Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Champ: Sully, The Fastest Wiener In The West!

Congratulations to isabella and tan smooth 'Sully,' who has officially earned the title of The Fastest Wiener in the West by winning the 14th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals yesterday at the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade.  Way to go Sully!  The Wiener Nationals are the United States national Dachshund racing championships sponsored by the Wienerschnitzel food chain. Regional qualifiers are held in the Southwestern United States (California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada), with the final 8 Dachshunds racing for the national title every December in San Diego as part of the Holiday Bowl.
Excerpt from The Orange County Register:

When you've got a fast dog chasing your butt, it pays to be the fastest wiener in the West.
And so it was today with Sully, a 2½-year-old dachshund from San Clemente, California.
As the premier dogs were nearing the finish line, the wiener behind Sully bit him in the buttocks – "right in the patoot," said owner Miranda Libres.
"He turned around and he kind of tried to bite him back," she said.
But by then, Sully was already the winning wiener.

Congratulations to all the Dachshunds who made it to the championship race.  Read all about Sully's big moment and see lots of pics at The Orange County Register.



Video of the final race by youtuber EricLanzRoberts.

Watch the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Parade on USA Network on New Year's Day at 9AM Eastern/8AM Central Time.  There are usually highlights from the Wiener Nationals.

Great Related Stories:  Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals coverage

Awesome Dachshund Videos: Presley, 2009 Los Alamitos Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Champion

Our hats off to the organizers of Saturday's 2009 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California. There have been great promo videos this year by both the Wienerschnitzel food chain as well as the race track, and this video documenting the win by little red smooth 'Presley' is just icing on the cake. Congrats to Presley and his humans, Jim and Amy Caetta of Placentia, California on taking the title, and all the Dachshunds who competed. From youtuber losalqh:

The King, errr Queen, has left the building. Actually, Presley, a two-year-old female brown dachshund owned by Jim and Amy Caetta of Placentia, California, left Los Alamitos as the 2009 Wiener Nationals Champion after she pulled away to a daylight win over Miranda Libres' #7 Sully in the 2009 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course. Ariel Biley's #5 Detective Douglas, last year's runner-up was third. Defending champion #6 Max lacked racing room at the start and finished fourth. He was trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the event. While the paid attendance was 8,288, track officials estimate that more than 12,500 people enjoyed the event, as children 17 and under are admitted to the event for free. The Wiener Nationals featured 98 wiener dogs competing in a record 13 races, the most ever in the fourteen-year history of this event.
Rounding out the rest of the finishers (in post-position order) was Joyce Olivera's Oliver of Ventura, Lona Castro's Daisy of Pico Rivera, Kim Day's Jasmeiner of Tujunga, Paul and Christine Guzman's Covina, Charlotte Groves' Link of Palm Desert, and Eulices and Yeci Gomez's Otto of Long Beach.

Related: Los Alamitos Wiener National Coverage

Meet Penny Lane, Los Alamitos Wiener Nationals Champion!

Congrats again to 'Penny Lane,' this year's champion from the 2010 Los Alamitos Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals, which took place on Saturday in Los Alamitos, California.  Ms. Lane beat out 98 Dachshunds to take the crown!  She is seen here with her human Trish Ausilio, and city of Cypress Mayor Prakash Narain.
Excerpt from the OC Register:

An estimated 12,000 people attending this year’s event.
Penny Lane’s win collected $1,000 for Ausilio, and an official Wienerschnitzel crystal trophy and a red dog house.
Proceeds from the event benefited the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
In addition, Wienerschnitzel will award Ausilio a trip for two, plus Penny Lane, to San Diego to compete in the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Grand Finale at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl's Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade on Dec. 30.

ARE YOU READY: Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

Attention Racing Fans! Less than a week to go for the 12th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals in San Diego on December 27th during the nationally televised Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade. We're on the edge of our seats! The winner gets to claim the title of 'Fastest Wiener in the West," and will be featured in the parade aboard the Wienerschnitzel float. This event raised almost $20,000 for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center last year.
Since March, there have been ten qualifying dachshund races throughout the West and Southwest for this final. Find out more at the Wienerschnitzel site and Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
We'll keep you updated on the big race!

