The great Weiner Race 2016 in Cincinnati! Dachshunds galore

I love dachshunds... to me, they are one of the best dog breeds – with their sweet disposition especially as a family dog, always “smiling” face and their short stubby legs, and they are very endearing. The fact that they “cant” climb on to beds, but actually manage a lot more, is also to their advantage. One can’t get angry with them even when they are upset.

My dachshund Lucy tore up a whole mattress when she was left alone. We came home to find cotton fluff flying all over the place – she had destroyed the mattress in its totality as her sign of displeasure. But that’s her!! 

She had us all looking after her every need during her short life of nine years. 

Vice Mayor welcoming everybody 

So imagine when we found that as part of the Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, there was going to be a dachshund race – we just had to go!!

It was held downtown at a new location of 2^nd and 3^rd street, between Walnut and Elm. The police arrangements were good – traffic was blocked off as after 5.30 pm, the main activities of drinking and eating were going to start. Whilst we watched the races, there food and drink trucks etc were being set up.

The race was over a distance of around 70 feet. There were ten heats of ten dogs in each heat. There was a final heat to determine the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners. There was a huge crowd of a few thousand people cramming the rectangular area, madly cheering each time a race got under way. I was lucky as I got onto the emcee stand and stood at a height to enable me to take my photos – I got a clear unrestricted view.

The races began at 11.30 am with a short introduction and welcome by the Vice Mayor and Emcee. Then the dogs were lined up and they were off. Each dog had a “bun” wrapped around its middle – hot dog !! Sausage dog!!  They looked really cute. The dogs were focussed but once or twice, they got distracted and did not reach the opposite side where a familiar face was waiting and calling them. 

We stayed for three races as basically we had come a long way and had to see some other things in the city. Roaming amongst the crowd, one saw the tremendous love and affection the owners had for their dogs. As did the crowd. A wonderful idea of a race which I think suited this particular breed ideally.

   

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