Wiener Dog Racing - now I've seen it all...

Dachshunds will run their little legs at Woodlands Wiener Dog Nationals
Kansas City Star
July 25, 2007
Original Kansas City Star article: Dachshunds will run their little legs at Woodlands Wiener Dog Nationals
And they're off ... the track!
Two years ago the two fastest dachshunds at The Woodlands' Wiener Dog Nationals were locked in a match race until one decided to tackle the other, leaving the championship to a third dog that was 10 feet behind them.
Others have stopped midway through to look at the crowd or turn around, and some have simply stopped. And, yes, two in the last three years have jumped off the track.
'It's kind of like a foul ball at the stadium, where people try to lunge for the ball and not to spill their drinks,' said announcer Keith Nelson, who will call his fourth card Sunday.
'Here they try to catch the dog and get him back on the track. It's funny to see, but if you think about it, kind of risky because wieners tend to nip at people who aren't their mainstays at home. But we have had no injuries, and it's been entertaining for the fans and the owners.
'There's a lot of space for those dogs to go if they want to run off track, so if it's only happened twice, that's a pretty good ratio.'
The 14th Wiener Dog Nationals will be held Sunday at The Woodlands at 99th and Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kan., just a short drive northeast of the Village West facility. The track has struggled attendance-wise ever since the casinos opened in Missouri, but Wiener Dog Day, which originated at The Woodlands and has since become popular at other tracks, is still a major draw.
Last year 11,500 saw some or all of the event won by Wally, a 12-pounder from Lawrence owned by Ann and Elle Weber. The races are sponsored by KUDL-FM, Sonic, Dressler's Dog Supplies and Varsity Sports and Trophies.
The greyhound races start at 1 p.m. Sunday as they always do. Between those races, there will be eight heats of wiener dog races with the tiny dogs chasing a toy or treat held by one of their owners. The first one across the finish line moves on to a ninth and final race, where the overall winner is crowned.
'I think people like it because it's an oddity, and you get to see the wiener dogs run with their owners, which makes it a people-watching thing, too,' Nelson said. 'You kind of wait for carnage to happen ... it never does, but it's fun to wait for it ... it's just got huge entertainment value, though you can't get any value from it.'
As David Letterman used to say, that means no wagering.
'Every year we have hundreds of people who want to wager on a wiener dog, and, no, the Kansas Racing and Wagering Commission will never approve that,' Nelson said.
Nelson said there were 2,400 online entries for the 2007 races, 500 of whom returned official entry forms. From there, 64 participants and 10 alternates were chosen. Most come from the area, but dogs from Illinois, Nebraska and Arkansas will be there, and at least one is coming from Anchorage, Alaska.
If all goes according to plan The Woodlands will have 800 slot machines in the grandstand of the greyhound park by February, and upgrades to the roof got under way last week. Future construction issues could make it difficult to have the wiener races next year.
'They say they can board off the work area, but things could be changing at the drop of a hat,' Nelson said. 'We do hope to continue it. That's all we can say now.'
SUSAN PFANNMULLER | SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Wiener dogs don't always fight fair at the Wiener Dog Nationals at The Woodlands. The 2007 card is at 1 p.m. Sunday and can be seen live at woodlandskc.com.

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