Weekend Wiener Dog Races!

There were a couple of big Wiener Races over the weekend to report! Above, meet the first place winner of the Wienerschnitzel Wiener National Race and Festival at Phoenix Greyhound Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Excerpt from the Phoenix New Times: Wiener dog owners presented their pampered pooches at Phoenix Greyhound Park this weekend for the Wienerschnitzel Wiener National Race and Festival. Interspersed between greyhound races, the little guys got into the race action running 100 feet from the starting box to their owners' waiting arms.
Read more and see a fun slideshow at the Phoenix New Times. Keep up with the Wienerschnitzel racing schedule at Wienerschnitzel.com.

Over in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, The Oklahoma Gazette's 4th annual Dachshund Dash benefited the charity Best Friends of Pets. Excerpt from News9: Some competitors showed up with more than just their owner in tow.
"Some of the dogs come with a whole entourage. People, team members and practically a support staff of people with outfits and names and cheers and chants for the little wienie dogs," Wertz said.
Read more, see more pics, and watch a nice video at News9.

2010 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Champ: Calvin, The Fastest Wiener In The West!

Congratulations to Albuquerque, New Mexico native red smooth 'Calvin,' who has officially earned the title of The Fastest Wiener in the West by winning the 15th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Thursday at the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade. Way to go Calvin! The Wiener Nationals are the United States national Dachshund racing championships sponsored by the Wienerschnitzel food chain. Regional qualifiers are held in the Southwestern United States (California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico), with the final 8 Dachshunds racing for the national title every December in San Diego as part of the Holiday Bowl.


Excerpt from The OC Register:
 
This has been a big year for Sully [the 2009 Champion], San Clemente's most celebrated wiener. But the dog came up a little short Thursday at Wienerschnitzel's 2010 Wiener Nationals in San Diego.
Sully's San Clemente owners report that Calvin, a deft dachshund from New Mexico, was the winner of an eight-dog finale that produced a bit of chaos among the runners-up.
After originally thinking Sully may have placed third, San Clemente's Miranda Libres, who owns Sully with her boyfriend Juan Flores, learned that Sully finished second. A video replay confirmed it, Libres' mother reported via e-mail.
As the 56-foot race began, Libres stood at the finish line trying to coax Sully to come to her, but someone bumped her out of the way and she thinks Sully lost sight of her, unable to focus on the finish line. Calvin, meanwhile, stayed focused on his favorite tennis ball and took the win.
 
Read more about the finals at The OC Register.  See great stories of the regional qualifiers in the archives.

Forest and the Los Alamitos Wiener Nationals 2010

Congratulations to all the Dachshunds who raced in the 15th Annual Los Alamitos Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on Saturday in Los Alamitos, California.  A special congrats goes out to 'Penny Lane' for taking the crown this year, as well as defending champion 'Presley' for finishing in second place.
And thanks to our pal 'Forest' for sending in such a fine video from the event!  The video notes:  Forest, our 1 and half year old miniature dachshund, participated in this year's 15th Annual Wiener Nationals at the Los Alamitos race course sponsored by Wienerschnitzel. He was in trial #7 - he did his very best coming in 6th place out of 8 :-) Enjoy this video!
You may remember the handsome Forest from A Day In the Life of Forest the Dachshund.  

As the gate goes up contestants in the third race of the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at Los Alamitos Race Course begin their 50-yard sprint toward the finish line. Ninety-eight Dachshunds were selected to compete in this year's Wiener Nationals for a prize of $1000.  See 10 photos from the event at The OC Register.

Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals 2008: Meet Mufti

Who's a good little racing dog? Why red smooth 'Mufti' is, that's who! 8-year-old Mufti, who hails from Naples, California, has been selected as one of the 87 dachshunds to compete in this weekend's Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals being held at Los Alamitos Race Course. Mufti has applied to race in the Wiener Nationals for 6 years, and was finally accepted in this year's race. Good things come to those who wait, Mufti! One of Mufti's humans, a student at Purdue University in Indiana, is flying back to Cali to coach his girl to victory. Read all about Mufti at the Press-Telegram.

