One of the most anticipated sporting events is set to return to the local area on Saturday. The field is set, and the athletes are working on final preparations. Treats are a big part of most of their training, as are speed and agility. But staying on course and not getting distracted will be a huge factor.
A total of 124 dogs, a record for the event, will make up the field for the 27th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals, where the eventual champion will hold the title of Fastest Wiener in the West. The event returns to Los Alamitos Race Course on Saturday where the fun will also help raise money for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
Several Seal Beach dogs will be in the field this year, including The Emperoress Irini, or just Irini for short. Irini, age 5, lives in Seal Beach with Margo Wheeler. She was rescued by the Wheelers after she was found on a Texas ranch that had been raided as a drug lab, according to Wheeler.
Wheeler said that Irini loves to run, especially on Dog Beach in Long Beach. However, Wheeler admits that she can’t be quite sure that Irini will run in a straight line. But she gets along with everyone she meets and will have a large group of fans cheering her on at the race.
“She’s going to have a whole suite of people,” Wheeler said.
Chloe, from Los Alamitos, is making her debut at the race, where her mom, Kellie Guerin, will try to encourage her from the finish line. Guerin said that Chloe loves to run and play, but that the starting gate might be a challenge for the two-year-old as she’s not comfortable with confined spaces. If she breaks quickly and spots mom at the finish line, she may be in good shape.
“I’m the motivating factor,” Kellie said.
Also among the competitors will be 13-year-old Sisi, a Seal Beach resident who competed last year, and is returning as the senior dog in the field and as the Ambassadog for this year’s event. She did not win the title last year, but at her age, she made a good showing.
“We’re very proud that she’s still going,” said her human Kiley Majeski.
Sisi lives with Majeski and Jason Ghareebo, who adopted her at a late stage in Sisi’s life. But Majeski said that despite her age, Sisi is still active, loves to run, definitely loves to eat, and will gladly share affections with anyone who wants to be her friend. At Monday’s practice and media event, Sisi showed some speed, but got distracted by people who were watching from the sidelines.
“As long as no one is on the sides, she should be fine,” Majeski said after one of her practice runs.
Majeski also said she hopes Sisi’s participation will help show people the value of senior dogs available for adoption. Other local dogs competing include Burr, from Cypress, JJ and Tony, both from Los Alamitos, and Buddy from La Palma.
George, 2, from Seal Beach, also returns for another shot at the title. George, who lives with CJ and Emilie Jacobs, made his debut last year. He was at Monday’s practice run with two of his family members, CJ and CJ’s father John Jacobs. CJ said George might be a little quicker this year, now that he has a year of experience under his collar.
“This year he’s bringing veteran confidence to his performance,” CJ said.
But mostly CJ said they were happy to be back simply to try and help raise money for the Seal Beach Animal Center. He said they had a blast last year and called the event an awesome family day. Racers have signed on from around the world.
One contestant is flying in from Vancouver Canada, while another is coming from New York. Missouri, Nevada, Idaho, and Texas will also be represented.
The event consists of 14 preliminaries, which advance winners to the championship race. Two of the preliminaries are specifically for dachshunds under the age of 1 (Diaper Dash) and another for those older that six (Long in the Tail Race). The Champion will win $1,000, a trophy, a Wienerschnitzel restaurant replica dog house and the title of Fastest Wiener in the West.
Live horse racing will also run in between the dachshund races. General Admission tickets on the day of the event at Los Alamitos are $3 per person. Children 17 and under are admitted free. VIP seating to enjoy the event is available by calling 714-820-2681. For more information on the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals, visit LosAlamitos.com or call 714-820-2690.
