Sled Dog Sports Worldwide Magazine

,ti :'

'

,: '.. ',-,:

$i :s

.,

WWWWW

G ont ribut ors t o t hisiss u e :

W O RLDW I DEM AG A Z I N E

Sled Dog SportsWorldwideMagazineisa monthlypublicationdedicatedto the sport of sled dog racing as well as the care and well being of the dogs that provideus with so much love, enthusiasmand enjoyment. Our goal with this publicationis to enhancepa(icipationin the sportby presentingit as the exciting,adventurous, and high-levelendeavor that it is.

encourEditorial Submissiol'tsarewelcome andhighly for the damageor aged. We cannot,however,be responsible loss of unsolicitedmaterials. The best way to submit articles or photosfor consideration,or to inquireabout specificsand guidelinesis to do so via emailat the addressabove.

Advertising Submissions Pleaseemailor callme to receivea ratepacket.SledDog thatis SportsMagazinereservesthe rightto rejectadvertising notappropriate.

Deadlines for adsandeditorial copyarethe 15thof the for the monthpriorto themonthof publication. ie:deadline October2004issueis Sept20ln2004.

SubscfiptioflS areavailable for $30yearlyin the U.S., yearly yearly in in Europeviaairmail.

Canada, and $38 $50 Mailand Subscriptions aremailedoutvia Presort Standard arrivein about7-10daysfromdateof mailing.

1stClassMail subscriptions arrivein '1-3daysfromdateof mailingandare an additional $10peryearlysubscription.

Mailing lists arenotcurrently for purchase. available

PUBLISHING COMPANY: GSP

Terry Streeper - Fort Nelson,BritishColumbia,Canada Sponsors:DanlerSleds,NMI Mobility,Red Paw Dog Food TheStreeper namehasbeensynonymous withSprintracing forover20 years.Terryhaswonjustabouteverymajorsprintracethereis including American, theFurRendevouz, thePas,Yellowknife, 2theOpenNorth yearsTerryhastaken WorldChampionships, andthelistgoeson. Inrecent andhissonBlayne or"Buddy" hasbeenrunning the a backseatto racing dogswhileTerrymasterminds thestrategy.

Theirrecent entrance to midforthem. distance stageracing marksthebeginning of a newchapter Eddy Streeper - Osage,Minnesota Sponsors:Rod StreeperTrucking,RedPawDog Food,Gatt Sleds,AschbergEquip.,3rd CrossingTradingCo., Newman's "FastEddy" as heis knowto some,is theyounger brother ofTerryandhas racing wiihanimpressive history madehismarkonsprint ofwinsincluding - 2 times, Laconia, Canadian Open, Yellowknife andoththeRondy ONAC, towinthe ers. HiswifeAmyis alsoa racerandoneof onlytwowomen andwifeto bothwintheONAC ONAC, andtogether aretheonlyhusband H ans Gatt -A ttl i n,B ri ti shC ol umbi a, C anada sponsors:EaglePack Pet Foods,Gatt Sleds, Intheearly90's,HansGatt,anAustrian native,moved fromEurope to NorthWest BC,where hecontinued hiswinning waysinmidandlongdistanceracing.Someof hisrecent accomplishments are:4 timeswinner of winner theWyoming StageStopRaceand 3 timesconsecutive ofthe fit: hecomYukonQuest,Hansalsohasquitea regimen to keephimself petesinAdventure physical Racing, whichis a grueling ordealthatcombinesrunning, biking, canoeing, skiing, andorienteering.

E gi l E l l i s & H el en Lundberg - W i l l ow ,A l aska harSponsors:AnnamaetPet Foods,BeWesleds,Dragrattan nesses,AnimalFoodWarehouse,Big Lake SusitnaVeterinary H osp.,C osanol08 yr,), threetimetriplecrownwinner(Rondy, ONAC, Tok-same Sprintracing's reigning King.Egilhasbeenobliterating trackrecords across andcurrent Alaska forthepast5 yrs.Together withpartner HelenLundberg, theirdogs havealmost transformed thebreedof competitive sprint racing sled entirely dogsintheworld.Helen isalsoanaccomplished racer - shewonthe publisher women's Rondy in2004!

Sheisalsotheformer ofa sleddog magazine inSweden.

EDITOR& PUBLISHER: GREG SELLENTIN 635 Route 94 Newton,NJ 07860

A rl ei gh R eynol ds D V M P H D S al cha,A l aska professor Medicine, A graduate of Cornell College of Veterinary andformer numerous nutritional there, hehasconducted canine studies, andhasraced haswonthe at thetoplevelinopenclasssprintforthepast4 yrs.Arleigh Minden - 8 dogclass, andtheLaconia 6-dog class.

SledDogDerby

T:917-929-6118 F: 973-300-0455

Joe Wakshlag MS DVM- lthaca,NewYork in clinical nutrition at Cornell College ofVeterinary Joeis aninstructor medicine.

Medicine anda PHDcandidate inthedepartment ofmolecular Joemaintains a 16dogsprint racing kennel ofalaskan huskies andeurohounds, andraces withthemintheNortheast U.S.

e : greg@sleddogsportsmag.com w: sleddogsportsmag.com Coverphoto:BuddyStreeper2004AMA Open North AmericanChampionships,

by HeathSandall

Volume l, #1 September 2OO4

ffi

madeduringinterviews and publishedin Any opinionsor statements thismagazine, arenof necessarily theopinionof thepublicationor it's owner.

Greetings,

nutrition,training,history,etc. This is more important now than ever before.

I hope you enjoy this first issue of Sled Dog Sports Magazine. lf it is half as much fun and inspiringto read as it has been to put together,I think it will have hit the mark.

Firstoff, l'd like to thankall the peoplewho have entrustedme with their subscriptions and advertising, and all my friendsand familyfor your encouragement.

I look forwardto reachingyour expectations.

This magazinehas been a burningdesirewithinme for a while. Just like the sportof mushingitself,publishing is not somethingthat is done at a casuallevelof commitment. I will try to make this magazinesomething that getsthe brainthinking,the bloodpumping,and inspiresyou to go out and spendtime with your dogs.

Havingbeen a musherfor quitesome time, I've alwaysfelt a bit let down by the way the printedmedia portrayedus. Whether it was a lapse in coveragefrom publications withinthe sportor the occasionaltreatment of the sport in the mainstreammediaas some kind of peculiarside show, I felt we deservedbetter. I feel the need for a publicationthat will focus on the sportand everythingthat comesalongwith it - dogs, dog care,musherpersonalities, lifestyles,equipment,

Beginneror professional, drylandto lditarod,if you have ever felt the power of a dog team flow through your body this publicationis for you.

This first issue is really packedwith the good stuff.

We've got TerryStreeperin a very candid conversation aboutdog trainingand racing. We've got some of the top racersin the sporttellingus how they preparetheir canineathletesduringthe summermonths. We have a nutritionarticleso packedwith informationyou'llhave to read it morethan once, unlessyou'reTim White,of course. We have a guideto new products,club reports, and the first part of a great story written by Helen Lundbergon European musherscomingto race in NorthAmerica.

Sit back,relax,enjoy.

Greg Sellentin

CHATMAC S L ED D O G SU PP L IER

C ollar s , Leas hes H ar nes s es Sk ijor belt s & lines D og t r aining c ar ts D og s leds D og s led bags Sled ac c es s or ie s R ope Ganglines Fids Ti m W hit e Q CR Sl ed plas t ic Hound B ox es D og T r uc k B ox e s D og T r ailer s & B ox es Truck & Trailer ac c es s o ri e s "Ouer 27 yrs. of experience"

lntroducing Chatmac's

THUNDTR

Aftermanyyearsof sled festrng deslgns and prototypes, thlss/edwas

raced byLou SerreWorldCupChampion and multipleISDRA medalist

Staying withourtraditional look.Features of this sled: Frameconstruction is aluminum.lf neededupto 45%racking.

Cambered ski- wetested31shapes,SeethroughWindshield - Testresults-keeps windoff handsanddeftectssnowandice pellets. Canseethrough if clownbehindsled.Comeswith J-Peghandgripsfor stability whenpeddling or youcansteerwiththem.

Quickflip hag-loaded70lb.dogfastwithlittleeffort.Nozippersor velcroto getin yourway..Bagdesignfromsimilardesignused 17yearsago. Veryimportant- sled still handleswhilecarryinga dog. Chatmac's quickflip brakeanddragmatcomhination desrgn usedwithgreatresults onourCheetah andCommander sledsforover5 yearsnow.Fortraveling comeswithrunnersleeves andextrabagtoput sledbagin toprotectyoursledbagandwindshield whiletravelling.

ONEOFNORIFI AMERICASLE.ADINGSUPPUERS,OIIR DOGBO)GSAND SLEDSARE LEGENDARY visifus on thewebat chatmac.com (tel: 519-291-4738) Doug& CarolMcNeil

ffi

ACSE t

t't" '

'ttt

l'10

ji :l

BuddyStreeperOpen NorthAmerlcanChampionships 2004

$

Photo: Heath *S

WWWm& & &tage Kww&wg the Terry Streeper interuiew

Up against the best of the distance, mid-distance and stage race specialists, the Streeper team, with Buddy at the helm, won both of the major stage races in North America in 2004: the Attaboy 300 and the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sted Dog Race. Then one month late4, amidst a multi season winning streak, they furn around and win one of Sprint Racing's oldest and most prestigious races: the Anchorage Fur Rendevous, against rival and sprint specialist - Egil Ellis.

SDS: Well Terry where do we start? You guys have such a long history, we could fill up volumes. Let's keep it about the last couple of years with your incredible run of wins and your newest challenge:stage racing.

TS: Ok. Well it all started a coupleof yearsago. We had a plan to beat Egif but I thought it would take longer than it actually did, to be honest with you.

Becausethe team that we actually beat him with at the ONAC in 2003was a reaily young team,

TS: No, it's just that ability to do all that free running, all that loose dropping. If there is anything I've done in the sport that has made me as succesful as I have been, if there is one thing I can attribute it to, one major thing outside of all those little things that we hope to do right, is the loose running. I think that is so huge for us and has attributed to our success more than anything else we have done.

SDS: Wow, now when you say loose running, do you mean loose dropping the dogs around the truck, or the summertime practice of running them loose with the ATV? TS:

Both. When we are on the truck like the year we went to Laconia, we were on the truck from the 5th or 6th of January until about the middle of April.

It is a hard, hard thing to do, to keep a dog from getting depressed about all the traveling, or from getting reallazy and all they want to do is stay in the dog box. So to be able to do all that loose dropping is fun for us and real fun for the dogs.