Related: See Sofie. See Sofie Run!



Enjoy a short little promo for the 2008 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals.

Dachshunds in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Parade

In case you missed the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Parade which was televised on USA Network on New Year's Day, here was the best part featuring 'Sully,' the Fastest Wiener in the West on the Wienerschnitzel float, and the Weenie Waddlers, aka the rest of the fine Dachshunds who competed in the Wienerschnitzel finals on December 30th. 

Related:  Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Champ:  Sully, The Fastest Wiener In The West!

Max Wins Los Alamitos Wiener Nationals!

Congrats goes out to 'Max' for winning the 13th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals in Los Alamitos, California on Saturday. Above, the dachshunds and their humans meet in the Wieners.....er Winner's Circle. Max's favorite treat is Gerber Meat Baby Food and his favorite tv show is The Dog Whisperer. Max is now qualified to race in the Wienerschnitzel finals, which will take place in December. Read more about the races, and see more pics and a video at LAist.

Related: Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals coverage

See Sofie. See Sofie Run!

Meet 5-year-old black and tan longhair rescue 'Sofie' and her human Charmaine Liccardi, who hail from Pasadena, California. Sofie is in training for the 13th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at Los Alamitos Race Course on July 19th, one of the larger races on the Wienerschnitzel race schedule. Go Sofie Go!! Proceeds from ticket and t-shirt sales from the event will benefit the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a non-profit group that finds homes for stray animals in the Orange County area. Excerpt from the Daily Bulletin: Liccardi adopted Sofie, then known as Daisy, from a Riverside County rescue organization in December.
I just fell in love with her," Liccardi said of Sofie. "She came right up on the couch where I was sitting and she just flipped over on her back and looked up at me like, 'Well, are you going to take me home?'"
Sofie turned out to be peppy and perky and she loves to run. Liccardi realized that she would be perfect to run in the Wiener Nationals, so she watched for the entry announcement.
Once Sofie was accepted, she started training. Sofie gets excited when she sees squirrels, so Liccardi created a mock squirrel out of an old teddy bear.
"I take it and pretend like it is running across the top of the fence and then I throw it and she goes crazy," Liccardi said.
On race day, Liccardi plans to rub some peanut butter on the "squirrel" for extra enticement.
Read all about Sophia Loren Lamborghini Liccardi....aka "Sweet and Low" at the Daily Bulletin. It's a fun article, don't miss it.

Weekend Wiener Wrap-Up!

Wiener Dogs rocked(!) all over the country this past weekend, starting with the 13th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on Saturday in San Diego. Over 350 Dachshunds competed to be top dog. That's a lotta wiener dogs! The top 16 finalists will race again on Tuesday during the Padres game! Read more and see a fun pic at Sign On San Diego. These Wienerschnitzel races lead up to the finals that will take place in December as part of the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl weekend.

And in Reno, Nevada, hundreds cheered on over 150 Dachshunds during the Nevada State Fair on Sunday. Congrats goes out to 'Murphy' for taking the prize again this year! Way to go Murphy!

Mark Your Calendars: The 2009 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at Los Alamitos Race Course!

Which promo is your favorite?

The 2009 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals are set for Saturday, July 18 starting at approximately 6 p.m. Enjoy a great night of Wiener Dog racing in Cypress, California, at Los Alamitos Race Course! It's the biggest little race in the world! Saturday, July 18. It's a good day to the a wiener dog!

Don't miss all the really great stories in our Los Alamitos racing coverage!

Penny Lane: The Fastest Wiener In The West!

We couldn't end the year here at The Long and Short of it All without sending out a huge congratulations to Penny Lane, the Fastest Wiener in the West!  The California native took the 14th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener National Finals on Wednesday in San Diego before the Big Bay Balloon Parade.  According to The Albuquerque Journal, over 3,500 Dachshunds competed nationally in various Wienerschnitzel races, with the top seven racing in Wednesday's Final.  We first met Ms. Lane when she took the Los Alamitos race in July.  Way to go Penny, and congratulations to all the Dachshunds who made the finals.  Woof, WOOF!!

