Starkville Derby Celebrates Largest Wiener Dog Race in the World

The Starkville Derby, an annual event featuring wiener dog races, attracted more than 80,000 spectators this year, according to organizer Alden Thornhill. The event took place Saturday in the downtown Cotton District near Mississippi State University.

Thornhill, a Starkville native, founded the derby in 2023 to fill a gap in spring activities in the college town. Since its inception, it has grown into the world’s largest wiener dog racing event, with over 315 dogs competing in 86 races, Thornhill said.

Thornhill noted that planning for the event begins months in advance. “A lot of people just come up and see the day of and don’t realize the logistics that we start planning this thing back in December for late April or early May,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible what my team can do and what we do when we get together.”

The event benefits the Oktibbeha County Humane Society, which manages the Starkville animal shelter and provides services including low-cost spaying and neutering. The derby raised more than $75,000 for the nonprofit this year, according to the society’s executive director, Michele Anderson.

Anderson said the event has helped increase awareness of the shelter’s work. “The biggest impact that the derby has made, aside from the significant fundraising that it does for us each year, is just creating the awareness and getting the word out,” she said. The Humane Society helps more than 6,000 animals annually in north-central Mississippi.

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