You can pick out real little limps or sorenesses. It gives us a chance to see that and give that dog more rest, and an extra day off or a little more massage. We really don't injure many dogs.

Which is really, really surprising for as many races as we do and everything. We can just about sit down in November and say which dogs are going to run the North American or the Rondy.

Of 24 dogs usually 20 or 22 are there.

I think it has a lot to do with them learning to run around loose, they learn to watch where they put their feet, they don't tend to hurt themselves.

"To comebackand win the rondy after stageracing,that was a bit of a surprise"

there was like 11 or 12 two year olds in that team and I thought it would take one more season to beat him. Most of our dogs hadn't even been around the course or whatever. So it happened a little quicker than anticipated. Then when we made the move to stage racing and came back to beat him at the Rondy, that was a bit of a surprise to be quite honest.

That year Buddy went undefeated and we had done a lot of traveling . We did a lot of racing across North America.

They had their pants down a tittle bit in Alaska as they didn't have that many races up there, so they weren't as race tough as we were and they had a poor snow year and what not. The other side of it is that they may have been more rested than we were after doing all that traveling and racing.

There is nothing like testing a dog at the races though.

You can train till your blue in the face but I think one weekend of racing is worth about 2-3 weeks of training, in just what you learn from the dogs and you know what you have. You can not duplicate the pressure of a race, you can do what you want in training, you can drive them hard but nothing gets the dogs pumped up like a race does. And that is hard to duplicate, eh.

SDS: I was in Laconia when Buddy won and announced that the team was undefeated and he was going after the ONAC win. How many races did you end up being undefeated for up until this year's ONAC? TS: I think he ended up doing 21 races without a loss. It started the previous winter after the ONAC (2002) where we got beat.

SDS: How do you care for your dogs on the road, do you do things that maybe other mushers don't do when you are traveling for that long with the dogs on the truck?

SDS: Terry, can you give me some idea of your typical training and conditioning regimen for your team from Summer to say the first open race in late December? In the years before you entered stage races.

I'm so afraid of the heat, I don't ever put a harness on a dog if it's above 40 degrees. With all this loose running I do, we don't start hooking up the young dogs in teams until late September.

Then we do just short runs, about 3 miles but fairly big teams you know 18-20 dog teams and it's cool in the mornings so we're training in the upper 30's or so. Then we start hooking the main dogs in a typical year the 2nd or 3rd week of October.

We start them off at 4-5 miles because they have been doing a little more serious loose running up to about 5-6 miles.

SDS: Can you describe that a litle bit more, I mean how exactly you loose run dogs?

TS: When I started this thing me a while to figure out what ed, some of the dogs wouldn't of the kennel. I tried hooking

I did everything wrong, it took works for us. When we first starteven want to chase the ATV out the dogs that didn't want to chase

r4r

u5

with dogs that did, but that didn't work either. Finally I built a little corral, about B' x 8' , I put them in there loose, so now I have 10 or 12 dogs just milling around in this corral. If I'm by myself, I back the ATV up to the gate, hook a rope to the back of the ATV connected to the swing gate and when I take off the gate opens. When I did thaf everything started to work. They were focused. That was the key to making it all work. But now that I have a lot of these pointers, they're not as aggresive with other dogs, like the huskies are. I have a lot of these pointers and crossesand I can just turn them loose in the yard, just whistle and they'll follow me out of there.

SDS:

You do this with 10 dogs at a time.

8 or 10, yes. Some people don't actually realize how TS: much difference in speeds there is between some dogs. Some have no probiem running along at 28 mph, yet some of my beiter do gs ca n o nly r un at 22 m Ph. But that's all they have to do once in harness. The important thing is when running them loose, is that you don't

go too fast,you don't go out there and race around ahead of them with the ATV you'll lame them all in no time.

You mean they will SDS: over exertthemselvestrying to keep up with you?

Oh certainly,they'll TS: stove themselvesup just like if you run them too fastin early f all t r aining.T he y th i n k th e y can do it but they're not physically able to.

What we sort through is trying to put them in speed groups. We have 10 or 12 that

Is that because you're worried about breedings?

No, it's iust that they get into pissing matches, their TS: the females, climbing all over them. So we just pestering always run all males together and all females together. When we actually got into starting to train the dogs for stage racing we got them up to running 12 mites free running, which is the farthest we've e ve r we nt f r ee r unning.

So prior to those 12 mile free runs, how far did those SDS: future stage dogs free run?

TS:

5-6 miles.

Now are these woods trails, open fields, dirt roads, SDS: what are your trails like?

We go out of our yard for 200-300yards through the TS: woods, then we are in fields. fust like farmers roads in the fields.

We have water holes every mile. I'm really fortunate about where I live. I've got a real nice neighbor who owns 10,000 acres behind me. It's incredible really - we can run 25 miles out of my yard. And it's real good dirt, easy on their feet. ffi

E$

Fortunately where I'm at, and I probably ran 50 miles TS: this morning - B or 10 grouPs of dogs 5 miles each, we never saw a thing, never crossed a driveway, never saw one animal.

You know a lot of these dogs have been raised here since they were puppies, well they've learned to chase from day one.

Now I've bought a lot of dogs in my career too and alot of them I'm able to convert over but some of the huskies, I never was able to get them in shape by free running, they never figured out how to do that. So those I had to hook them in with a team a little earlier than the others just to get them in shape.

The key to running them loose is trying to get the dogs to run slower than they want to, so you don't injure them. They try to run completely over their ability. I've got 25-30 that are sore right now so they have to learn to back off, they don't have to run at 28-30mph.

SDS: So you don't use a wheel for summer training at alL.

"If there is one thing I can attribute any successto, one maj or thing outside of all those little things you hope to do rigfut,it is the ability to do all that free running with the dogs"

iik" to rrt-r along at 28mph, and another group of dogs that like to run along at 22 rnph. We also always train all females with ali females. I don't train males with females.

SDS:

Now what do you do about wild animals, don't the SDS: dogs catch a scent and chase it.

I built a wheel about 15 TS: 17 yrs ago, just when the AIV's were starting to be used. I might have used it 20 times, but never really had it built righL. This free running is really good, the dogs really love it, they love going in the water, running over through the grass, it is just so good for their head.

I mean I train on the same trail ail year long, out of the same yard, out to the same trail, it is boring, there's no corners, but they never get sour. The loose running is a big part of it, they just love being out there. There is nothing I hate more than having to Put a harness on a dog to run 3 miles. I mean in the Fa1l, they're jumping and screaming to go, wrapping up around you, but by doing this loose running first, they tone down a bit. They also learn that just because another dogs bumps into them, they don't have to turn around and fight. It really tones them down.

Right now we are doing it once every 3 or 4 days.

Then by September I'll separate out what will be the stage racing dogs and take them a little farther. And one thing about free running, you can do it when it is a lot warmer than you can when training them in a team.

SDS:

How warm would vour cut off be?

Well I ran some this week here and it was probably as TS: warm as I've ever done it and it was in the 60's They get in the water holes and cool off. But I prefer to start eariy at 7 in the morning and like to get done by 9 or 10 by then it may be in the 50's.

SDS:

So you do this until the second week in October?

We start off in harness around the 20th of Oct, and in TS: the morning when I start to trairy it is already starting to dip below freezing. So we start them at 3 miles, then go up to 5 miles pretty quickly and work on that for a couple weeks.

SDS: snow?

Is that about as far as you go on dirt, before you get to

TS: Well last year we ran 28 miles on dirt. Last year we had the worst training conditions we've ever had since I've lived here. We had the least amount of snow in 30 yrs. So we were runrfng 28 miles on a 4 wheeler up until the first week in December.

SDS: On {rozen ground with little or no snory woW how did you keep their feet happy?

TS: That didn't bother them, but also in my dog yard, I haul 3/4 crushed stone as footing so they are running on gravel all the time. I never have a problem with pads, if there is anything I have a problem with, which everyone has, it's fissures.

But in a normal year; the first week of November we are on snow. And usually when it comes, it stays.

SDS: So when you are training for your normal open races, 20 mile races, how far do you train them each run? I'm talking about later in the seasory say late December.

that team, anytime in their life that trained 3 days in a row, there probably wasn't a dog in that team that had trained two days in a row that year.

Before that race, I never drove a dog 4 days in a row in my life! The last 6 or 7 years, we've stuck with 1 day on 1 day off. Most teams I see now screw up so bad in the last 2 weeks before the race, they put too on them. Most people -ut'ryirrs are going into the race with their gas tanks half empty, trying to make up for lost time.

I've seen Saunderson doing that for years, (one day ory one day off) and I kept questioning it, but he kept beating us and beating us and beatingus.

Egil on the other hand is an over trainer I think, he tends to run them farther.

SDS:

Really?

TS: He probably had more miles on his dogs when we got to the Rondy this yea1, then we had even after going stage racing!

Buddy StreeperwinningIhe 2004AnchorgeFur Rendezvous

TS: Well with the huskies I say if you trained them about 3/4 distance it was enough. fhe pointers I'd say, have to see a bit more distance, but not a lot of it. 20 milers no problem, but when you start taking them 30 or 40 they have to see it first otherwise their head gets a little weak on them. I stilt think that 99% of people in this sport over train dogs.

SDS: Wow, I think that would be contrary to what most people believe.

TS: I think most of the limited class people start training way too soon. I think the biggest thing that hurts a dog is heat.

There is nothing that can destroy a dog's desire to run hard more than overheating them. It takes an absolute idiot of a dog after he's been overheated, to go out and give 100/o again.

Sooner or later they start to back it off a bit.

SDS: So you're talking about emphasizing high quality vs. high quantity.

TS: Much more high quality. I don't think you need much quantity. The team we took stage racing last year only had 600 miles on them before the race. That whole stage race team last yeaq, with the crappy training we had, there wasn't a dog on

SDS: So h o w did your training let you know how the stage racing dogs would react to the longer distances? I think one of the biggest questions a sprint musher would have going stage racing is "how am I going to slow these dogs down, Photo:MagaliPhilip because they may tucker out after the distance

they are used to"?

TS: Well remember though, that we had raced Yellowknife for the past 4 years, so we had taken them 52 miles and seen what they could do, by doing the Yellowknife runs and doing it wrong most of the times, even though we wory we did it wrong.

Because we were forced into that situation comins from the ONAC, and went there without proper training for it. You know, taking dogs that had only gone 2 -20's and one 30, then all of a sudden, put two 40's on them, then we would run 3- 50's and still win the race.

SDS: When you say you did it wrong, you mean you would have rather put some more longer runs on them before Yellowknife?

TS: Yes, they got too sore, but I know how to pick dogs that could do that kind of racing.

When we went to the stage racing, we had already done the Yellowknife race, which is a tough one. We already had an idea of what dogs could do that sort of stuff. So then we made the decision we were going to do stage racing, we'd run them longer, run them up to 12 miles in the middle of October, and of course we had to put miles on them a little quicker so we were jumping up the increments a lot faster than what we

w

would do for sprint racing. By the first of December we were already up to 25,28 miles.

and train them to go real slow. Like Gilbertson, Loyd was running his dogs 50 miles the first of October!

Now did you run them (stage dogs) slower than you'd SDS: run the sprint dogs at that distance?

SDS:

Yes, when we train sprint we run fairly fast, if the trails TS: are good we are running around 19mph, but the stage team we trained that team 15mph the whole winter.

Were you SDS: looking to build a specific pace into them?

But probably at 12 mph.

More like 8 mplu it would take them 5 hrs. Most of TS: thosedistanceguys, their just too slow They don't have dogs that have enough athleticism I think. They have no idea what speedis. *.

#

,..::ui

is&

TS: WeLl, we were looking at a 15mph pace, heck we found out that was 5mph too fast! In the stage race, we were avg 9,10mph.

So I don't think that helped. I think this year I'II train them a little slower. and that would keep more dogs in the game for one thing. We started with 26 - 28 dogs for the stage team and it got cut down to 20 real quick. Training at 12 mph, they could have hung in there longer and still been ok.

A common SDS: thing that happens Photo:John Gomes with sprint dogs, and The Streeperdogs keep a tight ganglineat the AnchorageFur Rendezvouz2OO4 I've discussed this a We all know this and we've all heard this a million lot with other sprint racers, you try to slow them dowry and times: You can take a fast dog and make it go slow, bui if you give them a break during training by using a mat on the sled, or take a dog that can't run fast, there is no way you are going to the brake on the AIV, and they tend to just work harder, and get Li-,,^ rrur uy. ryEsu --^^l more tired.

Right, which will happen a lot of times. This group of TS: dogs, having had done Yellowknife and everything, it doesn't take long, a couple of runs, for them to settle down to the slower pace.

When we went to the stage race last year, we had 3 or 4 28 milers, 2 - 32m1lers, and 2- 43's, and that was it for long training.

How do you think the long distance guys like Swingley SDS: trained for the stage race, as it is really a stepping stone for them to the Iditarod?

Well Swingtey is a really good dog Persory even though TS: he is a little bit arroganf and likes to talk all the time, I mean he's got some really good dogs. Most of the guys who come from distance, have no idea what speed is. They think 1'2 rnph, is fast. Honestly.

SDS:

Do you think their training methods are different?

TS:

They're way different, they bulk the hell out of them

ffi gg

SDS:

But you can toughen up a faster dog?

TS: Not all of them, not every dog that runs the North American is going to run the Iditarod. And there are some dogs that run the Iditarod, that can run the North American, but there are more dogs that run the North American that will fit into an Iditarod team than vice versa.

Just because you slow them down doesn't necesarily mean they are going to be tough though. Most of the guys who are coming out of the mid-distance, and distance stuff train too slow (for stage racing).

Do you think that will change, once people know how SDS: you trained, and won?

They probably will anyway. You know people always TS: think your not telling the truth.....I said early in this sport that I'm going to tell the truth, you know, because it is easier to remember.

continued on pflge 24...

wwwffi ffi&wwffiMffiwffiff europeans likely to do well by helenlundberg Gettingready for racingthis winter?

won the gold medalin the unllmitedclasssprintin Todtmoos 2003 and he has plannedfor years for his start at the WC 2005. "ln 2003 we had a litter especiallyfor the WC 2005.As you can see we have been focusedfor a long time on the racing season2005.We kept all of the dogs in that litter,10, and they were all lookinggreat last winter.I think that nearlyall of them will be a big helpfor my team this year." I ask Klausif

That is what severalmushersin Europeare doing and have beenfor quitesome time.The reasonis that this seasonwill be a lot differentfor many of them, comparedto a normal racing season.Why, becausethey will be travelingover to Canadaand the U.S.wherethey will participatein the IFSS WorldChampionships.

IFSS,International Federationof Sled Dog SportsorganizesWorldChampionship in -:bI : .'\ ! pulka,skijoring,sled sprintand mid distance everyotheryear.And 2005 the championship1,.,.'ii, will be held in Dawson City,Canadafor a..,,t''t"' pulka,skijoringand sled sprint,and in Oregon,U.S.for 6 & 12 dog mid-distance in conjuntionwith the ATTA BOY 300.

i::,,.q '1:

l:i igt{ r,r,ii:.

q"r

,,,::iiti:t, 1

&q q.'l

The WorldChampionship 2005 will be the 11thtime IFSS organizesa WC. And every time the championship is held in U.S. it acts like a magneton the Europeanmushers.To get a chanceto race "over here" is a dream come true for almosteverymusherin Europe.Two yearsago, 2003,the IFSS WorldChampionship was held in Todtmoos, Germany.And only a few mushersfrom U.S. and Canadashowedup. Actuallynone In the sled dog classesor the pulkaand just a few in the skijoringclasses.But in 2005 it will be somethingelse,championswill come to try and defendtheirtitlesand many challenger teams will try to take new titles.

:i:ri .

r::ti:i:, .'.'.:l:

;$ r l,ll l, .j.

$:i

KlausStarflinger (Unlimited ClassChamp)in actionat Todtmoos WC2003

KlausStarflingerlivesin southernGermanywherehe and his wife and theirdogs enjoya warm and sunnysummer.Klaus

he has made any changes in his team from 2003? "l still have all the dogs that I raced wilh when I won the gold in Todtmoos,but some of my dogs are seven years old now and

yeorsof PuflingPower ZTMA Harnesses:the originofx-back--5O

._*-i %

/

Modeexcfusively ot

ADANAC SLEDS & EQUIPMENT PAM&JA1KBECK5TROM SrcdsEEeri; www.odonocsleds.com or odonoc@odqnocsleds.com

P.o. Box 76, olney, MT 59927, phone:406-881-2909,f ax 406-88r-2908 NeWlfr,retal sle.ddog art designs in addition to being your one stop for complete sleds a n d e q u i p me n t n e e d s! C all, e- mail or visit our website for infor matio n.

I think a lew will have problemsto keep up with the speed for this season. But Nova, my main leader,still looks good and I also have a four year old Mike-sonthat I have preparedfor the race in DawsonCity. His name is Carlo and I think he will be in lead in all the importantraces." How many dogs will you bring with you to Alaska? "We plan to come with around25 dogs." How will you prepareyour leam for this comingseason? "We siarted last year with the young ones in Gafsele, Sweden,only with open teamsand this seasonour new win' ter camp is ready in Ga{seleand will provideus with the best We will go conditionsto preparefor the WorldChampionship. earlierthis fall to Swedenand our wintertrainingcamp,this will give us a chanceto train longerdistancesand hopefully

on early snow."

What is your goal at the WC in DawsonCity? "Sincethe title in 2003 we had the goal to take part in the next WC with a betterand a more uniformteam to be able to have more speedin them than you needfor the trailsin Germany.We hope to be competitivefor a medal." Who do you considerto be your toughestcompetitorat the IFSSWC? "EgilEllisand Buddy Streeper,but it's always more difficultto race at another continentand we have to try to preparethe team for the

conditionswe expecl to meet. So we are happy if we can build up a good team for Alaska and Canada" Klaus has been racing before in Alaska and I ask him i{ he plans to competein any other race than the IFSS World Championshipwhen he comes over to U.S.? "Of course,we want to start in the StanleyDayo Open in Manley,and hopefullysome more races. I don't know if I will have enough dogs for the ONAC, but we will see." To travel from Germanyover to Alaska is a logislicchallengebut Klaushas made this trip beforeso he knows how to prepare{or the long travel.He will fly out from Frankfurtwith LufthansaCargo with destinationFairbanks Alaska. "l hopewe can rent a good dog-truckin Fairbanksfor the drive to DawsonCity. But so far we have got no information from IFSSwhen it comesto lodgingetc in Dawson.lts not easy to travel with such a big team and we feel a littlesad to know morewouldhave aboutthe lack of information, plan to ahead." us helped The 8-dog class sprint is alwaysa very competitivechallenge and in Todtmoosthere were severalvery fast teams goinglor the gold. But after three days of racingthe fastestteam came from Sweden,Lena Westas Havimdkiwon the gold medaloutrunningall her competitors.Lena has neverbeen racingin th U.S. before,but she will come to DawsonCity and the IFSS WC to deJendher title. "l'll bringmy 11 best dogswith me" says Lena. "l knowthat the competitionwill be tough'both from U.S.teamsand from Europeanteams." Lena has been one oJthe mostsuccessfulmushersin Swedenand Europe for severalyears in the 8-dog class and she has a lot of racing experience."l have neverhad more than 16 dogs in training in eadieryears,and this fall I will only have a groupof 14 dogs.Includedin this groupare also six very promising youngerdogs.Out of these 14 | will pick out my WCteam."

Lenasdogs are all houndcrosses. I ask her how she preparesher team for this very specialseason? "l give my dogs the best possiblecare. I want them to be happy,healthyand well preparedand trainedbeforethe racingseason starts.

This year I want to train my team earlyon snow,and that meansthat I will have to travel north in Swedento get the Where I live in mid Swedenwe can'texpect best conditions. any snow untilafterChristmas."Lena also tellsme that she will try to start in as many races as possiblein both Sweden and Norwaybeforeshe takes off to the IFSS WC, just to get the dogs ready for the big race. "When it comes to my self, I will also need to be well preparedboth mentallyand physically" she says.

ffiffiffif ffiwwffiwww Uniquefeqlures:

SPI.IT IIAIIDIEBAR lor erlremesleerirg

TOTD DOWIIBAG

lorqukklooding

STEERIIIG CABTE

generolion odvoaced design serond lor 6rnerirowithoullooseness

wffi ffiwffiffiw_wmffi ffiwffi $ffi w_w"a

It is quite a long travel to get from Swedento DawsonCity but Lena has it all planned. "We will ship the dogs with LufthansaCargofrom Gothenburg,Sweden,with a direct flightto Fairbanks, Alaska.For the flightwe havespecially builtdog-boxesthat will fit on the palletas well as on the bed of a pick up truck.This makesit easierbecausethen we don't need to rent a dog-truckwhen we arrive in Fairbanks,we will be fine with a normalpick up. lf everythinggoes as plannedI will stad in the LimitedNorth AmericanChampionship and than travelto DawsonCity and the WorldChampionship.

I also wouldliketo raceat the Tok Race of ChampionsbeforeI go back home to Sweden"Lenasays. "lt'sa dreamcomingtrue for me, racing in Alaska.As long as I have been a musherI have heard lots of storiesabout dogs and mushers"over there," finally I will be able to see it with my own eyes. To race with my own team in Alaska will be the peak of my life as a musher!"

"ll I come to the WorldChampionshipsin Canadait will be with one dog and my skis and I will only participatein the skijoringevent"" Lena BoysenHillestadhas an impressivelong line of wins at earlierWorldChampionships.

5 gold medals 1994,97,99,01and 2003.She has alsobeenvery successful in pulkaand skijoring.And she is not readyto give up the skijoring."l have two very fast dogs and a promisingyearling,so I will keep on racingwith them.

Teamsfrom Norwayand Swedendominatedin the pulka and skijoringstyle of racingat the IFSS WC 2003 in Todtmoos,Germany.But are they planningto defendtheir medalsin DawsonCity? (please turn to page 27)

GiuseppeBombardieri, ltaly,had the fastest6 dog team at the IFSSWC 2003 in Todtmoos.His dreamis also to come to DawsonCity and defendhis gold medal."But I don't know if it will be happening," he tells me. "lt is quit expensive to travelwith dogs and equipmentto U.S from ltalyand rightnow I don't have enoughmoneyfor the trip,"Giuseppe says. Maybetherewill be an opening.Giuseppehas not givenup his plansyet about participating in the IFSSWC 2005. "Oh no, if everythingworks out there is a chanceof a new sponsorfor the ltalianteam and that would make a big difference.That would make it possiblefor me and my dogsto come to Alaska." With his team of houndcrosses Giuseppehas been in the top of 6-dogsprintmushingfor severalyears in Europeand of course he wants to defend his gold medaland once againshow that he has the worlds fastest6 dog team.

So, it looks like pretty good chancesthat we will see at least three defendingchampionson the start line in Dawson City and the IFSSWorldChampionship.

But thereis one familiarface we won't see for sure.

Lena BoysenHillestad,Norway,has dominatedthe 4-dog classsprintracingfor years,both in Europeand worldwide but now it looks like her sled dog careerhas come to an end. "l have made up my mind when it comesto sled dog racing and actuallyI have even sold my sled,"Lena tells me on the phonewhen I asked about defendingher title in DawsonCity.

the original therapeutic shoulder vests BOOTIES HARNESSES COLLARS LEGWARMERS BLANKETS WRISTWRAPS AMERICANEXPRESS YIS/

COATS SAFETY CAPES SKIJOR EQUIP. GANGLINES: CABLEFILLED, POLYETHYLENE

MASTERCARDDISCOVER

JOHN OSMOND& AMY DUGAN PO BOX 54 - BLANCHARDRD - SHIRLEY,ME TEUFAX 207-695-3754 1-800-DOG-BOOT PLEASEVISIT US AT WWWMTNRIDGE.COM EMAIL: INFO@MTNRIDGE.COM

Mercha nd ise un ique t o t he M us hing Com m unity

foy's

SledDog Photos GIFTS for your favoritemusher for any occasion Visit the "Mush Mart" at: http:l /homepage.mac.comljoygreen

ww

f.:

rl: Canines Feedfor SledDogsandotherWorking Performance

ffiwWffiwm

ffiwpww& ffiffiwfu

feedformulatedespeciallyfor sled f.: Performance dogsandotherworkingcanines

NorthernOntarioSledDog Club: CfaudeAumont,Presidentreporting:

probiotics to helprestoreand maintain f Contains tract properbacterial balancein the digestive

The NOSDC board is in thoughtsright now in regardsto how we couldmake our circuitbiggerand better.lt was suggested by a board memberto hold an early (pot) race just before Christmas,and then to have our 4 racesthrough February and earlyMarch.Thesediscussionsare ongoing.Anybody who has ever raced in NorthernOntarioknows the qualityof a lot of helpfrom Mother trailthat our club can produce...with Natureof course!

Becauseof the low populationbase, it's always difficultto raisethe funds from sponsorsfor the purse,to draw teams Jromnear and far.We have had a Springmeeting,wheerewe discussedpotentialideas,and will be tryingto discussit furtherwith hostcommunitiesbeforethe Fall. StayTunedas thesetalksare surelynot finalized.

Otherthan that,our club is extremelyproudof our champion Lou Serrefor his ISDRAGold medalll

[: Highin Omega3 andOmega6 fattyacids and f.: Multipleproteinsourcesprovidea complete sourceof aminoacids balanced )3 Selectcombination of fatsandoilsprovidea sourceof fattyacids. andbalanced complete

NewAdditionsto the RedpawTeam of newmembers Redpawis proudto announce the Redpawteam:EddyStreeperand family, TerryandBuddyStreeper,as wellas William Kleedehn, willbe joiningKenAnderson The newadditions and GwenHoldmannin ourteamof partners. professional LikeKenandGwen,they in ourfeedtestingprogram. willparticipate provideRedpawFeedwith Thesepartnerships venuein whichto continually an excellent of our productsin monitorthe perforrnance kennels.Theywill alsoparticipate cutting-edge of new products in researchand development as well as h9l.npromotegoodwilland improve th esp o r tor Mushing. their Redpawis eagerlyanticipating contribuiion, especiallyin relationto racing sprintsleddogs"Ourgoalsat Redpawareto meetthe needsof the musherand the Streepers willprovidegreatinsightintothe needsof the our' sprintdriver.Williamwillfurtherstrengthen program. distance newest is alsoRedpaw's The EddyStreeper WesternMinnesota. dealer,servicing

Toll-Free B88-700-5681 pawfeed.com : http:/lwww.red Webpage

wffi

AlaskaDog Musher'sAssociation Dave Partee,PresidentrePorting: The AlaskaDog MushersAssociationis hostingthe 17th Sled Dog Symposiumand tradefair in annualInternational Our keynotespeakerthis Alaska,October8th-1Oth. Fairbanks, year is CherylS. Smith,expertdog trainerand nutritionist.

Hans OtherspeakersincludeJeff King,John Schandelmeier, Gatt,CurtisErhart,Egil Ellis,Wes Rau,ArleighReynolds,and more. Programand registrationinformationis on our website at sleddog.org.This Marchwill be the 60th runningof the the oldestcontinuously Open NorthAmericanChampionship, run sled dog race in the world.Our other |SDRA-sanctioned races,startingin February,includethe Gold championship and the LimitedNorth Run, NorthPoleChampionships, Our seasongets underwaywith the AmericanChampionships.

AnnamaetChallengeSeries,beginningDecemberSth.For the completeschedulewith distancesand classes,visit sleddog.org.

Great Lakes Sled Dog Association

GeorgeLewis reporting: GLSDAhas a seriesof 5 sprintracesplannedfor 2005,with the first kickingoff on Jan 1st & 2nd in Kalkaska,Kinrossthe 8th and 9th, East Jordan the 22nd & 23rd, MackinawMush on Februarysth & 6th, and Kinross#2 on February26th &271h.

"Golfinghas gone to the dogs"is a golf outingto be heldon Octover 16th to raise money for the GLSDA race in Kalkaska.

It is an 18 holescrambleand the $50 entryfee includesa bufet as well as the golfing. Proceedswill go towardsthe purse.The KalkaskaWinter Fest is the largestsprint race in the U.S.,and is scheduledfor January15th& 'l6th 2005.

Althoughthis race is not a GLSDArace,many club members, attendit as well as GLSDAlendinga hand in the organization.

Ww& &kw&k; Fatty Acids: What's in an omega?

Joe Wakshlag MS, DVM As a prelude to this column I will have to start with a bit of a disclaimer: I am first and foremost a veterinarian.

Though I have a kennel of huskies my contributions will defi_ nitely be from a veterinary angle, in hopes of explaining how certain disease processes,nutrients, supplements and medica_ tions affect dogs in generaf with special emphasis on what that may mean to the dog-man/woman. This forum is by no means the absolute truth, because medical sciences are as much art as science, and much of what will be written is based on the ,,sci_ ence", which in the dog may not be well delineated and needs further investigation. I hope that the contributions that myself and others will make to this column can provide insight a; to how we feed, supplement, medically treat, care fo4 and breed our dogs, hoping to achieve the healthiest canine companions possible.

With that said, the questions often comes up: ,,What do omega 3 fatty acids matter to sled dogs?" ,,Can they really benefit oui dogs?" Is there any evidence to say it will help the dogs run faste4, longel, recover better or increase their ricing lives?

Whatis in an omegafattyacid?

As many have said before "not all fats,, are created equal. Fats fall into 3 major classifications - the saturated fats, the monounsaturated fats and the poly-unsaturated fats. All of these fats can vary in their length from 12-24 carbon atom chains bound together by a single wire, like beads on a chain. The monounsaturated fats will have a bond between two of the carbon atoms that is linked by two bonds, or wires if you wilt. These double bonds usually add a certain amount oistructural inteerity to the carbon chain and form ,,kinks,, in the chain. These diuble bonds increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acids, up to 6 depending on how long the carbon chain is. This is where the omega 3 vs. omega 6 classification comes in. If my first double bond is 6 carbons away from the end of my chain it is an omega 6 fatty.acid, while if my first double bond is 3 carbons away from the end of the chain it is an omega 3 fatty acid, which results in what that particular fatty acid can become during metabo lism.

Eachand everycell: When we think of fats, we think of energy, which all fats have the ability to become. But every single cell in a dog,s body has a membrane which is primarily composed of the fats they eat and synthesize. Therefore, these cell membranes have saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in them. The ones we will be discussing are 18 carbons long or greater which are integrated into cell membranes and can be lengthened by cellu_ lar enzyme machinery (adding more carbons ur-ra/o. aoutte bonds).

During normal cellular metabolism and during times of stress, trauma or inflammation these fatty acids can be released in excess from the membrane to form bio-active molecules. The omega 6 fatty acids, particularly the 20 carbon fatty acid arachadonic acid (ARA) can be released to form 2 series prostaglandins or 4 series leukotrienes. On the flip side, the omega 3 equivalent to 20 carbon arachadonic acid is eicosapen_ taenoic acid (EPA), which if released forms the 3 series prostaglandins or the 5 series leukotrienes. All of these fat derived molecules are called eicosanoids, with the end result being lipid mediators that are either pro-inflammatory from the omega 6 pathway, or neutral or anti-inflammatory omega 3 pathway. An easy way to visualize this is through folloiwing this sequence: Omega 6: Linoleic.Acid (LA) t Arachadonic Acid (ARA) + pro-inflammation Omega 3: Alpha Linolenic acid (ALA) + Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EpA) + inert or anti-inflammato_ ry. In general, these fatty acids can be found in high concentra_ tions in various oils. The omega 6 fatty acid linoleic acid can be found primarily in plant derived oils, while arachadonic acid can be found in terrestrial mammal meats. Omega 3 fatty acids, alpha linolenic acid can be found in flaxseed oil and canola oil, while EPA is found primarily in cold water marine oils.

Medicallyspeaking: The omega 3 fatty acids have been touted as preventative medicine for many diseases in human medicine iniluding cancer and heart disease, and for the treatment of conditions mediated through inflammation such as arthritis, allergies, and kidney disease. In dogs there is sufficient evidence to show that increasing omega 3 fatty acids in the diet will decrease the pro_ inflammatory eicosanoids by giving fish oil which is rich in the omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EpA) and docosa_ hexaenoic acid (DHA), an even longer fatty acid that acts much like EPA. Skin inflammation may also respond to vegetable oils that are rich in linoleic acid, an omega 6 fitty acid, since the 1g carbon linoleic acid (LA) cannot be turned into a 20 carbon fatty acid, thereby preventing ARA from ever being formed. This may not be the case for other diseases which ire responsive to omega 3 fatty acids including kidney disease or arthritis, where marine source oils rich in EPA and DHA may be necessary to get the full effect of anti-inflammation and blood flow charrges.

Balancing the dietfor omega3 content: Let's say that you have an older dog who appears stiff and pos_ sibly arthritic and you are looking to increaie the omega 3 con_ tent in the diet. You are feeding a quality chicken based klbble with a typical 32/o protein 20/o fat mix and are adding meat to increase the protein and fat content, so the dog is getting about 2 cups of kibble (220grams) plus 1 pound of raw ground beef.

xffi

When looking at the table to the right it is obvious that any oil you add with a ratio of greater than B:1 (see wheat germ oil and corn oil on the table!) will not lower the omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio. Changing the ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 is the goal in this situation, which means you are stuck using oils that have lower ratios than your kibble. Good examples of this are canola oil (2:1), flaxseed oil (1:3), and fish oil (1:9). In general meats are low in polyunsaturated fats and chicken and pork will have higher ratios (16:1) than beef and lamb (6:1), but overall meats will not shift the omega 6 or omega 3 intake too dramatically. This is easier to see when examining the table above showing that the omegas will be coming from the kibble, and the meat is somewhat negligible when trying to alter the ratio of omega fat intake.

One may ask: Well if omega 3's are so great why not give all omega 3 and little to no omega 6? Well, the problem is that if you give too much omega 3 and omega 6 decreasesin the cell membranes then theoretically you can start to shut down these omega 6 eicosanoids. These eicosanoids are made at low levels in tissue for a reasory which is to maintain normal tissue function (i.e. gastrointestinal health), and during times of damage and inflammation they can be made in excess. It is this excessive production during inflammation which we are trying to quench with omega 3 fatty acids. In sled dogs a theoretical concern may be that increased omega 3 content in the diet can cause Iess vitamin E to integrate into cell membranes when the ratio of omega 6:3 reaches about 1:1. Vitamin E status in cells may be linked to exertional rhabdomyolysis, which is the primary reason most dog drivers supplement vitamin E to distance dogs.

So in the end it is much like anything else we put into our dogs bodies, there is a limit, and balance is the key. In my opinion as a veterinarian somewhere between a 2:1 to 1:1 ratio is as low as

Omega 3 (gnns)

Feed

Ornega 6 (grarnt

Omega 6:3ratio

QualityKibble2 cups

1.1

1.0

'l.7:1

fat) * 1bEeef(25%

2.0

0.36

I 5.5:

Whea.t GermOil

7.7

1.0

1.11

CornOil

7.0

0.1

70:l

Canola oil I tbsp

5.6

2,8

2 :l

Natural tishoii 1tbsp

0.6

5,6

1 :9 .3

Xi bble/beef/canoIa oil

14.2

4.26

3,3:l

Kibbldbeef/fishoil

9.1

6.9

1.4:]

one should go when suppiementing omega 3 fatty acids.

What aboutmy sled dog?

The question that we all really want to know is how will balancing fatty acids benefit our sled dogs, or any dog for that matter?

The answer lies in the intangibles. Think of it this way, if I am worried about joint problems, injuries, or chronic inflammatory disease like allergies, if I have a good omega 6 to 3 ratio I will be blunting the clinical signs the best that I can. The appropriate amount of omega 6 to omega 3 is somewhere between 6:1 or 1:1 ratio. Many quality foods will iist the amounts on the bag under the guaranteed analysis. The chart on above shows some examples of balancing acts with some pdnciples to keep in mind.

Will they make your dog run fasteq, pull harde{, run longer? No. .. probably not. But you may gain piece of mind knowing

2OO4InternationalSledDog Symposium Alaska October8 - 10,PioneerParlcFairbanks, Keynote speakerCheryl S. Smith, expert in dog training & nutrition, will present, "How to Be Chicken about Training or, What You Can Learn from a Dumb Bird."

Other featured speakersinclude: VeterinariansJean Battig, Jeanne Maddux, Jeanne Olson, & Arteigh Reynolds o Veterinary Physical TherapistWesRau . ChampionmushersEgil Etlis,Curtis Erhart, Jeff King, John Schandelmeier,Mitch Seavey,and ZackSteer. and more...

Presentationsfor everyone interested in sled dogs: Mushing 101: Harnessfit &selection . Mushing201:Do-it-yoursel{. Distancemushing strategies. Sprint mushingstrategies. Physiologyof human & canine conditioning. Comparingsled designs& constructiono and more...

Don't forget the trade fair and fundraisingouction!

The Comfort Inn is offeringa special rate of S65/night+ tax for participants.

Convenientlylocatedbehind Pioneer Park,theComfort Inn is dog-friendly and providesa complimentarydeluxe reservea continentalbreakfast.To room at the 2004 SledDog Symposium rate,call 907/479-8080.

Advanceregistrationis $40/personif postmarkedby September24.

Sign up earlyto savemoney!

S peakers& sessi onssubj ec tto c hange.

continueil from preaious page:

De.wnEast S l ed Do g Club

you are applying a little bit of preventative medicine for when those problems of chronic inflammation arise.

DOG & EQUIPMENT AUCTIO'VS

2004 T'rade Fair'& Seminar OctoberBth,gth,& 1Oth.OxfordCty. Fairgrounds,Route26 Oxford,Maine

Featuring:

Minnesota- 7th annualauction StreeperRanch.

Saturday9/25/0411am.

tsrAd/d/y Stroetpar

Freecamping, foodstand,musicandfun. bonfires,

Maine- DownEastFallSeminar 'l0l9l04Sat. Night Don'tmissthisgreatopportunity to buya dogthatwillhelpyourteamand breedingprogram.

''STAY IN THE RACE'' Thesedogs wiil takc you into the future.

They are whii wc will be usins this racinsvear.

Ed and Amy celebrate50 yearsoYcombined"tiainins and racing,and arc the onlv activecouplein the spoit today to"havcboth won the Open North Ameriian - Championships in Fairbanks,AK.

Frompuppiesand startedyearlings ta adults. Dogs from our multi-generatians of provenlinesmixedwiththe bestpointer linestoday- German,Englistt,Ellis,etc.

For more informatiory guestions or io buv a do before the auction and have it broueht with ds out call 218-573-3993or email: strEeper@eot.com website: www.fastestreeperk-ennel.com

Buddyhaswon21 straightmalorraces acrossthe lower48, Canda,andAlaska alsofeaturino:

Jdnys

KaYine)ty

winnersof 2004Beargrease Marathon See presentations on a wide arrayof topicsfrom getting staftedin mushingto makingyour own gang lines,thereis somethingfor everyone: TellingtonTouch CanineEye Diseases& Eye clinic Red Cross Pet First Aid Certificatron much, much more, Stayfor thefamous"FastEddy"Auctionon SaturdayNight andgetyour opportunityto purchase greafdogs& equipment.

Plus: IFSS accreditedDrylandRaces: Bikejoring,Canicross,Rig Races endors, raffl es, w orkshops, pot l uck supper Sat . eve.

For more i nformati onsee w w w .desdc. or oor K athy P i ckett at 207-539-4324 , e: nooksack@meoal i nk.com

ALPINEOUTFITTERS CompleteSled Dog Supplies www.a I pi neoutf itters. net C u s to m H arnesses - C abl e and R ope Gangl i nes - S l eds - C arts S c o o te r L i n e s - C ol l ars - QC R pl asti cs - D og Jackets - A l gyval - S ki j oring P a c k s - Freeze D ri ed R ace D i et - l mpact, Gl ycoGharge S now hooks,Y anZyl e art - and more.....

PO Box 1728 Marysville, WA 98270 Phone/Fax(360) 659-3900

ee$wxmmww &Kmw and the living is easytt How do they do it? Coming across the finish line on the third day - after averaging almost 20 mph for 30 each day, how can 12 dogs stitl be pulling strongly, tugs all tight, and in unison? How can a team from a relatively small kennel win the ONAC on it's 2nd try, and continue to dominate and win 5 out of 6 subsequent ONAC titles? How can a team that has never run a stage race, win both major stage races in the U.S., besting the top level distance racing competition entered? What allows a team to win what is, arguably the most grueling race on the planet, The Yukon Quest, 3 times in a row?

Well we all know there realiy aren't many "secrets" to training sled dogs.

For the most part we get out of it what we put into it. Mentally huppy, well fed, physically capable, well conditioned dogs win races. There are a lot of us that look at the "off season" as a time to enjoy other hobbies, keep the grass on the lawn lower than the weeds and generally re-charge our batteries. There are some that look at the summer months as the start to a training and conditioning regimen for themselves and their dogs that will propel them to record breaking achievements. Over the years, after talking to many top racers in search of their training secrets, one common denominator that has come to the surface is that most or all of them have a summer training plan. There are some as elaborate as building specialized swim pools for their dogs, and there are some that require little more than a walk through the woods with their ArleighReynolds' pool dogs running around them. I've talked to some of today's top mushers to find out what they do with their dogs in the "off season". The following is what transpired.

