They’re barking mad on Coronet

Excited dogs and their owners barrel down Coronet Peak skifield yesterday during the annual...
Excited dogs and their owners barrel down Coronet Peak skifield yesterday during the annual Queenstown Winter Festival dog derby. Split into town and country entrants, hundreds of dog owners and their canine companions raced from the top of the skifield to the bottom for the glory of being first dog and master home. Photo: supplied.
They came in tutus, bandannas and butterfly wings, just to clear their throats in front of 200 onlookers in Queenstown’s Earnslaw Park.

The waterfront park went to the dogs yesterday — all 85 of them — for the Queenstown Winter Festival’s dog barking competition.

When Benji McFly refused to bark at the winter festival dog barking competition, his dog-sitter,...
When Benji McFly refused to bark at the winter festival dog barking competition, his dog-sitter, Oamaru’s Rosina Shakespeare, had to bark instead. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery.

Most were backing up on the Dog Derby race at Coronet Peak ski area earlier in the day.

But not Benji McFly, entered on a whim by his dog-sitter, Rosina Shakespeare, of Oamaru.

She and her husband were looking after the Maltese terrier, belonging to friends in the resort, for three weeks, Mrs Shakespeare said.

"We were just walking around the lake and someone told us this was on."

She had not been surprised by Benji McFly’s bad case of stage fright.

"He only barks at cats and other dogs."

That meant she had to bark for him, which "went fine", she said.

Top town dog out of 38 entrants was Cliff, of Queenstown, while top country dog out of 47 entrants was Rev, of Blackmount.

Festival programme

FRIDAY

10am-10pm: Queenstown Village Rink open, Village Green

Noon: Business Lunch, Skyline Queenstown

Noon: Dodgeball Championships, Queenstown Bay

1pm: Queenstown Winter Meet, Lake Hayes Pavilion

5pm: Friday Night Party and Fireworks, Earnslaw Park

6pm: Fireworks Light Painting Photography Workshop, Earnslaw Park

7.40pm: Ice Hockey, Southern Stampede v Botany Swarm, Queenstown Ice Arena

9pm: Comedy Night, Queenstown Memorial Centre (Sold out)

SATURDAY

9am: Arts & Crafts Market, Queenstown Bay

10am-10pm: Queenstown Village Rink open, Village Green

10.30am: Mountain Bikes on Snow, the Remarkables

Noon: Saturday Sounds from The Locals, Burgers & Beers, Earnslaw Park

Noon: Day on the Bay featuring Birdman, Jet Sprints, Undy 500, Raft Race, Queenstown Bay

1pm, 2pm & 3pm: Kids DIY Workshops, Earnslaw Park

1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm: Adults DIY Workshops, Earnslaw Park

4pm: Opening of Night Skiing, including Suitcase Race and Bobsled Competition, Coronet Peak

6pm: Frankton Arm Cruise, TSS Earnslaw

6.50pm: Ice Hockey, Southern Stampede v Botany Swarm, Queenstown Ice Arena

7pm: Ball — Shanghai Nights, Queenstown Memorial Centre

8.20pm: Pecha Kucha Night Queenstown, Heritage Queenstown, Fernhill

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