Pitter patter, pitter patter. The sound of little feet giving it all they’ve got can barely be heard over the roaring of the crowd.
Little legs pump as hard as they can, carrying the long body they are attached to down the stretch.
The first to reach the end leaps into the arms of someone near and dear to it, its owner.
This was the scene at the inaugural Starkville Derby Saturday in the Cotton District. The race brought together dozens of dachshunds, or wiener dogs, to see which was the fastest.
Hundreds, if not more than 1,000, spectators packed into the racing area on University Drive to get a glimpse of the action.
“It’s been crazy,” creator of the event Alden Thornhill said. “There has been a great turnout, from the students especially. We had people come from as far as Kansas and Denver, Colorado for this thing. It was absolutely nuts. It’s going to be an every year thing now.”
The purpose of the event was to raise money for the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. Thornhill said it had raised around $16,000 by the time the derby started, but the number was steadily growing.
When the puppies took the turf, it was expected to be a speed show. That wasn’t necessarily the case though, as puppies, though fast, do not necessarily have great attention spans.
It seemed the furthest one could make it was halfway down the track before doubling back to see what was going on at the starting line.
The puppy shenanigans elicited cheers and laughter from the crowd.
There was one standout, Winston, which reached the finish line.
Winston decisively won his heat, securing a place in the championship.
“I got a wiener dog a year ago and it was the perfect time to put him in,” said Sydney Patrick, Winston’s owner. “It was so fun and (Winston) loved it. He loves running. It is for a good cause, and I love supporting that. We had a good time today.”
While he didn’t win the championship, he did take second place.
Lola was the champion of the puppy heat, and she is a bit of a celebrity already.
Lola has an Instagram account with around 100 followers. Now, she can add “Starkville Derby winner” to her bio.
“I think I have peaked in life,” said Rebecca Ghyzel, Lola’s owner. “This is the best moment of my entire life. I just felt like, ‘How could I not enter a wiener dog race when it’s here in Starkville and I own a wiener dog?’ Lola is beautiful and everyone loves her and knows her name. So, I felt like I had to enter her.”
Ghyzel said she hopes to see the event become a fixture in Starkville.
“I think it’s really cool that they had a wiener dog race. … I hope they do it every year because it was the coolest thing ever and it brings the community together,” Ghyzel said.
Thornhill said the event would not have been possible without the sponsors and community support.
“(It is because of) our community, our student population, the Humane Society and the local businesses that sponsored (the event),” Thornhill said. “Everybody has been stellar. Thanks for making this a tail-wagging good day for Starkville.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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