Animal lovers will thoroughly enjoy the new Amazon Prime show The Pack, which premiered on November 20. It’s like The Amazing Race with adorable dogs added to the mix. The competition series is hosted by Olympian Lindsey Vonn, along with one of her own fur babies, Lucy. Vonn’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is already a star of the skier’s Instagram feed.
The show features 12 pups and their owners, who are referred to as “dog partners.” The duos compete all over the world to win the cash prize of $500,000, plus a $250,000 donation to a favorite charity. An additional $250,000 has been donated to pet charities in the locations visited throughout the competition. Each of the dozen dogs, who Lindsey Vonn emphasized were well-trained but not professional animals, pulled off some amazing feats. All the while, the production team went above and beyond to make sure they stayed safe.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but it was a 10-year-old pooch that managed to grab the win, even though younger dogs competed. The winning dog is Ace, who is a Border Collie, along with his owner/partner, Mark LeBlanc. The duo’s athleticism, sense of adventure, sharp focus, and (of course) super-strong bond made them victorious. When Mark adopted Ace 9 years prior to the show, the mechanical engineer and photographer found the perfect canine to match his own active personality. The pup was catching Frisbees from 30 miles away when he wasn’t even a year old. Viewers first got a glimpse of the handsome boy and his incredible Frisbee-catching skills in the show’s opening minutes. The La La Land-inspired sequence also featured cameos by celebrities, including Dennis Rodman and former Real Housewives star Denise Richards. After starting in Los Angeles and then traveling the world, the series looped back to the USA, landing in Utah, which happens to be Ace and Mark’s home state. Perhaps this brought the pair some extra good luck.
Ace is part of a sporty family, including Mark’s wife Elizabeth and another dog named Charlie. They all live in Salt Lake City. As Mark told Salt Lake City Tribune, the area is a perfect place to indulge in activities the family loves, such as skiing and mountain climbing. Like Ace, Mark was athletic from a young age and first fell in love with Utah and its mountains as a kid. Ace is such an active and energetic dog that exploring the mountains of the area is exactly what he needs. Mark and Ace picked Best Friends Animal Society to receive the $250,000 donation. The nonprofit, which is also based in Utah, promotes adoption and no-kill shelters.
Like Ace, the runners-up were two very good boys. In second place was Goldendoodle surfer Derby, the cleverly named dog of dog partner, Kentucky. Derby had a memorable puppy love showmance with another contestant, Snow. Third place went to 3-year-old Golden Retriever Jax and his partner, Vania. Viewers will surely continue to follow Ace, Derby, Jax, and the other dogs once they finish the series. Then, it’s only a matter of waiting to see if Amazon Prime orders The Pack season 2!
