Snow joy for sled dog race mushers

Jan 26 2013

A Siberian husky race could get under way in snowy conditions for only the second time in 20 years - thanks to the recent blizzards.

The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Aviemore Sled Dog Race is ordinarily organised using wheeled carriages due to a lack of snow.

But this year organisers hope the two-day event has a traditional feel at the snow-covered Cairngorms National Park in Aviemore.

More than 200 husky teams have joined skiers and sledgers at the venue to put the dogs through their paces on Saturday and Sunday.

Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain spokeswoman Judy Wakker said: "We've been coming up here since 1984 when we had just 12 teams.

"We've got over 200 teams this year and looking at the forecast and the conditions we've got at the moment, it looks as if we're going to have a snow race, which would be absolutely fantastic.

"It would be only the second time in 20 years that we've actually been able to run the race on snow using sleds. The conditions at the moment are looking perfect - lots of really good snow and maybe more fresh snow to top up the base. I'm really looking forward to it."

Pete Jones, 40, has travelled from near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, with his partner Karen to compete with his dogs. He is hoping to retain the title for the six-dog event, which he has won the last three years.

Mr Jones said: "It's such an unbelievable sport. It's so addictive and so enjoyable. You don't have to spend thousands and thousands of pounds to take part, you can get second-hand equipment. You can just do it for fun and come to the odd race, or you can do it competitively like we do and enter races all over the UK."

The race features teams of between two and eight dogs pulling their musher on a sled around a four to seven-mile trail. Along with the Siberian Huskies, race dogs include Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs. Mushers range from just eight years old to over 60.