Running of the wieners

As part of the upcoming Oktoberfest festivities the 14th annual "Running of the Wieners" will be held at Legion Park Sunday.

Dachshunds, also known as "Wiener-dogs," are a short-legged, long-body hound-type breed of dog. The standard sized dachshund was bred to flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was bred to hunt smaller prey.

Event creator Judy Scott said she attended a wiener-dog race in Grand Island twice with her grandson's dog before deciding to take the event to the Oktoberfest Committee to offer make it part of the festivities.

Dachshunds and their owners travel in from all over to participate in the event Scott said. "We have had dogs come from all over even Lincoln, and Ft. Collins."

Their small stature make for an adorable race, as the competitors race from one end of the Sidney baseball field to the other.

"Last year there were 28 dogs that participated, the most we have ever had was 53," Scott said.

There are a few rules to the races, each participating dog must bring two humans who are in charge of catching them at the end of the race. Leash laws are followed until competitors are ready to race and organizers ask that non-participating dogs avoid the area for less distractions to the contestants.

According to the rules, owners can coax their pups to the finish line with toys or dog chews, but food or treats are not allowed. And all dogs must be up to date on their vaccines.

There are categories that each little hound fits in making the races fair for all. Little Sizzlers are ages one and under, Frankfurters are ages one to five, Senior Sausages are ages five through 10, and Antike-Viner-Schnitzels are ages 10 and older.

Scott said she has great sponsors and volunteers that add a lot of help to the event.

"The volunteers I have have been helping since the first event, I could not do this without them," Scott said.

Numerous prizes are given out through the event Scott said from dog bowls, treats and food. Sidney Feed and Seed makes treat bags for each pup the registers.

"Running of the Wieners" will be held Sunday, Oct. 2 at the baseball fields in Legion park in Sidney. Registration is at 12:30 p.m. with races beginning at 1:30 p.m., registration is free. For information email Judy Scott at [email protected].