The (virtually annual) Dog Derby is set to mark its 50th anniversary today — an achievement ski area manager Nigel Kerr says "is significant for any event".
"How many events get to be 50 years on the trot?
"Sure, there’s been the odd gap, but I think it harks back, too."
The original concept was a fun day on the mountain for locals who were, at that time, predominantly farmers. Given how the district has changed, it’s no surprise they’re now far outnumbered by "townies".
Mr Kerr was expecting more than 200 entrants across the divisions, which this year are country, for working farm dogs only (entrants have to provide the name of the farm they work on); town ladies; town gentlemen; and town kids, which is open to anyone aged between 7 and 13. Anyone younger than 7 has to be with an adult.
The farmers will take their dogs on the Coronet Express chair and come down from Duncan’s Dance and Pro-Am, before having to send their dogs back up and around a gate near the base building to finish. All other entrants will go up the Meadows Express chair, with races starting and finishing on the lower M1.
"The reality is, the dogs come up here and are embarrassed to find that their owners, the people they love, are actually a handicap.
"A lot of these dogs are way more fleet-footed than their owners — more athletic, more sporting — they must be like, ‘oh, God, cringeworthy’."
Pre-registration is recommended, via coronetpeak.co.nz, but Mr Kerr says they will take registrations on the day in carpark 2, from about 10am.
The "Bark Off" — in which dogs have to bark on command, or force their owners to bark on their behalf — will be held from 3pm at Arthurs Point’s Canyon Brewing.
