When Matt sent me an e-mail last month confirming whether or not I was in Austin, Texas, and asking me if I'd go to a local corgi gathering and cover it for him, I jumped at the opportunity. Being the editor of With Leather is fun and all, but as a sports blog we don't really get the opportunity to share adorable dog pictures, and the closest we've got to a recurring animal feature is Kate Upton at the circus.
Long story short, I spent my Saturday morning ankle-deep in cute dogs at Buda, Texas' 9th Annual Corgi Celebration: A Royal Affair. The website made it look like a Ren-faire for dogs so I was a little disappointed at the lack of dog-back jousting, but the demonstrations, agility testing and costume contest (!) more than made up for it.
A few disclaimers, before we begin:
- I was personally introduced to tons of dogs, but I don't remember all of their names. If you happen through this and are the dog/owner of a dog pictured, be sure to send in your info and we'll get you clearly identified. The same goes for any time I went with the wrong gender pronoun. I'm also willing to identify your pet as a "dog-bodied person".
- These pictures were all taken by me, so I get the © notation, but we don't plaster Warming Glow watermarks all over everything so if you want to borrow a picture it's fine, just link back to us. Also send me money, because this is serious business.
- Again, thanks to Matt for giving me the heads up on this and letting me cover it for the site.
Please to enjoy the very best of the 9th Annual Corgi Celebration: A Royal Affair.
Here's where it all goes down: someone's nondescript front yard in Buda, Texas. I don't know why I was imagining this happening in a civic center or whatever. For the record I did not bring
1. A dog
2. A chair
3. A mobile cage for either
This place was like a puppy-filled fever dream. Like walking on broken glass, if every shard was an adorable, short-legged dog.
Lots of Lobster Dog tees. What I wouldn't give to walk into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and see a bunch of guys wearing Dugout shirts.
As advertised on the official website:
Corgis will demonstrate how they excel in the following events: Herding, Agility, Rally, Obedience, Tracking, Pet Therapy
This particular doggie excelled in "running through a thing I could probably buy at a Petsmart".
Agility!
Being dragged up a slope by the neck Agility!
Intense agilities!
(okay, pretty sure this one doesn't require agility)
Up next was "tracking", accomplished when a lady put a hot dog in a glove and tried to hide it from the dog. Spoiler alert: he found the hot dog.
I found a Hidden Mickey!
Another feature of the event was a silent auction, featuring so many things I would buy and put in my house were I a gay man in my late 30s.
Items such as: corgi statues.
$150 handmade quilts that look like they were designed by whoever did the cut scenes for God Of War III.
Hand towels, featuring the least sanitary bar drink in history.
Needlepoint (I seriously almost bid on this one).
Bones, Star Trek references and propaganda!
If you didn't want to bid on the silent items, the merch table was selling novelty argyle CORGI SOCKS~.
Not to mention stockings, pot holders and throw pillows.
They had signs up to let you know where all the herding and tracking and forced agility training were going down, and every sign featured the same dog in sunglasses no matter what. "Therapy" was the funniest one. Need counseling? Deal with it.
This is where the "A Royal Affair" aspect of event marketing came into play: they provided a small bench for dog mark photos with cardboard stand-ups of Prince William and his wife propped up in the background. Most of the dogs stayed still for pictures because they couldn't figure out how to get down. Not sure if want ...
Also appearing at the celebration, CORGI SCIENCE FAIR PRESENTATIONS.
Not really, but holy sh*t, an adult made this.
Dogs in wheelchairs are always sad (especially when they've got to be navigated through a crowd of people in someone's front yard), but this one was especially heartbreaking because its owner pulled along a Radio Flyer wagon to give the dog a rest when it got tired. Oh my God.
In contrast, pretty sure this dog was just lazy as hell.
The saddest dog of the day award goes to this picture. My girlfriend said "A DOG IN SUNGLASSES, A DOG IN SUNGLASSES TURN AROUND" and I turned around and got all excited for flame doggles, only to find out that this dog has to wear them because it is blind and had to have its eyes removed. I should seriously not be crying at the puppy festival.
