Frank innuendo ran wild all day along with 48 wiener-dogs, as enthusiasts from as far away as Canterbury and Southland got their dackel out (Google it) at the gold town rodeo grounds on Saturday.
More than 370 spectators were startled by the volume of the bark-off competition and delighted by the zany costumes of the best-dressed parade, but the climax was the derby itself.
A diversity of dachshunds competed in heats over a 15m dash, hoping for a place in the final sausage sizzle where first prize was snapped up by Queenstown hotdog Ramon.
In fact, Ramon’s "pregnant girlfriend" Luna quietly supported him from the sidelines while he also took second place in the best-dressed contest wearing a costume combining a saddle and reins with a model cowboy rider.
Event organiser and dachshund owner Olivia Montgomery said it was the South Island’s first official dachshund derby.
"I was inspired by a dachshund derby I went to in Auckland, and since I moved to Lawrence and got involved with the rodeo club, I thought this was the perfect space to host a sausage fest," she said.
"I love living here and I thought of it as a great way to bring people to our town for the first day of the holidays.
About a dozen dachshunds reside in Clutha District including three in Lawrence itself, but most of the entrants were from online communities.
"It was about three months of planning and we’re so grateful for the support of all the sponsors and stallholders and everyone who came along."
She was looking forward to next year’s derby.
