Owners recount panic after Nazgul gatecrashes Winter Olympics on doggy day out
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Nazgul the dog who gatecrashed the cross-country race is pictured with owner Alice Varesco at his home in Tesero.
PHOTO: REUTERS
TESERO, Italy – When the Varesco family headed off to watch the biathlon at the Winter Olympics on Feb 18, they left their two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog Nazgul locked in his kennel at home in Tesero.
In their absence, Nazgul became the most unlikely star of the Milano Cortina Games
“We were on the train to Anterselva to watch the biathlon,” Ms Alice Varesco told Reuters on Feb 20.
“We were three hours from home when friends started sending us videos. That was the panic moment. We realised we could not do anything.”
For a few surreal seconds during the qualifying races, spectators thought a wolf had wandered onto the course.
Nazgul the dog who gatecrashed the cross-country race is pictured with owners Enrico and Alice Varesco.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Instead, it was Nazgul, lean and silver-grey, ears pricked, locking onto the skiers ahead of him and instinctively joining the chase.
He even appeared in an official photo finish image, which was how the Varesco family ultimately confirmed it was their dog.
“Concern, for sure,” Ms Varesco said of her first reaction. “It was with us the whole day actually. Even after they told us he was safe, we kept thinking about what could have gone wrong.”
Nazgul had never previously got out of the house on his own and the Varescos think that, frustrated at being left behind, he may have nudged a lever repeatedly until it gave way before managing to get the door to the house open.
“He wanted to look for us I think because he’s used... to going in that direction with us when we go for a walk,” Ms Varesco said. “He likes to stay with his crew.”
Nazgul caught inside venue
Race officials reacted quickly to the incursion. The race director managed to catch Nazgul inside the venue, and family members brought him home within half an hour.
By early afternoon, the footage had travelled around the world.
“Everyone was sending us videos and pictures. At a certain point we just closed the phone because it was impossible,” Ms Varesco added. “We were in Anterselva with small kids and we said we need to be here and we'll look at everything later.”
Security around Nazgul’s kennel has been tightened to prevent any repeat for the 50km races this weekend, which the family will watch from the balcony at home with their wolfdog firmly in sight.
The Varescos are most of all relieved that Nazgul’s day out did not result in any injury or serious disruption.
“We did not think this could be possible, but generally the reaction was people loved him,” Ms Varesco said.
“And it’s good that nothing happened and it was going in a positive way, so everybody was happy.” REUTERS
