HOOPER -- When Lily, a 2-year-old white shorkie, sprinted in front of the rest of the dogs, Megan Hayden was a bit surprised.
"She doesn't really run much," said Hayden, 14, of Roy. "She's really a lazy dog."
But Lily was not lazy on Monday during the mini category of the Tomato Days dog race at Hooper Park. She went full speed and stayed in the lead the whole race as she ran to Hayden at the finish line.
The dog race was just one of the events and activities that made up Tomato Days. While some people enjoyed gawking at the blue ribbon-winning vegetables, playing in the volleyball tournament or getting messy in the Minute to "Hooper" It contest, the dog race was one of the most popular events of the day.
The top dog was Abbie, a border collie owned by Kaylee Harsha and Braden Hancock. Not only did Abbie win the medium-size dog category, but also the race featuring the winners of all four categories.
Abbie took second place last year, but her owners did not spend the past year putting the dog through an extensive training program.
"She just lives life and does what she wants," Harsha said. "She's spoiled."
Carlie Wall, of Hooper, had a smart strategy to help her dog, Sam, win the small dog race for the second straight year. She held up a baseball and as her dad, Steve, let Sam loose the red healer took off to get the ball.
"He loves the baseball," Carlie Wall said. "He could play fetch all day and night long."
There were only two contestants in the large dog race, and still Evie Brinkerhoff was not expecting to win. But Sailor, a standard poodle, beat out his competitor.
"I was surprised he even ran toward me," said Brinkerhoff, of West Point.
Away from the rodeo arena, a group of young women from the Muskrat Springs Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made funnel cakes to raise money for the Van Tassell family. Daniel Van Tassell was severely injured in an automobile accident in February.
Van Tassell suffered several broken bones and a head injury in the crash. His wife Katie, and children Coltan, 11, and Chelby, 7, are not only dealing with Daniels' condition but also the substantial medical bills.
"The girls found out about the accident and said let's do something," said Tricia Perry, one of the leaders. "So some girls got their food handler's permit and others looked up online how to make funnel cakes."
The city of Hooper donated the booth and Perry said all of the money raised will go to helping the Van Tassells with the medical bills.
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