Arleigh Reynolds DVM Salcha,Alaska Open ClassSprint "This summer we are trying a three step approach to off season conditioning. We are trying to accomplish 3 goals: 1. Maintain cardiovascular fitness 2. Cross train to broaden muscle group recruitment and hopefully "re-balance" muscle structure to prevent injuries once formal training begins 3. Increase and improve contact with the dogs to enhance my relationship with them and keep them stimulated and hupPy during the off season.

To accomplish this we are using the wheel, free running and swimming in a rotating schedule. Each does something different for the dogs and the rotation decreases monotony for me dfr

Im

and them.

The swimming is fantastic cardiovascular work with no impact. This allows maintenance or even improvement of conditioning without wear and tear on joints. A canine rehab specialist once said one minute of swimming is worth 4 minutes of running. When our dogs runs in a race their pulse at the end is generally 160-180bpm, after a 20 minute swim it is usually 180210 bpm. Swimming recruits all muscle groups and does so in a balanced way without building muscle MASS.

Look at Otympic swimmers, they are well muscled but not bulky and they are very flexible. I think this kind of work wiil help our dogs "re-balance themselves after a season where they often run on one side of the line. I know when I rowed crew Starboard rowers were much larger on the right side of their body and ports on their left. This often led to injuries on the offside due to an imbalance of the strength of the muscles between the right and ieft sides of the back. It takes a while for the dogs to become comfortable swimming but of the 40 we are swimming this summer only 3 have had trouble adapting. We are acclimating our pups to the pool at 10 weeks and this is going very well so I don't anticipate any problems next year.

The wheel work is similar to long slow distance work used by human competitive endurance athletes. It builds oxygen transport and fat metabolism pathways and does so in a relatively low impact manPhotos:Kriya Dunlap ner. The idea is to run longer than you would normallv run at a much lower intensity. This type of training is also good for their minds as it makes them comfortable running for longer times than the are used to while staying well within their comfort range (i.e., they don't have lactic acid build up or get stiff, sore or painful during the run). As monotonous as it seems to us to trot in a circle for 2-3 hours at a time they love it and I think it actually builds attitude.

We generally run20-25 miles per session on the wheel. I remember Harris Dunlap once said that when he used the wheel to maintain conditioning during periods of poor weather he thought the dogs lost conditioning if he did not run at least 2 hours which would translate to about 14-16 miles.

Terry Streeper is the worlds expert on free running so I would defer most comments on that to him. I can tell you that it does make the dogs very happy and it is fun to see them stretch out and run at speeds you'll never see in harness. I think it does help make them learn their gaits better and learn how to run fast over different terrain.

Nothing takes the place of actual hooking up dogs to prepare them for racing but I think this cross training may help keep them from de-training in the off season and help maintain a

close bond with the dogs in the off season. I know for example Olympic caliber cross country skiers will cross train in the off season to balance their muscling, maintain fitness, and prevent burnout. Having the three options we use helps accomplish these goals and allows us to be flexible if the weather is too hot (i.e., to wheel or free run) or too cold (i.e., to swim) for any one activity. This is a work in progress and it will likely take a couple of seasons to refine these concepts and to evaluate the effect they have on race performance, which is of course the ultimate test of their worth."

Eddy Streeper Osage,Minnesota Open ClassSprint SDS: Eddy,when is your last snow run on a sled?

ES: Our last snow runs are usually the end of March early April, if weathercooperates.And it also dependson what races I'm at in March.

swimming equals 4 minutes of running for a dog.

SDS: What is the temperature of the water?

ES: I have never tested the water other than with my hand, and it feels cool, approximately air temperature, not cold.

SDS: Do the dogs "bully"

each other in the pool?

ES: There are a few that push their way around in the pool, a few that will try to climb up on the back of a slower swimmer, we make them let go immediately.

SDS: So they are not tethered in the pool?

ES: Our dogs free swim, not tied or connected. I am working on setting up a wheel for controlled directional swimming in the pool.

SDS: Cool, I'd love to see that!

How many dogs are you swimming?

SDS: How late in the Spring do you ATV train after that?

ES: We run dogs for 2 months after that, pups and older dogs all run.

SDS: After their last run in harness, what do you do with them over the Summer to keep ihe dogs iin shape?

ES:

Free ru nn ing a nd s wim m ing.

SDS: You are one of the first mushers to st art syste maticallyswim m ing y our dogs, how did you get the idea to get the pool, and swim your dogs in a structured manner?

ES: I have been thinking about swimming of sorts for many, many years. I was always wondering how I could utiEddv Streeperin actionaI Frazee.MN 2004 Photo:Joy Green lize the lake we live ory but there is a public road in between the dog lot and ES: We swim approximately 8 adults at a time, and we have the lake. Therefore I was always afraid to run the dogs across had up to 12 adults in at once. the road to the lake, and hauling them in a dog box would be too hot for them. I realized a smaller home made r:ool o{ sorts SDS: Do you think that swimming builds muscle that is more could and should work. It does. like speed, or flatter muscle, or does it build bulkier muscle more like heavy ATV work?

SDS: Can you describe the "pooI"?

ES: Our pool is a fiberglass fish raising tank, 8000 gallons when full. We put about 6500-7000 gallons in it to keep a tip around the edge so the dogs can't climb out too easily. It's 16.5 feet across and 7 feet deep in the center. It has a 4 foot flat edge and.a conical shape to the deepest part in the center on the bot-

SDS: How long do they swim for?

ES: The dogs start at 3-4 minutes then step up to 6-8 minutes, then up to 15 minutes max. I heard that some swimming tests were done in a structured tested environment and 1 minute of

ES: Their muscle seems flatter and not that bulky from swimming, but we only got them up to 15 minutes last Summer.

SDS: Have you measured their heart rate after swimming?

ES: Their heart rates are at 180-210beats per minutes after swimming, same dogs are approximately 160 from running.

SDS: After a swimming workout have you measured their body temps?

ES:

Haven't done temos vet.

xw

rl

l

:.;s i 1&

ds

Photo:HeathSandall Egi|E||ison hisway t on|s f i{ t hwinins ix y ear s int he 2 0 0 4 o p e n N o r t h A m e r i c a n c h a m p i o n s h i p r a c e

g in the Yard training' really it is more like PlaYing" EglEui' the group you swam SDS: Could you noticelessinjuries from year? last vs. the gro.tp ihut didn't swim the first couple' ES: We normally have very few injuries dogs we took them the months of FalI training, but #imming know if the swimdon't I condition' ir-rioeufi training in belter miles' and running 400 after Xmas by ;i;g i; stiii heliing months out of the Pool'

Egil Ellis Willow AK Open ClassSPrint in August this year' At I'#,it sooke with Egil Ellis via telephone early hadn't rained in a it dry' and (for Alaska) ii *"Jhot " hadto water down the couple of weeks.To keep dust d'ownEgil of the dust' k"eill ,"h"r-, h" iet the dogs ioosebeacuase open class-sprint in mark the the musher w"hosets U"a"""*a, was very forthand his with on schedule Program ;;;;"t -.Jtit methods' training *"'rn"t hi' about information with and I was all ears. year?

SDS: When is your last run in harnesseach

4ffi

ffiffi

main race dogs are laid EE: For the most part after Tok' the training pups for.a home at runs .ff. W" may have u f"* ^o'" for "in the team" off laid less or more are i"* *""tr, tut they

i;;t#g.'il

L"p iu the dogsgoingby freerunningaround.the April' that foi aboutan iou"r at i tim" euchday' By

"fi"t "".J kind ;;;*

dogs' of tired of sled runs, and so are the

cut the dogs loose in?

SDS: How big is your yard that you E E : I t h i n k i t i s a b o u t 2 a c r e s , a n d i n s i d . e t h a tya r d i sw h e r e the walker is. also?

SDS : The kennel is inside that yard EE:

No the kennel is outside that yard'

around loose for So in the Spring, the dogs get to run SD: wheel during training your use you ao about an ho.,r each aiy, this period? the loose running No' The race dogs have off except for EE: just relaxing time for is utd liuy llne'.tt lr-, in" yu.a, for April, The loose running in-the them to iaze around und te bored' An d th e n u su a l l yb y th e vard sets the worst enerSyoutof them. wi th th e w a l Ke r ' I o o n r s t d r t w e il"gi#ing of July,[hat is when

consider the loose running in the yard training really, it is more Iike playing.

SDS: So you don't try to keep them moving by having them chase the atv around, or running or anything?

EE: No, but when we let them into this fenced area 25 or so at a time, they get really excited about that, and chase each other around and piay alot. They are very active for about an hour.

the walker that are new to it. I do that by mixing a few of the older dogs with the younger ones so they can kind of watch and get the hang of it. This year it was really easy. It only took three or four times and all the yearlings look like they have never done anything else.

SDS: Do you ever have to lure or coax them into training on the wheel.

At B0'in diameter,this is probablybe the biggestpieceof canineexerciseequipmenteverconstructed.Ellis'wheelneedsthreetypesof brakingsystems to controlthe dog power,and is computercontrolled.Builtby RustyHaganof MushingMetalsin Fairbanks, Alaska Photos: HelenLundberg

SDS: Have you ever had any problems with dogs fighting, or females in heat?

EE: I usually have a group of females in heat, then the other groups are mixed. But if I have a lot of dogs under a year old I try to put those dogs in together separately otherwise the older dogs might start to pick on them. We pay alot of attention that they go well togethel, we don't want any dog getting picked on.

They all have to be happy about it.

SDS: Now they all do this until the beginning of July, then you start to use the walker?

EE:

Yes in the beginning of July we start the younger dogs on

EE: Yes, that is what I do. I put it on a really slow, walking speed and the yearlings go back and {orth and every way. Then I go inside the circle and walk or jog in the same direction as the walker and they see which way I'm going and get the hang of it.

SDS: What is your temperature cut off for using the walker?

EE: The walker training is not so dependant on cool weather as with four wheeler training. They seem to do well even at temperatures around 60 - 65 F, if the walker is located in the shade or if it is a cloudy day. That is one important thing to consider when building a walkeq, the location. When we put ours iry we managed to find a spot where the sun hits last in the mornings and is surrounded by big trees. Of course, you have to use your judgment and shorten the runs if some dogs start to look over

xw

heated just like with any training. Early mornings or late evenings also helps, even though 5 am starts get old quickl SDS: Now how fast, when you normally are using the walket' are they moving?

With the older dogs I start the run at about 13-14 mph' a EE: slow lope. That I do beciuse I can hook 20 dogs to this thing and when 20 dogs are pulling hard the brakes are getting pretty hot on it.

SDS:

So you have 20 arms..

