Promise of hot dogs spurs on Pembroke Welsh corgi to victory in the annual derby

Three-year-old Islay, which was born in New Zealand, romped to victory in the race at Musselburgh Racecourse NewsUKHome NewsPromise of hot dogs spurs on Pembroke Welsh corgi to victory in the annual derbyThree-year-old Islay, which was born in New Zealand, romped to victory in the race at Musselburgh RacecourseRyan McDougall Saturday 04 April 2026 17:44 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryParticipants take part in the Corgi Derby at Musselburgh Racecourse, Musselburgh, East Lothian, as part of its Easter Saturday race day celebration. Picture date: Saturday April 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe promise of hot dogs at the finish line was enough to spur on a Pembroke Welsh corgi to victory in the annual Easter corgi derby at a Scottish racecourse.Three-year-old Islay, which was born in New Zealand, romped to victory in the race at Musselburgh Racecourse.Owner Carolyne Ricardo, a vet at the University of Glasgow, said: “It’s a bit of surprise because we only found out two weeks ago she had been accepted for the race but I am delighted.”open image in galleryParticipants take part in the Corgi Derby at Musselburgh Racecourse, Musselburgh, East Lothian, as part of its Easter Saturday race day celebration (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)Ms Ricardo, originally from New York, added: “She likes a nap and is a slow starter in the morning but if she comes across a squirrel it’s a goner.”Dogs from across the world competed in the race including Sadie, which travelled with her owner from Newquay, Cornwall, and Naomi, which lives in Glasgow with her owners, but was born in China.The annual race is in its fifth year and was created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.open image in galleryIslay, originally from New Zealand with owner Carolyne Ricardo from Glasgow, after winning the Corgi Derby at Musselburgh Racecourse, Musselburgh, East Lothian, as part of its Easter Saturday race day celebration. Picture date: Saturday April 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)Musselburgh racecourse head of marketing and business development, Aisling Johnston, said: “Our Virgin Bet Scottish sprint cup race day is a fixture featuring lots of high quality horse racing with more than £300,000 on offer – but it’s no exaggeration to say our little, four-legged friends do their best to steal the show.”More aboutcorgiFinish Linehot dogsNewquayDogsJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next