Perhaps one of Arcadia’s most renowned locations, the Santa Anita Park is a world-famous racecourse used for many prominent horse racing events. But on Feb. 19, “the Great Race Place” saw not horses, but rather lowriding, ambiguously athletic corgis dominate the park as they raced for the grand title of Corgi Winter National Champion. 

Beginning in 2018, the Corgi Winter Nationals have been an annual event at the Santa Anita Park traditionally held on New Year’s Day. Due to heavy rainfall, this year’s races were postponed until more than a month after Jan. 1. It was worth the wait, however, and many people still attended the event, sporting corgi memorabilia for both themselves and their canine companions. 

The main event of the Nationals were, of course, the corgi races. Owners could register their corgis prior to the event or even the day of, but all corgis had to be purebred, meaning only of the Welsh or Cardigan variety. The qualifying rounds were made up of 10 heats, with 10 dogs each, and the top two dogs from each heat made it to the semi finals. The top five dogs from those moved on to the finals, and the winner of that would be the 2023 Corgi Winter Nationals Champion. 

The heats began in the middle of the morning and were held on an approximately 50 yard section of the lawn in front of the racetrack. The idea was that the dogs’ owners would stand at the finish line with treats and toys, which the corgis would eagerly sprint to. 

Even though the first heat went well, it started off with an enthusiastic head start. In the following heats, some dogs would get distracted by bystanders or get into quarrels with the other corgis, but the most prevalent issue was that some simply ran in the wrong direction.

Despite this, most of the heats saw the corgis running towards the finish line with a zeal that could only be reserved for their beloved treats, toys, and owners. One of the most significant heats was the sixth, a special senior race reserved for corgis nine years old or older, won by Jojo, a therapy dog from UC Berkeley. 

In between many of the heats, the racetrack was used for its original purpose, as horse racing was also held that day. After that, it was back to the corgis, and the semi finals were held on the main track where the horses had raced less than a few hours before. 

The first semi final was won by previous champion and last year’s second place winner, Emmett, who dashed ahead of the other racers and won by a wide margin. The second semi final, while including the defending champion Archie, was won by a different corgi, Tony, in a close victory. 

The top five dogs from each of these races moved on to the highly anticipated final race, which would determine who would become this year’s Corgi Winter National Champion.

Emmett, the first semi final winner and previous champion, ended up victorious, with the second semi final winner Tony coming in second, and last year’s champion, Archie, dropping down to fourth place. Congratulations to Emmett, from La Crescenta, who has earned himself a large trophy and many treats from his loving owners!

“Events like those are really fun,” expressed Arcadia High School alumni and corgi owner Tia Chu. “It can bring a community together for some laughs and overall spread positivity!”

Besides the races, the Corgi Winter Nationals also provided opportunities for small businesses, food trucks, and pet care and supply vendors selling corgi-themed merchandise. From dog event planners to dog treat food trucks, the small businesses at this event were certainly able to gain new customers. 

Freshman Olivia Fortuna noted that events like these “raise morale for people [and] it helps bring people to the and so the shops can get more customers.”

Although it may not be the first thing you think of when asked about the Santa Anita Park, the Corgi Winter Nationals are nevertheless a fun and memorable event that everybody can enjoy. Best of luck to next year’s competitors, and congratulations to this year’s winners!

Photo courtesy of COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG