Santa Maria Sun / Athlete of the Week

Ginger

BY JEREMY THOMAS

PHOTO BY JEREMY THOMAS

Some athletes strive for glory. Others perform for the pride. Ginger does it all for the doggie biscuits.

The 12-year-old silky terrier, also known as “Sparkie,” took home the blue ribbon in the Best Tricks event at Waller Park’s 17th annual Woofstock on June 27. Her routine included lying down, crawling, standing, and jumping into her owner’s waiting arms on cue, wowing the judges with her agility and overall cuteness.

“Ruff,” Ginger said after the competition—apparently referring to the difficulty of maintaining her composure during the event.

Fortunately for her, Scooby Snacks and other similar performance enhancers are still legal in the Woofstock events.

“The hardest part is to keep her from getting distracted with all of these other little dogs running around,” said her owner, Jeanne Sparks. “When I get her attention, she does very well.”

According to Sparks, it took Ginger just a couple of weeks to learn her routine, and the champion practiced a relaxed training regimen leading up to the event. Ideally, Sparks said, a dog should be trained at least six times a day, every several days, to get in top form.

“You can teach an old dog new tricks,” Sparks said. “The key is consistency and repetition.”

Not one to rest on her paws, Ginger/Sparkie plans on traveling the Central Coast and the rest of the state searching for the best dog-friendly parks and places to eat. Like most star athletes, she also has a website in the works, Sparkieunleashed.com, which will soon be filled with photographs and journals of her exploits.

With the prestigious Woofstock award, media attention, and possible Internet stardom on the horizon, the quiet and unassuming Ginger is taking it all in four-legged stride.

“She doesn’t know how popular she is,” Sparks said. “She just wants the treats.”