The dog days of summer are all about fun for the entire family at Los Alamitos Race Course, as the 15th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals will be held on Saturday, July 10 at the Orange County track. The Los Alamitos Race Track is located in the city of Cypress.
Proceeds from the popular event will benefit the critters at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
The Wienernationals, as they are called, consist of 50-yard dashes for dachshunds with the winner being crowned the “Fastest Wiener in the West.” Participants come from all over Southern California, but as always there is a strong Orange County contingent.
Of the 98 dachshunds that will compete, 35 reside in Orange County cities like Cypress, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Buena Park, Garden Grove, and more.
The event will feature 13 dog races at the 50-yard distance. The first doxie race is set for 6:15 p.m. The winner will be crowned the “Fastest Wiener in the West” to be crowned at approximately 9:15 p.m. There will be trial races to determine the final 10 that will compete in the $2,300 championship final – $1,000 of that going to the champion dachshund.
A full card of exciting horse racing action will be held in conjunction with the popular wiener dog races, which annually attract a season high crowd of more than 12,000. The first live horse race is set to begin at 7 p.m. Los Alamitos offers free general parking and general admission tickets are $3 for adults. Children 17 and under are admitted free. Los Alamitos encourages fans to arrive early for the event, as seating is on a first come first serve basis.
The Wiener Nationals features all the excitement of a horse race, as the dachshunds will strut their stuff in front of what is the largest crowd of the year at the Cypress racetrack.
The participants have been pre-selected based on the creativity of their entries. Aspiring wiener dog trainers can sign up their little racing machines for the 2011 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on the night of the event at Los Alamitos Race Course.
The Care Center is a non-profit and non-kill shelter dedicated to finding homes for stray animals in the Orange County area. Over the years, the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals has raised over $180,000 for the Care Center through the sale of tickets and t-shirts. For more information on the Care Center please call (562) 430-4993.
“We are hoping to go over the $200,000 mark this year,” said Jim Welsch, the president of the Care Center.
To the winner will go the spoils, as the top dog will also receive a crystal trophy, a doghouse in the shape of a Wienerschnitzel restaurant and more.
Of course, the biggest prize for the dachshunds is the instant legend status that goes along with winning the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at Los Alamitos.
The event has been so popular over the years that it has been featured in segments on The Tonight Show plus it has been profiled in People Magazine.
Only dachshunds participating in the evening’s wiener dog races will be allowed inside the racetrack. For more information, please call the “Pup-blicity” Department at Los Alamitos Race Course at (714)820-2690.
