Thousands gather to enjoy spectacle of corgi racing – and dressing up

Thousands of people gathered this weekend in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius to watch teams of corgis compete in an international race.

Welsh corgis, widely known for their association with the British royal family, are in fact a breed of passionate racers – that is at least according to the 120 teams from around Europe taking part in the Corgi Race Vilnius.

The event drew an international bunch of pooches and their owners from countries including Poland, Latvia, Germany, Austria and Italy.

Thousands of Lithuanians gathered in the capital’s largest park on Saturday to watch the events: a solo sprint; a contest for the “mightiest voice”; costume challenges; and group racing.

The event culminated on Sunday with the so-called World Corgi Meetup, where dogs in Lithuania were connected via a live broadcast with their peers in the United States, Ireland and Poland.

“This is so much fun and great emotion for the entire family, something bright that many people are craving for these days,” said retired teacher Janina Stoniene, who attended the race with her three grandchildren.

The children said they admired the costume challenge as dogs were dressed in eye-catching outfits like Batman, a princess or an airplane.

A corgi named Amigo, sporting a factory-themed costume complete with two tiny chimneys and “Fur Factory” lettering, was named the proud winner of that contest.

Another called Mango, whose owners are from Lithuania, was the champion of the solo race.