Fourth annual Seattle Chihuahua Races shakin'

It was a big upset: Cricket, the 7-pound reigning champion of last year's Seattle Chihuahua Races, was dethroned.

She was at the starting gate for the semifinal heat, "Chariots of Fire" was playing in the background, and all she had to do was run — no, sprint, faster than her 4-inch legs had ever carried her! — to the finish line, where her adoring owner, Celeste Virago Lowe, 39, of Northgate, would be waiting with open arms.

But when the whistle blew, Cricket panicked. She forgot to run. Instead, she wagged her tiny stub of a tail and smiled her toothy Chihuahua grin, while mass chaos ensued on the 35-foot track of artificial grass.

Some of the other dogs refused to leave the starting gate. One lay down in the middle of the course to scratch himself. Meanwhile, the nearly 750 humans who'd come to Petco's fourth annual Seattle Chihuahua Races in Kirkland yesterday to "race" their shoe-box-size animals cheered feverishly.

"I was at the finish line, yelling for her, but I think she got kind of confused," said Virago Lowe, laughing. She and her niece, Bella Stribling, 13, who both wore purple "Team Cricket!" T-shirts, said they weren't too upset.

After all, you don't go to the Seattle Chihuahua Races to win. You go for the spectacle. And spectacle there is.

The 188 dogs at the event were both excited and terrified. Many trembled beneath their BeDazzled collars, reluctantly responding to names such as Fizzy, Twinks, Ninja and — I couldn't make this up — Violet Chalupa Chiweewee.

One little blonde named Dolly, whose entire body mass could have fit into a paper coffee cup, shivered in her pink and purple sparkly party dress. Her tiny toenails were painted hot pink to match her leash.

Another 5-pounder named — wait for it — Champion Hatteras Cape Jule-Rome, wore a $165 sequined pink jumper with black lace, and a hot pink wig (specially designed with cutouts for his ears) that made him look like a cross-dressing Chihuahua version of Gwen Stefani, circa 2000.

Hatteras, who also goes by Tatertot Angel or Hatty-Cakes Bakers Man, made the trip to the races from Yakima with his owners, Robyn Jule Rome and John Rome, who estimate they've spent $20,000 to take Hatteras to all his competitions.

Although Hatteras didn't win his heat, Jule Rome was awarded the competition's Spirit Award, presumably because her own hot-pink hair and fingernails matched her dog's pink baby carriage.

Pancho Villa, a black-haired Chihuahua about the size of a toaster oven, won the event. He and his owners, Samantha and Mike Patrick of Lopez Island, will travel to San Diego to represent Seattle at Petco's fourth Annual National Chihuahua Races in August.

As for Cricket, our dethroned Chihuahua champ, she's not too bummed out, Virago Lowe said.

"We gave her some burger, and got her a little dress that says 'Rock Star' in sequins on it," she said. "I think she's ready to go home."

Haley Edwards: 206-464-2745 or hedwards@seattletimes.com