One-hundred-and-fifty short-legged dogs delighted fans at the fifth Corgi Race in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Saturday.
The corgi celebration at Vingis Park welcomed competitors from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Britain, the Associated Press reported Sunday.
There was a costume parade, the “smartest nose” competition to find hidden treats, and an event to see who had the loudest bark.
Video footage shows the dogs racing each other toward their owners as squeaky toys are heard enticing them to the finish line:
A dog from the United States, Mr. Corgington, won the loudest bark competition.
Race organizer Edvinas Miskas said it was true the breed was one of the slowest dogs in the world, therefore “a corgi race is an oxymoron.”
“It’s just great fun, it’s all laughs and we don’t want them to race, we don’t want them to compete, we just want them fun. But if we can have also a story behind it, then why not?” he added.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) website, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a strong, athletic, and lively animal.
“The Pembroke is a bright, sensitive dog who enjoys play with his human family and responds well to training. As herders bred to move cattle, they are fearless and independent. They are vigilant watchdogs, with acute senses and a ‘big dog’ bark. Families who can meet their bold but kindly Pembroke’s need for activity and togetherness will never have a more loyal, loving pet,” the site read.
Miskas said the event‘s first year welcomed 40 corgis from one city but that has expanded to 150 from nine countries and “for the first time we have a participant from the place where the breed originated.”
“We call Vilnius the European capital of corgis, and when people from the breed’s homeland start coming to us rather than the other way around, that title begins to sound a little more serious,” he added.