Alex, a Weimaraner skilled at long distance jumping and speed retrieval, catches a football thrown by his owner, Trent Steele, during a DockDogs competition in Oak Ridge on Saturday.
More than 100 dogs from across the country competed in long-distance and vertical jump challenges in Oak Ridge this weekend in a first-time event that enthralled hundreds of people who encouraged the canines with loud cheers.
The three-day DockDogs competition, which also included a speed retrieval event, was part of the annual Earth Day festival at A.K. Bissell Park.
Children enjoy the animal petting zoo at Earth Day in Oak Ridge on Saturday.
Besides that competition, the festival also included a bike rodeo, petting zoo, musical entertainment, vendors, and recycling stations, including for shoes and computers. There was also a Green Mile Children’s Run at the Oak Ridge High School track.
One dog that competed this weekend, Wrigley, a Weimaraner from Chicago, has a 6-foot, 8-inch vertical leap, said Trent Steele, president of Smoky Mountain DockDogs in Knoxville, which organized the contest. By Saturday afternoon, Wrigley had jumped 27 feet and one inch in a “Big Air” long-distance competition.
