Wiener dog races cut the mustard
Wiener dogs made their triumphant return to Fort Erie Race Track Sunday for their second annual day of racing.
It was clear from the crowd that turned up to watch the races that the event is a hit among animal lovers.
This year’s top dog was Chico, from Mississauga. His owners, Dany Marqasr and Pedro Rios, were thrilled.
It wasn’t the first time the pooch has won dog races; he took the champion title at wiener dog races in Ajax and on Saturday took the Wiener Paw-looza title in Hamilton.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Marqasr said after the big win Sunday. “You don’t really train for something like this. Chico just loves to walk and run a little bit. He walks about two hours a day.”
Others like Jan Botari, of Barrie, heard about the wiener dog races through word of mouth.
“This is a fun, family event and when my sister-in-law, who is from Fenwick, told me about it,
we had to come,” Botari said.
Cindy Botari said the pair weren’t in it to win it. Participating in the race was all about having a good time and a memorable experience.
About 72 canines took to the track to participate in the justfor-fun event. There were six qualifying heats — each heat was held on a 25-metre course with 12 dogs at a time. The top two of each heat qualified for the final. There was also a bonus race, with a 10-dog field featuring various small breeds.
Many of the dogs ran — most even crossed the finish line — and many of the small canines stopped to play along the way as the crowd laughed and cheered the entire time.
At the end of all the excitement, all participating dogs received a goodie bag filled with dog food samples, treats and a tennis ball courtesy of event sponsor Pet Food Outlet in Welland.
Dave McMahon Dog Training Academy presented trophies to the winners.
Continuing the trend, basset hounds will hit the track Sept. 15. Registration is open at www.forterieracing.com.