’s just as difficult to suppress one while writing about it.

Initially slated to be held on Fathers’ Day each year, the Wiener Dog Race, started out modestly. Maybe six or eight dogs entered in the race that took place on the ball field at La Cygne Community Park, and two of them were the Wilson’s pets.

It was an informal affair with the dogs being restrained by a human on the third-base line with the idea that calls by their owner on the first-base line would have the dogs lunging toward the finish line to win what for them was probably the top prize: a treat.

Reygan Whiteman keeps Guinness on track during one of the heats. (Photo by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)

Except the dogs rarely lunged toward anything. Happy to be released, the dogs meandered. sometimes in weaving pattern, sometimes in a straight line, and sometimes stopping to sniff the grass or running up to a spectator to be petted. Eventually one of the dogs would come to its owner, who would lay claim to a prize and bragging rights.

At that first race the owner of a couple of larger dogs on leashes sauntered up to the ball field to see what was going and were immediately the object of furious wiener dogs in attack mode. After the large dogs left, dogs returned to their friendly selves and the contest was on.

There was plenty to laugh about as the dogs seemed more interested in checking out anything but the finish line.

Fast forward to Saturday, July 11, at La Cygne’s Blast in the Park. The Wilsons or their helpers had yard signs printed and placed strategically around La Cygne, promoting the event.

Some of the competitors and their handlers pose for a group photo. Organizer Debra Wilson is standing in the center wearing a light gray t-shirt. (Submitted photo)

This time, Emil, who ran the start, had a wooden starting gate set that housed six dogs. When he pulled the gate up, the dogs were supposed to dash toward the finish line and their owners.

A crowd of about 50 people was on hand, and instead of a handful of dogs about 21 were registered.

Owners dressed their dogs for the occasion. A pink tutu, colorful vests and even a dog sporting a saddle with a miniature Woody from Toy Story perched on top.

Despite the more official looking start chute and the white lines chalked on the grass to give the direction, the starts were just as chaotic with those things.

Dogs would walk around back of the starting gate looking for their owner. Or they would stop right outside to greet someone who was not their owner. Or they would trot to the sideline. For the most part, those turning in a good performance had an owner or someone they trusted running alongside them.

But a look at the spectators around the track gave an indication as to who really won the top prize. It was hard to find anyone that wasn’t wearing an ear-to-ear grin.

More submitted photos from the races (click for full-size images(: