National event to feature approximately 75 wiener dogs

Contributed photo
The Wiener Dog Nationals will be returning to Vergas on Saturday as part of the annual Looney Days celebration. The event will be held in the outfield of the baseball field.

The Vergas community is less than one week away from one of the most thrilling events of the summer in northwest Minnesota: the 2024 Wiener Dog Nationals at Looney Days on  Saturday at 9 a.m. The race is sponsored again this year by Forest Edge Gallery of Vergas, who provides the one-of-a-kind trophies for the top racers. Door prizes will also be awarded so that all contestants have an opportunity to take home a beautiful hand-crafted metal wiener dog statue.

Although most of the contestants are from the local area, approximately 75 sleek wiener dogs from an estimated 10 states will descend upon the neatly groomed turf at the baseball field in Vergas to sprint their way to the crown of 2024 National Champion. Last year this race was held in Los Alamitos, Calif.

Planning for this premier event has been underway for over nine months, as an event of this magnitude requires a tremendous amount of preparation and work. According to Digger Anderson, President of the NWDRA (National Wiener Dog Racing Association), a staff of over 25 people from as far away as Green Bay, Wis., are needed to properly set up and conduct this national race.

The natural grass track is 80’ long and 40’ wide, as up to 8 hounds compete in preliminary heat races, trying to stampede their way to the championship race. Owners of the speedy wiener dogs are positioned at each end of the track, as one owner releases their wiener and begins the sprint to the finish line, where the other owner awaits with its favorite treat or toy to bribe it.

Bleachers are trucked in from Frazee and Big Lake, Minn., as the track is surrounded with both bleacher and comfortable chair seating to help accommodate the expected 2,500 spectators. 

No admission is charged for spectators, who are encouraged to arrive early as the best seats begin to fill up well before race time. There is a $15 entry fee per racing hound, or $25 total for a family who enters more than one of these four legged sprinters. A dog does not need to be a full-blooded dachshund, as the judges have some flexibility in allowing other dogs to race, providing they are similar in size to a dachshund. 

Individuals can register a dog before the race begins at 8 a.m.

For more information contact Digger Anderson at 763-370-9796 or digsisme@gmail.com.