The Dog who drew people to visit her at the Paddock.
Tanne was a very special family and team member. She tagged along for all races and firsthand witnessed the evolution from Buell Tubeframers to the XB-models and passing the 1125 all the way to the EBR 1190.
Tanne was this kind of dog to which people have only ever one of two possible reactions: they either absolutely adored her or were terrified of her, mostly because of her size and fierce blue eyes. She was a queen and acted as such – every person she ever met was her personal friend and only came there to pet her. We got Tanne as a puppy in early 2003, when we were still living in Germany. Her litter was a typical “whoopsie-daisy” – her mother being an Alaskan Malamute and her father unknown. We wager Rottweiler or Dobermann, but who knows really?!
Doing what my family did in the early 2000’s, Tanne and I tagged along for every race, stayed at exhibitions like the Fighterama and probably saw more cool bikes and people than most dogs. She loved meeting new people and approached every single person she saw – no matter if they wanted to meet her or not. One time, Erik Buell personally lifted her back in the car – not because it was too high for her. Noooo, she was just too stubborn and had too much fun playing with Erik and Tish!
Now, Tanne was very accustomed to racing and we were always careful to make sure she wouldn’t have to lie on the cold paddock floor. The only logical solution you ask? Her very own camping chair, because she wouldn’t lay down on a blanket or a dog bed. So stubborn…!
So here she was – firendly, blue-eyed, chair-laying puppy at every race throughout the racing season. The only logical outcome: people would bring their families to visit “that cool dog”. I’m really not kidding! Every weekend we would hear things like “There she is!” and “That’s the dog I told you about!”. I guess many guys talked their families into coming to the race track by mentioning that there was this really cool dog that they absolutely HAD to see. Who knows – maybe some kids found more than just a furry friend there, maybe even the love of racing.
She could tell by the sound what kind of vehicle was approaching and Buell was apparently her favourite as she got extra excited. Buell riders were always the kindest and let her do whatever to them. I’m not exaggerating when I say that some guys let her lick their entire face and bald head! Ew! For better or worse, she was well known in the German Buell scene – almost as well known as Jens.
Tanne has been a photo model on many occasions and her last big show was the welcoming of the EBR’s Sweden and the launch of our customized 1190’s.
