A love of rolling around in snow and a silver placing in last year's Dog Derby, part of the Queenstown Winter Festival, has led to dog Cook and owner Leo Hamilton winning the country section of the competition this year.
After winning, Mr Hamilton (22), of Mt Nicholas Station, said the pair had ''stepped it up a bit'' this year and considered the race, in which man (or woman) and dog clamber down the slopes of Coronet Peak as quickly as they can, ''better than skiing''.
Locals Dak Ingry and dog Zora were the winning ''townies''.
A total of 44 dogs, a mix of town and country, and accompanying human accessories rode the Greengates Express chairlift before being let loose to replace skiers' yahoos with dogs' barks.
Chaos then ensued as they slid, rolled and tumbled to the bottom.
The competition is the longest-running in the festival.
Carie McCarthy, of Queenstown, and his dog, 11-month-old Mana, competed and did not come out ahead of the pack - but it was also Mana's first time experiencing snow.
Mr McCarthy planned to enter Mana in the festival's dog-barking competition. That was held later yesterday afternoon with 46 entrants and won by visiting pooch Bruno, of Wairoa.
As Queenstown's fire siren roared into action, so did Bruno with a crowd-pleasing howl rather than a bark.
Highlights of today's festival calendar are the Dodgeball Championship at noon on Earnslaw Park and drive-in movies at Remarkables Red Barn at 6pm and 9pm.