No there are 10 arms, each 40 feet long, with a dog EE: off hooked off each arm and one between each arm' I start them setthey until at that higher speed for about 10 minutes maybe' tle down-a bit, ihen slowly bring them down to about 8 or 9 moh. The one I had in Sweden was half the size, and it seems like they were always going sideways a bit because the circle was tightel, here they are almost running straight' kind SDS: That has to be the biggest waiker in existence! What of motor do you have on it?

I think it is 3hp, with reduction gears and 3 different EE: the tvpes of brakes. One brake is a drag / friction type brake on axle that I keep at a constant drag, the other is an air brake from a a truck that operates on a drum via a hand leve1, the third is sophisticatedlita pretty has also It regenerative type of brake. at tle computer in it that I can program in specific time intervals to differeni speeds. But I don,t use that function because I want be around and do it manuallY. SDS:

Who did you find to build that for you?

EE: Rusty Hagan built it. He's done a few of these' but never -He's always done the 40 foot ones' Originally I had the this big. idea for a huge cable type exercise system that would run around the whole kennel and I could hook all the dogs to' Kind of like a ski tift cable trolley. So that's what I talked to him about originaliy and he was all set to build it, but it got too expensivJ and ihat's when we started talking about a big walk-

you SDS: So you use the wheel starting in July, at that point do still free run the dogs in the Pen? Well no, but the walker is in that area and I let them run EE: loose for about 15 minutes before I walk them, and they play around and eliminate and stuff. I start off with about 20 minutes, 10 in each directiory then step it up in 5 minute intervals each way.

SDS: I remember you saying you take the dogs for long walks just in the woods. Do you stitl do that with the aduit dogs or puppies.

We used to do it but it got too dangerous, too lively after EE: awhileandtheystartedgettinghurt.Anotherthingwiththatis that they start to learn to take off from the yard and mn away e.rer they are loose. But that is what we still do with the -hen pups up until around the time we harness break them' SDS: When do you start with the race team training in harness on the atv?

KW

By mid October with the race dogs' This year we have a EE: fairly big group of yearlings that got harness broke this Spring dogslraining in harness by mid September' andi *i'il"sta.ithoi" SDS: That reminds me of something you had told me a few until vears back that you don't like to put the dogs on the wheel team' the in training ih"rr'rr" had a few months of steady harness Is that still true?

Yes, they need to know what being a sled dog is before EE: they become walkers. trotting SDS: Do you notice any gait differences when they are on the wheel, because I imagine you don't get to see them trot too often in Your team?

No, but I was afraid of that when I started walker trainEE: ing, that they would develop into really good trotters' but we hu"rr" .,".r", seen anything iike that. They don't seem to relate the walking training to team training' Somepf the more eager vearlinss d-o try to l,ope on the wheel as long as they can' but fr-r." you get up to ut hont on it they figure they better start trotting.

SDS: Ok, so from July to Mid-October using the walker every of other day at an average of thr per session at 8mph that's a lot walkingl Yes, by the start of AIV training we have about 400 miles EE: on the dogs using the dogwalker' I think it is reaily important to say to anybody that is -EE: really thinking of building or buying a training wa-lker/wheel to important' really Iook hard at the brake system' Safety is because if you hook up 10 or 20 dogs, they have an incredible amount of power .

Hans Gatt Attlin, British Columbia Distance to We spoke with Hans ihis summer, about his training methods season' the off during fit and keep the dogs happy, SDS:

Hi Hans, how are You doing?

HG:

I 'm d o i n g P r e t t Y g o o d .

SDS:

Let's take it from your last race, is that usually the Quest?

HG: Yes, the last few years it has, there are some other good races but a lot of times after the Quest I am a bit tired of racing and I don't want to do races anymore' After that it is a good time to train the puppies that are 8 or 9 months old' I don't have time over the winter to train them, while the hectic preParations for the racing is going on, so I like to take the relaxed time in Spring to break PuPPies.

SDS:

When is your last sled run in the Spring?

We usually have pretty good snow conditions here and HG: we usually have training until the end of April'

SDS: And you do that until the end of April, and you're not concentrating on the race dogs during that time?

HG: No I'm not, they get a really good time off, even the Quest dogs, I might take them out for 10 mile runs so they loosen up their muscles and get HansGattand Pepper

photo:MarioVilleneuve ;:lt

t'the sum-

"It's all about commitment,the big thing is you haae to trust yOUr dOgs" HansGatt SDS: How far do you take thosepups?

HC:

It's a 4 mile loop, I never do anything lessthan 4 miles

with any of my dogs.

SDS: What size teams do you run at that time?

HG: I harness break puppies in big size teams actually. I mix them up with some older dogs, but usually a 14 dog team, mostly puppies.

SDS: You do that until the end of April when you said you lose your snow trails?

HG: Yes, there is always a little bit of down time when the trails have a little bit of snow but are too muddy, before we switch to the ATV. Breakup time, not very long really, jusi a couple of weeks. This is a complete time off from runmng.

SDS: When you say you switch to the AIV running them in harness, or loose running?

do you switch to

HG: It might be a little bit of bot[ if I'm not satisfied with the harness training on the pups that we had with the sled.

SDS: I saw the video on your web site. There were a few frames in it that looked as if you had about 30 dogs loose in front of your ATV going down the trail. It looked like a mass kennel breakout!

HG: That is what I do during the summer, and I try to do it every day. This year we had a really hot, dry summer and the dust got in the way of doing it every day. I try to do it as often as possible.

flooksackRaoir.^ a-hlv DupPlJ .BePrepared fo"th.;;trug Winter Race Circuits Spectra Rope (3/8" & 1 /{') now available for ganglines by the foot or spool.

Fully padded collars, Reflective cord for tail loops, Hamesses (induding dosed ce1lfoam in X-back or H-ba&s) Collars, l-eashes,Dog Packs bv 'aVoff packs,,, Dog Coats. Dog Bags,Sled Bag:, Lines,Skijoring tquip., Bootiet, Hardware, induding Italian and Swedish snaps and Engerts Latches, Poly Rope Rurrner Plastiq, Roller Blading & Hiking Equip., Snowhooks, Cable Ganglines & Stakeouls, Arctic Headlamps, 9Hook Chain tools, Arctic Stat Chatrnac and Boselrnan Sleds

Free Catalog Available

NOOKSACK RACING SUPPLY 202 Mechanic Falls Road - Oxford, ME 04220 Tel: (207) 539-4324 Fax: (2O71539-9681 Email: nooksack@megalink.net Web Site: nooksackracing.com NooksackRacing Team would like to thank Bushmaster Firearms, Maine Thread, Lewiston Rubber Supply, Chatmac Sled Dog Supply, and all our customers - old and new, for their conLinued suport as we go into the 2005 racing season. We invite you to join us at the Down East SJed Dog races in Maine.

1 0 0 % Q u a lit yE q u ip me n& t S u pp l e m e n t s

NEW!

For the 2004-2005 RaceSeason

F ast G hange Pla sti c TenSquared is proudto introduceour one-piece extrudedplastic madeto fit "MatraxRunners" - FGP is availablein a new sintered base or the popularUHMW versions.

- The sinteredbase (waxable)is availablein lhree wax impregnaledvariations for three differentlemperatureranges- GREEN/COLD - BLUE/MODERATE ORANGE^iVARM.lt is also availablewjthoutwax impregnation-puRplE - Sinteredbase plasticsare also availablein a milledform to complimentvour QCR Rail Systems! . TheonepieceUHMW is available in threeversions White: comparable to otherwihtieandyellowUHMW Black: includes anadditive to reduce thecoefficiency offriction Blue: Includes additives astheblack,andalsoto increase abrasion resistance

Contact us for pricing and more information.

Ten Squared Racing, Troy and Katy Groeneveld 218-A34-2252 971 Wales Road,Two Harbors,MN 55616 e: tensquar@cpinternet.com w: www.tensquaredracing.com

SDS: So, explain to me how you do this, do you just cut 30 dogs loose, crank up the ATV and take off, or do you have a more systematic method?

HG: Very simple really, I have a fenced in dog yard - that is something I believe in and something I've had as long as I've had dogsl I just turn them loose in the yard, open the gate and go.

Not everybody is in a position to do this, obviously if in a subdivision you can't' But anybody can start in live you if small groups. I mean people just can't turn their dogs loose it,has well' to go everything they h"ave never d.one it and expect I to be buiit up. And you don't have to do it out of your yald' his trucks he yard, of his it out do doesn't Buser Martin mean dogs miles away with his dog truck all summer' It's all about commitment I think. until SDS: Right on. How long do you do this free running, up the time of harness training?

SDS: And how manY go at a time?

HG: It really depends, I have groups' Actually I've run thewhole kennel at once - 60 dogs. A few years ago I had a really good group where I could do that. Right now I'm running 65 iogr ;-t 3 gro.,ps, because that is the way they fit together the Uei. I tuy"io match them speed wise, age wise and how they get aiong wiih each other and that determines how big a group I'm running.

SDS: How fast do you go with the ATV and are the dogs in front of you the whole time?

HG: Yes, I'm still doing it right now, but by the end of August' the beginning of September I start putting them in harness and hookilig teams up. But I still, even then I still run them loose in betweeii. I run them loose all yea4 even in the winter in the just middle of the season, I take them out because I think it is in their muscles different great for them to stretch out and move of a sort as year it all use I important' is realiy f,odies. It think it training. cross SDS: Do you ever use a training wheel?

HG: They really get going fast on their own and obviously all my dogs gio*.tp doing that from puppies' It-is a 4 or 5 mile folp - itl"y all know it, they've been doing it all their lives' The moment iopen the gate the whole group of dogs is gone, andI'm behind ihem. fhey go for a mile or 2, then they come back and look for me. They are always around' They go wide opeo there are dogs running all around me, passing me on the ATV left and right.

SDS: That sounds like fun for the dogs, mentally and physically' HG: That is what it's all about really. It's not just about physical. Of course they need to get out and stretch out, but I think the mental effect of the training is even more important' SDS: A lot of mushers are afraid to let their dogs loose, because they have iost dogs or had injuries. Are you concerned about this?

HG: Yes, lhad'2 incidents like that where I had dogs clip trees or something and had hip injuries' It is a wild scene when you see the d.ogs running like that beside each other running just through th"" tr""t, but that is part of the training and they how-they see to is fascinating it Really it. keep [etting better at can aioid those trees at those kinds of speeds' Like I said I've had 2 injuries in17 years, so really that is not so bad'

HG: No I don't have one. For me it doesn't make any sense' because I'm in a position to run them loose ail the time' I think if someone doest-t't have any chance to do that, a training wheel is better than nothing.

