Dozens of dachshunds and wiener dog mixes tore down a makeshift track at Napa Yard on Wednesday, drawing more than 100 spectators for an afternoon of races and a longest-dog contest that crowned a 36-inch champion named Portia. The event, called Dach-Tober Fest, featured four races before a sleek black dachshund named Rigatoni claimed the final heat, according to The Press Democrat.
The races were hosted by Napa Valley Dachshunds, Napa Pedal Crusher and Napa Yard itself, with several local organizations sponsoring the event, per the same outlet's reporting. The Napa Valley Register separately documented the scene at Napa Yard, where dachshunds and dachshund mixes competed in age divisions with prizes awarded to top finishers. Spectators lined the side of the track as the dogs raced, the Register's photo coverage shows.
Rigatoni Claims the Final Race, Portia Stretches Her Way to Longest Dog
Rigatoni, described as a sleek, speedy black dachshund, won the final race of the day, per The Press Democrat. Owner Haley Zimmermann and Rigatoni watched a video replay of that race to confirm the grand champion result, according to the Register's photo captions from the scene.
In the longest-dog contest, Portia measured 36 inches from nose to tail to take the title, narrowly edging out a similarly long dog named Limo, the Press Democrat reported. The Register's coverage shows a dachshund being measured during that same contest, part of an afternoon that paired age-division heats with prizes for top finishers. All race and contest winners received paw-shaped trophies, per the Press Democrat's account.
A Growing Local Club Behind the Fun
Joey, owned by Jannae Hellgren, won his heat race during the event, according to the Press Democrat. The Register's photo collection also captured Hellgren holding up Joey before the start of the first race.
Daphne Risso, who founded the Napa Valley Dachshunds social club in 2025, said she was overwhelmed by the size of the crowd that turned out, per the Press Democrat's reporting. Risso said she plans to bring the Dach-Tober Fest races back next year, according to the same account.
Part of a Bigger Wiener Dog Racing Trend
Napa's event joins a wave of dachshund festivals popping up across the West this fall. Santa Anita Park in Southern California scheduled its own Hallowienerfest dachshund races for Oct. 24, advertising races throughout the day with finals held on the dirt track, according to Santa Anita Park. That event's rules require dogs to be vaccinated, leashed and accompanied by an owner who has completed a release form, and only dachshunds are permitted entry.
In Pasco, Washington, a Dachshund Oktoberfest was scheduled for Oct. 3, according to the Tri-City Herald. And in South Dakota, Deadwood's annual wiener dog races brought dozens of dachshunds to Main Street as part of the city's Oktoberfest celebration, with some dogs racing in costume, according to KOTA Territory News. That event has remained a fan favorite for 19 years, the station reported.