Changing gears from crippling sadness, here's what you all clicked through for: the corgi costume contest!
Before I even got in, I ran into a corgi dressed as a hot dog. That's how you know an event is going to be great.
Non-human centipede
Festive holiday jester necklace
Fairy
"Talk to the Paw" jumper.
(In case you were wondering, Talk to the Paw Dog is the "not sure if want" dog from the William and Kate photo. Either he was skeeved out by everything he saw or his face is stuck that way.)
Internet celebrity Pudge derPoopster as Doctor Who. That photo is courtesy of his CorgiAddict.com blog, so be sure to check that out. You can see pictures of him herding there, too, but sadly not in the costume.
A duck, sort of.
Skeleton, who has just eaten both dog treats and candy corn.
Pictured from left to right: happiest ever anime corgi, extremely confused other dog
Rodeo cowboy
Mounted Centurion
Terrified kitten. Wait, who brought a BABY KITTEN to the Excited Dog Party?
Asian person
Okay, the Asian dog is pretty great.
Chef. He's got bones and spatulas in his apron and his hat says "Bone Appetite".
Butterfly
...and the best costume of the day, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MOBILE DOG.
Eventually everyone stopped caring about the dogs and formed a block-long line for fajitas, so here are a few random photos from the event to close us out. Of fajitas.
America.
The esteemed representatives from MyCorgi.com.
Bella, my favorite dog of the day. I saw her sitting and looking at me, so I held up my camera and said "hi!" She ran up, jumped in my lap and started kissing me. You win the contests, Bella, whether you're wearing a costume or not.
Unsinkable corgi love to a complete stranger. We should have one of these every weekend.
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Greatest dog party since the end of “Go Dog, Go.”
I am really surprised you guys don’t tease me about my corgi dying more…
Yup, I’m going to be the dork to point this out…Slide #20 is cross stitch. Not needlepoint. I know, you really don’t care…but there it is.
SPOILER ALERT: We’ve got bunnies at With Leather today!
For the record, if anything else even remotely similar to this happens within driving distance, I am happy to cover it live. I had to cut at least 20 photos from this to make it workable.
bunnies v. corgis: who ya got?
that fairy is freaked the hell out
I must have some Corgi socks.
#25 pulls off a helluva ‘blue steel’.
The last picture looks like Bella is staring endlessly into pubic hair.
So adorable. #27 and 29 are so sad. Good job getting some good pics.
Centurion was my favorite costume. #39 “anime corgi” would be Ein.
Unsinkable love Corgi is looking for food in your beard.
Welcome my mom to the comments section. Hello, Seamus.
Is showing up at the corgi fest without a dog like showing up at a playground without kids?
Seriously though, excellent reporting. Love it!
My husband and I own the corgi wearing the glasses — she is NOT the saddest dog of the day! She is a happy and amazing girl who is the definition of reslient. In the few years she has been with us, we have watched her overcome her history and teach us so much about really living life to the fullest. Be inspired by her, please don’t feel sorry for her.
@Corgis – That’s good to hear, she’s super sweet.
The Corgi with the glasses will be featured as a Dog of the Day on The Daily Corgi later this month … she’s got quite a story, not the least of which is the amazing love and dedication her family has shown towards her. What seems on the surface to be a sad story is actually pretty inspirational!
[thedailycorgi.blogspot.com]
I was at the Celebration! I’m more than a little offended that my Corgi didn’t make the slideshow…not that there’s anything remarkable about her when she’s surrounded by 150 other Corgis.
The Wheelchair Corgi was, in fact, the saddest thing I’ve seen this year. And the Corgi in the slideshow that is being carried upside down was carried that way the entire damn day.
So, to answer everyone’s question: yes, this Corgi Celebration was crawling with sluts.
I’m at work, and I just had to cover my mouth and pretend to cough after viewing slide 10. I’d be struggling to explain the hilarity of the word “Agility!” to my boss.
@ Brutus Ballsack – there is only one place to buy Corgi socks and would you believe they are made in Wales which surely makes them Welsh Corgi Socks! PS they are good enough for Prince Charles so they are good enough for me
[www.corgihosiery.co.uk]
Hippi