Dogs, Dancing & Community: TCDA at the Great Nundle Dog Race

On Sunday 3 May, thousands of people descended on the small country town of Nundle for one of the most joyful events on the regional calendar — the Great Nundle Dog Race. Among them were more than 150 people connected to Tamworth City Dance Academy: all four Show Troupes, their families, and more than a few four-legged friends who had come to compete in their own right.

TCDA has been a proud Bronze Sponsor of the Nundle Dog Race since 2021, and this year marked a particularly satisfying return after last year’s troupes were stood down due to a rain-sodden and unsafe performance area. In 2026, the stage was dry, the autumn sun was out, and TCDA was back in full force.

How It All Started

TCDA’s involvement with the Nundle Dog Race came about through one of our own dance families. Teree Burr, dance mum of former TCDA student Max Burr, who left us at the end of 2025 to pursue his studies at McDonald College in Sydney, was on the Nundle P&C and extended the invitation to get involved. We said yes immediately, and have been part of the event every year since.

In that first year, TCDA introduced two new elements to the program: the Great Doggy Dance Off, and the Fashions on the Field judging. Both have become permanent fixtures of the event, and TCDA provides trophies for the winners and is a Bronze sponsor to the event each year.

Four Troupes, Two Sessions, One Crowd

For TCDA’s dancers, the Nundle Dog Race serves a purpose well beyond the fun of the day. With competition season on the horizon, performing in front of a live crowd of thousands , with all the unpredictability that comes with it — is invaluable preparation. All four Show Troupes performed across two sessions during the day, presenting their competition dances to an enthusiastic audience who may not have been expecting quite that level of polish from a country town event.

It’s also become a genuine team-building day for the studio. Fifty dancers and their families sharing a day out together, away from the studio walls, strengthens the bonds that make TCDA’s culture what it is.

The Great Doggy Dance Off

The Dance Off asks entrants to do exactly what the name suggests: dance with their dogs, or showcase their dog’s natural dancing ability. Judging criteria include partner work, choreography, and talent — which sounds straightforward until you consider that one of this year’s standout performers was an Irish Wolfhound in a tiny tutu. The scale mismatch alone was enough to win the crowd, if not the trophy.

Other highlights included dogs that danced on their hind legs, performed rolls on command, and demonstrated a genuine partnership with their owners. The judges were impressed. The crowd was delighted.

Fashions on the Field

Fashions on the Field is judged on theme, design, and the all-important walk and presentation during the parade. This year’s entries did not disappoint. A Legally Blonde-inspired ensemble drew immediate attention. A dog dressed as a knight, complete with an owner turned squire, was a study in commitment to the bit. And one very pink dog, painted head to tail, made an entrance that was impossible to overlook.

Not every entrant shared the enthusiasm. One dog, clearly unconvinced by the whole fashion parade concept, was gently encouraged around the circuit by its owner in what became one of the most relatable moments of the day.

A Star in the Crowd

Among the attendees this year was a genuine canine celebrity: Buruma, the working kelpie from Season 4 of the ABC’s Muster Dogs, alongside her owner Ian. For those who haven’t seen the show, Muster Dogs follows the training of working dogs on Australian sheep and cattle stations, and Buruma was very much the star of the show on the day.

What Makes Nundle Different

There are plenty of community events on the regional calendar, but the Nundle Dog Race occupies its own category. Most events, by necessity or oversight, exclude dogs. This one is built entirely around them. The vendors are specialty pet stores and small cottage industries rather than the big chains you’d find at a standard market. The atmosphere reflects the town itself, a small, close-knit community coming together around something wholesome, unique and entirely their own.

The event raises money for the Nundle Public School P&C, with funds used to subsidise travel costs for excursions and events, a meaningful contribution to a small rural school where every dollar saved for families makes a genuine difference.

Why TCDA Says Yes

TCDA is a Tamworth institution, but our community extends well beyond the city limits. Showing up for events like the Nundle Dog Race, as performers, as judges, as sponsors, and as participants, is an expression of what we believe the studio is for. Dance doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It belongs to the community that surrounds it, and we never take that for granted.

We’ll see you in Nundle again next year. And yes, we’re already accepting canine applications for the Dance Off.