UCLA football remains undefeated.

And like coach Bob Chesney, this corgi kicked off his career at the Rose Bowl with a win.

Frank the Tank, also known as Frankie, made his debut in front of Bruins with a victory at UCLA’s home matchup against Wisconsin on Oct. 17. The university partnered with Little Stumps Racing – a sports entertainment organization that hosts corgi-racing events at NFL and college football games – to host its first inaugural championship at the Rose Bowl.

Corgis first lined up in two rows of six and, after an elimination round, seven competed for the first-place trophy. Bruins photographed, recorded and set their bets on which corgi would take home the win. Frank the Tank rushed across the field to win first place, earning a whipped cream filled trophy as his prize. Frankie’s victory was the first of his racing career.

“This was incredibly different from other races that we’ve been to,” said Cynthia Wood, Frankie’s co-owner. “Being on that big of a stage on a football field with that many people, and the lead-up to getting in there because we’re down there on the sidelines waiting for halftime – and so we’re down there with the band and the cheerleaders – and so it was quite an experience for the dogs and us.”

Roger Wood, Cynthia Wood’s husband and Frankie’s co-owner, said UCLA should host more corgi races.

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Cynthia Wood said she’s owned corgis since the 2000s. Her previous corgi died two weeks before Frankie was born July 4, 2020. She connected with Frankie’s breeder in Oklahoma, who shared photos of a litter of seven, through social media. Shortly after, she booked a flight to bring him home to Santa Clarita.

Frankie became a constant during a difficult time in her life, Cynthia Wood said, adding that her mom and two other corgis died around the time she adopted Frankie. Her stepdad and biological father were also ill, she added.

“He’s my sidekick. We were going through COVID, and just having Frankie in my life, the whole standout is what he’s done for me as just emotional support,” she said.

She added that once a day, Frankie goes to lay underneath the fireplace hearth where his trophy is placed on the mantle.

“It’s just like he knows, ‘Hey, that’s mine. Now I’m a champion,’” she said. “Or you know, the walnut-sized brain that a dog has. It might also be, ‘Well, there might be whipped cream in there still.’”

The Saturday halftime race was Frankie’s first time participating in a race hosted by Little Stumps Racing. Frankie previously raced with SoCal Corgi Beach Day and Corgi Nationals. Wood said she talked to other owners on the field and it seemed that Frankie was the only Rose Bowl race participant with previous racing experience.

Frankie started racing at four years old. He is registered with the American Kennel Club, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and training for all dogs.

“He already knew the drill,” Cynthia Wood said. “He said, ‘You don’t mess around playing with the other dogs. You just go with mom.’”

Roger Wood said he and Cynthia Wood took Frankie to Acton, California twice for a herding dog class. He added that there were many sheep present at Acton location to help teach the dogs how to herd.

“We put him in the pen with the sheep, and he immediately herded those sheep into a tight bundle and kept them there,” he said. “My eyes were wide with astonishment that he immediately did the right thing, and it was like watching a dog that had been herding sheep for years.”

Francine Curnutt, Frankie’s breeder, said she and Cynthia Wood FaceTimed several times so Cynthia Wood could see Frankie grow, from when his eyes opened to his first steps.

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Curnutt said she often receives emails and text messages from Cynthia Wood expressing her gratitude for Frankie. Curnutt added that she was amazed when Cynthia Wood sent her the video of Frankie winning the race at the Rose Bowl.

“I’m always going to be in his corner cheering on, but I could not believe my eyes,” she said. “I was just so proud for her and for him that they finally got to the winning line.”

Frankie came off of surgery three weeks before the game day race, Cynthia Wood said. He had been playing with a neighbor’s dog who was on the other side of the fence, and when Frankie drew close to the bushes as he ran up and down the fence line, he was hit in the eye with a branch, which led to a corneal ulcer.

Cynthia Wood said Frankie’s vet cleared him to race before Oct. 17 and that his eyesight was restored to 20/20 after the surgery.

Cynthia Wood said it took her over an hour to leave the football game right after the race because of how many people wanted pictures with Frankie and his trophy.

“All of a sudden he’s become a celebrity, and it’s just kind of weird,” she said. “Frankie loves the attention.”

Frankie deserved the attention, Roger Wood said.

“He’s a little tank with little legs, who’s very agile, and he’s a herder,” he said. “He’s special because he is so active, and he’s a tank, Frank the Tank.”