Random Doodlings: Cheechako Sr. Sled Race

The dogs and I entered our first sled race last weekend. It was a joint 'beginner' event with some little Jr. racers and I felt a little sheepish pulling up with my three handlers (I had friends visiting that wanted to help out) and being the first adult on the roster. However, by the time the race started 45 minutes later, there were ten other 3-dog adult teams with a variety of experience levels and a few teams that we knew from the dryland races that were some actual competition.

First of all, the Jr. racers were adorable! I'm not convinced that I would enjoy having kids dragging me out of bed at 5am every weekend to head to the hockey rink, but drag me out of bed at 5am every weekend if we're going to the sled races!

For our own race, it went off without a hitch. My friend Wendy was on hand to help walk us up to the starting line, but I just called a couple "haw"s (translation: 'go left') and Polarbear and Pliny led us straight to the gate. Even shy, skiddish Polarbear stood there confidently while people buzzed around him getting ready for the count down. As we were waiting in position, I had one of the race workers ask if they were 'long distance' dogs. I curiously replied "yes" and she said, "I knew it, because they're so much calmer than the other dogs". My pribe bloomed a little bit at that point...and then it was go-time!

It had snowed heavily the night before so the trail was fairly sticky and slow but the team pulled hard and constant the entire course. I tried to help out with a few kicks now and then but pretty much just let them do their job as Mongo would give me weird looks when my feeble kick attempts sent the sled lurching behind her. They pulled long and hard and came in at the finish line with lots of energy to spare. I'm thinking these nine minute, two-milers just aren't enough for these 'long distance' yearlings.

So yes, it was a beginner's race, but man were the dogs ever impressive. It's always incredible to see how our dogs and hard training match up to others on the track (and in the parking lot), even if it is against beginners. I felt like a bit of a cheater having been on a sled quite a bit throughout my lifetime, but there were other mushers in the race that were of equal skill level, and my dogs are newbies, so I figure we were legit in being there. And legit in taking home the first place trophy. The dogs definitely earned it. So we'll enjoy our beginner's win while we can because I imagine we'll have to bump up into the more experienced classes from here on out...but who knows, maybe the pack will place well amongst those teams too. I guess only more racing will tell!