When one ventures into a horse racing track, one can reasonably expect to see horses. It’s right there in the name. But once a year, at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, visitors get to watch a different type of animal entirely. Corgis.
The short, long, fluffy and oh-so-royally British dogs take to the dirt track in an effort to prove which of them will run the fastest. At least, that’s the theory; in practice, a few of them run straight to their owners at the other side of the track but some inevitably get distracted and go elsewhere in their energetic, bounding gait.
It’s a bit early to focus on attending… the event is typically held mid-August… but it may provide a relief once everyone’s finally able to travel with a general expectation of safety again.
They’re not the only breed which races; at other points during the year they have events for basset hounds (not what one would normally consider a racing dog, but understandable); bulldogs (which are a little harder to imagine as racers); and wiener dogs.
And, having said that, I need to post some of the video from past races, because there are few people alive who won’t enjoy watching corgis and wiener dogs race.
Question of the night: What’s your favorite purebred dog breed? (And yes, as a shelter pet owner, I’m naturally partial to mutts… but purebreds deserve the love any good dog should get.)
