News

LIGHTNING PHOTOS: Wieners all winners at Oktoberfest

By Bill Moss, Published: October 19, 2014

To be frank, it was not the meatiest of assignments.

But given the day — under a Carolina blue sky, sunny not chilly — it was an event to relish.
More than two-dozen Dachshunds of all shapes and sizes gathered for the first World Championship of Wiener Dog Racing in Hendersonville's history. Some sniffed around, casing the joint — Southern Appalachian Brewery — which had become hot dog world.
The dogs' humans had read about the race and, against their better judgment, mustered the courage to enter.
Releasers squatted on one end, whispering encouragement and strategy in the pups' floppy ears; catchers knelt on the other end, arms outstreched. The racers wore an official number. The humans wore a wide grin. Some bookmakers went for experience, others bet on young.

There was Southern Appalachian Autumn Ale and Underground Bakery pretzels but, to everyone's relief, no sign of pita. Despite the crowd, the fee lines were as short as the canines.

Organizer, emcee and starter Chris Nevel counted down in German — "drei, zwei, eins!" — and off the Dachshunds dashed. Some racers, distracted by the throng, could not catch up. Other racers froze in place, giving their humans pause. Some took off like red hots.
Fans came from all over the county and beyond, driving a fur piece.
Caroline Gunther, of the Wag pet boutique on Main Street, classified the dogs as small, medium and big. There was a ringer, a Dachshund-Beagle mix, and an all-breed race for the spectator dogs who had a beef about being left out. Being left out was no day in the pork for them. You never saw such howling. They plotted a War on Terrierism.
Yet the short-legged stars of the day remained stout and loyal, no wurst for the wear. They went home with a tale.