Corgi racing coming to the Capital Region

They may have little legs, but they sure run fast. The inaugural Corgi Races are being held at the Altamont Fair on August 15 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Grandstand.

ALTAMONT, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- They may have little legs, but they sure run fast. Corgi racing is coming to the Capital Region with the first races being held at the Altamont Fair on August 15 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Grandstand.

Race coordinator Amy Tucker has two corgis of her own, and has attended corgi meetups and racing events in other parts of the country. While big on the West Coast, Tucker wanted to bring corgi racing to to the Capital Region.

Tucker believes the Altamont Fair's corgi races will be the first in the Albany area. Just outside of the Capital Region, Vernon Downs in Central New York has had corgi racing the past two years, which Tucker's dogs competed in.

"People are obsessed with corgis," said Tucker. "They're short and they're herding dogs. They sometimes don't run straight to the finish line. They run in circles."

Tucker created the Facebook group "NYS Capital Region Corgi Events" in the hopes of hosting more corgi events in the future. To bring the first corgi races to the area, Tucker contacted Joe Bruno Stadium for its "Bark in the Park" night, along with all the local fairs. This year, only the Altamont Fair was interested.

Up to four dozen corgis will be participating in the Altamont Fair's corgi races. Races will take place every half-hour, with the pups getting Puppuccinos after each heat.

The top three finishers from each race will then compete in the finals. The first, second, and third place winners will each get a doggy gift basket courtesy of Benson's Pet Center. Guest judges include Julie Belles, owner of My Dog Smells, LLC, and Senator Jim Tedisco.

So far, Tucker has around 25 corgis signed up for the event. If you're interested in entering your corgi in the races, they must be at least 1.5 years old, be spayed or neutered, have up-to-date rabies and distemper vaccines, and have two handlers to race. You can then email their photo, vet records and a brief corgi bio to NYSCapitalRegionCorgiEvents@gmail.com.

The Altamont Fair corgi races are free with your general admission ticket and will take place rain or shine. If there is excessive heat, the corgis will stroll in front of the Grandstand with the audience and guest judges choosing the winners.

The 2024 Altamont Fair runs from August 13 to 18. In addition to the corgi races, the fair includes food, rides, 4-H exhibits, the Royal Hanneford Circus, Demolition Derby, Sherman's Lumberjack Show, Robinson's Racing Pigs, Sea Lion Show, Pro Wrestling Exhibition, Rodeo, and more.

The fair gates open at noon on August 13 and 10 a.m. every other day. You can buy tickets to the fair on the Altamont Fair website.