What does the perfect day consist of? To many, the answer to that question involves Canterbury Park, beautiful weather and bulldog races.
The annual Running of the Bulldogs was held on May 26 with 16,064 visitors. The day consisted of 72 bulldogs and six heats. The winner of each heat will be invited back on Labor Day for the Bark in the Park championship races.
These four-legged friends put on quite the show and smiles filled the crowd as each heat took place. Bulldogs and running don’t always go together well, but it does make for a comical and memorable experience. Some of the bulldogs even proved everyone wrong by speeding down the track, especially if there was a bribe involved.
“We bring Lucy a cheeseburger from McDonald’s to help get her to the finish line,” said owner Mandi Brown. “It worked last year so we are trying it again.”
Hazel, a bulldog from heat 1, was bribed by owner Lisa Kachmarek with a hot dog. Talk about a royal treatment.
The selected bulldogs travel near and far to participate in this event. “We came all the way from Chicago for this so I am thrilled that Gus took first,” said owner Mackenzie Green. “We are excited to come back in September for the finals.”
Near and far, old and new. For a lot of the bulldogs, this race becomes a tradition. “This is Bo’s second time racing. Last year he finished in last place so we came back to redeem ourselves,” said the Brooks family, Bo’s owners.
Running of the Bulldogs is a family-friendly event that will definitely have the kids asking to stop at the pet store on the way home.
No one can turn down a cute dog so stay tuned for other dog races at Canterbury Park throughout the summer. Next up is basset hound racing. Bring the old man out to Canterbury on Father’s Day and enjoy floppy ears and tons of fun.
