Meet the winning wiener dog: Letty, the two-time champ

It really wasn’t close.

It was Letty “by two or three dog lengths,” said Malary Anderson, as only a proud mom can.

“She just really blew them away.”

Victory was far from a given for this 4-year-old dachshund, who returned to the Denny Sanford Premier Center to defend her win in the annual wiener dog race held at the Sioux Falls Stampede game.

If last year was the coming out party, this year was the comeback.

In 2020, “it blew us away when she got first in the first heat, and we thought maybe it was a one-off, and she won the championship,” Anderson said.

“This year, the first heat, she didn’t do so well. So we were kind of worried.”

But the champ rallied, overtaking a field of about 30 dogs.

“The second (heat), she rocked it. So we got it again. Defended her title.”

Letty brings energy to spare to this event – or anything, said Anderson, who became her owner while still in college after having a dachshund growing up.

“She has unlimited energy. She’s a crazy dog,” she said. “If you gave her toys and let her play all day, she definitely would.”

Letty has been racing since she was a puppy because she was so high-energy and the family thought it would be fun. But the first two years, the concept didn’t exactly click.

“Finally, we kind of figured out if we have a flag and she runs to it and we give a treat, she might get excited, and she does.”

That’s how she came to tear down the rink Saturday night, racing from dad Brian – celebrating his birthday with the win – to mom Malary and grandma Teri McKenney, where a slice of cheese awaited.

“We only practiced with her twice,” McKenney said. “She remembered this time, which is handy.”

Here’s a closer look at the finish.

The couple just got back from their honeymoon last week, which inspired Letty’s costume for the event. That won second place.

“We thought wouldn’t it be funny if she were a little Hawaiian pup,” Anderson said.

Anyone else think she seems to enjoy the sunglasses?

Letty left with quite the haul for her win: a trophy filled with dog treats, a blanket, toys, shampoo and a gift certificate from Sioux Nation Pet Clinic for grooming, shots and a vet check.

The event is a fundraiser for Dakota Dachshund Rescue, bringing in more than $15,000.

Letty will be back next year, Anderson predicted. With a little extra competition.

“We have a little puppy, Mia, we just got in December, so we’re hoping to get her up and running for the next race,” Anderson said. “We’ll bring (Letty) back. We’ll just probably have her sister along and see how she does.”

Game on, girls.