Video by youtuber jasonfreakinbang.

Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals 2013

While on our little break this summer, we missed this year's pawsome promo for the 2013 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals at the Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California.  This video ROCKS.  Better late than never, as they say.  Hope everyone had a great time.  And turn up the volume.

Dachshunds To Watch Out For

If this chocolate sweetie looks familiar, that's because you recognize 'Riley,' the long dog who took the races this past March at the grand opening of a Pink's Hot Dog restaurant in California.  Or maybe you recognize Riley's human, Brittany Hayes, who won an Olympic Silver Medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for water polo.  This smashing duo will now be competing at the 15th running of the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals on Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California.  “I am competitive, of course,” Hayes says. “But Riley just loves to race. He’s a natural. People might think I’m a crazy dog lady. Well, I am a crazy dog lady but not one who goes crazy if my dog doesn’t win.”

Read all about them at the Press-Telegram or the OC Register. 

Lucy bolts from her practice starting box.

Now meet 'Lucy,' a red smooth from Spring Valley Lake, California, who will also be competing this weekend in Los Alamitos.  And Lucy isn't just competing, she's also a poster gal for the Wienerschnitzel restaurants this year!  “It seems like it’s really not about the one that’s the fastest, it’s the one that can maintain focus for the entire 13 seconds it takes to run the course,” Kevin Barda, Lucy’s owner, said with a laugh.  Read all about Lucy at the Daily Press.

We don't know who to root for!



We've been anxiously awaiting for some great promo videos for this year's Los Alamitos races, but alas, they have yet to be found.  This one from last year is worth a second look though....or even a third or a fourth.

2007 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Winner: Sammy Davis

Dachshunds take off in one of the races of the 2007 Wienerschnitzel Final races

Way to go 'Sammy Davis!' Sammy Davis hails from San Francisco and his humans are Sabrina Seiden and Patrick Major. Congratulations! Photo source
And congratulations to all the dachshunds who raced. As they say: "there are no losers, you are all wieners!"
The Big Bay Balloon Parade, which the races were a part of, airs nationally on the USA Network on Friday, December 28th at 9 a.m. EST/PST. Check your local listings and see if the wieners make it on the air!

2010 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals and Big Bay Balloon Parade Video Coverage

If you didn't attend this event, or missed the television coverage on USA Network on New Year's Day, here was the best part featuring the races and 'Calvin,' the champion, and newly crowned Fastest Wiener in the West.
Read more about Calvin and his big win at the Albuquerque Journal!

Related: 2010 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Champ: Calvin, The Fastest Wiener In The West!

Dachshund Love Stories

Meet 'Sammy Davis,' Wienerschnitzel Wiener Champion, and his human Patrick Major, who hail from Pleasanton, California.    Mr. Major was suffering from failing kidneys and undergoing dialysis when Sammy came into his life.  "Sammy Davis means life, love, and longevity to me," says Mr. Major.
If you have a few minutes to spare, you don't want to miss the incredible slide show and story about the special bond these two share.  Sammy Davis saved his life.  Read all about it at The Oakland Tribune.

Keep up with Sammy Davis at his very own website.

Related:  2007 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Winner:  Sammy Davis

Dachshunds To Watch Out For

Meet handsome dappled rescue 'Bear Hunting,' and his human Karl Korff, who hail from Clovis, New Mexico. Your Long and Short of it All hostess 'Maggie' thinks that Bear Hunting is one of the sexiest dogs she's ever seen. Wowza! Bear Hunting, aka 'The Streak,' will be running in this Saturday's Wienerschnitzel National Race in Clovis, the first time the Wienerschnitzel chain has sponsored a race there. Bear Hunting's Dachshund sister 'Angel Wings,' aka 'Lightning,' will also be competing on Saturday. Read all about it and see a fun pic of Angel Wings at cnjonline.