SDS: Some people say that with the pointer crossesthat everyone is using now it is a lot easier to let your dogs loose' But when L"""yo.tt dogs, they don't look like crosses' they look like old school huskies.

HG: Weil that's what they are, I have 3 or 4 pointer crosses in my yard', and actually they are the worst (laughs) those are the ones that don't come back right away sometimes' SDS: Maybe they are looking for birds!

HG: I think the huskies are just fine for this, the big thing is you iust have to trust your dogs, and people who spend a lot of iimewith their dogs should be able to trust them' If you always worry about it then it will never work' You can never ,o"nd too much time with the dogs' It's one of the most important things in our sport I think. A lot of people probably don't spend enough time with their dogs, that is a problem' End

l}}indigc KENNâ‚ŹL$ & OUTFITYFFIS" "flaclng $led Sog* & â‚Źgrrpmenl" Stew& 0,c&Mirsek'8685 t*vin Fond' jnonSjiel' ${SS4f |{lrdicoS*ftory*t'*ol XF3*{s$'

HARNES$ES,COLLARS,GANGLINES nsG BA&S,R.0. $Now H00K$, & MOAS! llYdb lsr sur froe br*churo'

KK

ffiWffiW WWWWW

"CurveCut"Chatmac

lf you would like your product displayedin gear guide, please contact the editor: greg@sleddogspot'tsmag.comGear displayedis not necessarilyendorsed by this magazine,and is only meant as a non judgemental review of the products.

Fromthe manufacturer: After makingharnesses,sledsand truckboxesIor 24years and listeningto customersabouttheirneedswe developed this harness. Racingdogs today havechangeddramatically in shapeand ability.This harnessaddressesthe fit concerns of the modernand traditionalsled dogs by it's uniqueneck, breastplateand side strapconstruction.

The CurveCut harnesstotallyfrees up the frontshouldersof strapsand it stops shortof rear hips creatingless stresspointson the dog allowingyour dog to concentrate on pulling.This harness takes3 timesas long to make comparedto a regular harnesse. As used by ISDRAgold medalist,and IFSSchampion: Lou Serre. www.chatmac.com for more info.and orices.

SledDogSystems K2 SprintSled From the manufacturer: The K - 2 S l e d i s d e s i g n e da n d b u ilt in t he U S A . l t h a s a n a l u min u mfr a m e and true spherical bearing cross brace joint s w h i c h a c c u r a t e l yco n tr o lth e r u n ner paths for better tracking & cornering and less drag. The innovativesled bag s h u t t l ei n c o m b i n a t io nwith th e sphericaljoints allow the sled to rack nearly 30 degrees each way. We m ak e o u r o w n " T r u - S k i "s in te r e d graphite ski base carbon liber compos il e r u n n e r si n h o u s e u sin g sp e cia lto o lin ga n d p r e sse swe purposebui l t for dog sled runners. Years of development and optimizationled to the current camber and flex stiffness profile of our runners yielding low drag and incrediblecornering ability. Flex stiffness is matched to musher weight. The runners can be removed from the sled without tools and the sled frame folds down for transponation. The K-2 has an all stainless s t eelT I G w e l d e d t u b u l a rd u a l cla w b r a ke with ca r b id ep o in tsa nd an optional retractabledrag brake with configurabletraction disks and carbide spikes. A stainless steel cable bridal is standard and the included hook holde ri s a d j u s t a b l et o f i t n e a r ly a n y h o o k. T h e K- 2 we ig h s 2 3 poundsful l y equip p e d . 2 0 0 4 p r i c e ,s le d ch a ssis,b a g & h o o k h o ld e ra n d 1 pai r of runners: $995. Photographsand detailed specificationsare available at www.sleddogsystems.com

CritterWoodsStainless SteelSnowHook Fromthe manufacturer: The hook itselfis made of 304 temperedstainlesssteel,completelylasercut and jig weldedfor consistency.Thehookis designedto self rightitself- this is to do with the balanced flareand rolledhandle,as it is pulledit alwaystriesto nose down .Thisin turn allowsit to grip and dig in, the harderit is pulledthe deeperit will dig. You can see the hookon my web site www.critterwoods.com

continued from Page 8

nightmare. In Wyoming there was a couple of stages of moving the vehicle around.

SDS: For a lot of people, the daily structure of stage racing is not known yet. Can you describe the daily routine of a stage race?

SDS:

You have a maximum of 16 dogs, but you can only TS: hook 12. And that was the same for both stage races'

It's a long day. You've got to be :opby 6 am' A lot of TS: getting up earlier and going to the race site and were guys iuut"t uttd Jo eveiything, but we did that all at our hotel and were the last ones io the race site. We always had a snowmachine with us so we could be in the back of the parking lot and still get to the line easily and under control' The races all start fairly early in the morning, most of them started around 9:30 so you had to have them watered and a chance to pee before the start' Then you run them for 4 or 5 hrs.

The distance guys fed right after their runs, but we would wait a couple oi hon.t and feed ours' Then you're on the road to the banquet, do the drops and find the place where you are staying.

Do you think that witl be the new standard for stage SDS: racing?

I sure do, it sure looks like it's going to be' And I think TS: that's ok. We hooked 12 dogs every day' That was part of our game plary maybe not, maybe one stage in Wyoming we took 10 6".uni" there was a real long stage coming the next day and that particular stage was a really short one-' Our outlook on it *u, ihut if you took a smaller team, each dog had to pull harder and would be more tired.

So if you took a smaller team, you had more dogs restSDS: ed, but it wouid also make the dogs that had run more tired'

Now in Oregory every stage starts and stops in the SDS: same place?

Yes, they quit doing tha! I guess it was a logistical

TS:

tl fzl t) 3aâ‚Ź

Annamaet

I

.11:

v

TTl i .TTF'AFtr

v

I fllii

2 a

at'-

Petfoods ch allenge Series

Ail Challenge Series raccs include 4-dog, 6- Jog, Band I -doq. 2-doq. and 3-doe .kijorine Race #l Race #2 Race #3 Race #4 Race #5

December

5' 2004

19' 2004 December 2' 2005 Jmuary 16' 2005 January 30' 2005 Jmuary

2OO5ChamPions nrP season ADMA Gold Run

Exactly. So I think we'll stick with that' TS: The same in Yellowknife where it was a L2 dog pool and you could only hook 10. We always took 10, and some of the guys like Sam and Jacques started with 8 on the first day. I think that backfires on them a bit. You're taking too I much out of each individual dog.

That's the same deal as to whY we run such big teams in the ONAC, on the third day, they've done less work.

lYll-FI

illo

-.lEFFra

I

FAIRBANKS

North Pole Series # | North Pole Series #2

February 26-27r2OOs March 5-6' 2OO5

sanctioned 4-dog, 6-dog, I 0-dog clrrsses,and 2-dog skijoring

ISDRA

Limited North American ChampionshiP sanctioned 4-dog, 6-dog, B-dog; an

I ISDR\

I |;ett Stuaaert Invitational I Passenger Race

l a 7.7 mi l c p a s\e n q e r ra ce, with I dog p' r 4

I lOpen North American lChampionship

Ma rc h I l -13' 2OO5

r(s 'P/i

ALASKA

of musher weights

March I8-2O' 200s

.a n cti o n e d Op en/Unlim ir ed clas'

I l \ D RA I

Race of ChamPions

I o-dog. B-dog, rnd Open loADog -l'4u,henA'torioion tore lA I

March 26-27t 2005

I and membershiP lFor complete race I information, visit wwv r.sleddog.org

pr

Come roce in the spri nt- mushing cap ito I of the wortd!

L-, 2-, and 3-dog skijoring

March | 6' 2OO5

SDS: Did you rotate the dogs according to a premade Plan or did you just eye them uP each daY? TS: Just kind of eYed them uP. It still doesn't give you a lot to rotate, it's only 4 dogs. We tried to rotate fresh leaders everdaY. We had enough leaders, and we tried to give the leaders days off before they ran

sanctioned 4-dog, 6-dog and I 0-do q classes,and 2-dog skijoring

ISDRA

Itof

February l9-20' 2OO5

What about the sizes of the teams in stage racing:

We hove troils ovailoble for troining' ond world-closs roces everY weekend during the championshiP seoson.

Our Limited North Americon is the bigges ,SDRA Points event of the year!

each day.

And some of the dogs surPrised us, stage after stage after stage it was easy for them. The hardest thing for our dogs and for BuddY in that race, was the parts of the stages that had no trails. Honestly parts of the race had no Lrails,snow uP over their back, no bottom.

SDS: ls that becauseit snowed immediately after the breakers went through?

TS: No, they couldn't get the breakers through, there was too much snow for them to even get through it. The second stage in Oregory the previous 10 daYs it had snowed 7 feet on that mountain. The big trail groomer broke down, so they tried to get one from another

club and they couldn't get through the snow.

o r 3 0 m i n u t e s o r so m e th i n g .

SDS: What kind of post race care, I'm talking about massage, liniments, neoprene wraps/ did you do for the dogs each day?

SDS: That must have been the Smph day.

TS: That was a terrible day for us. If you stepped off the snowmachine out there rr was TS: We, like in Yellowknife, up to your crotch. That was where you are running on 1 l2 hard. If there was a foot of inch of snow on top of ice, we snow or 6 or 8 iinches of snow, g o t i n t o t h e ha b i t o f l e a r n i n g as long as there was a bottom to Algyval and wrist wrap on it, that was ok. They were them. but we didn't do that actually swimming, I don't too much in Oregon or know how anybody can train Wyoming this year. for that to be honest with you.

The distance guys, Swingley SDS: How much do you and them they walloped us think the physical ability of that stage. And it was really the driver contributes to the depressing for Buddy too. I team's performance? As believe so much that dogs feed opposed to say, Sprint Racing? off of how you feel. Your actions and the way you are TS: The drivers don't run as handling yourself. They feed much as you think. People on all that stuff. It was fruscan't run that far. It has sometrating and we got a little bit thing to do with it. I mean off our game plan that day. there was that big debate Then the next day we BuddyStreeperat the AnchorageFur Rondy2004 photo:John Gomes aobut Wendy Davis, being a went to a longer stage and had marathoner and in real great to run a 22 nile loop twice. Well the second time around it, the shape and what not. Certainly we had an advantage orrJ, ,o*"dogs had all packed the trail nicely, we wacked them by like 25 one like John Woods, do you know Tohn Woods?

We HaveWhat You're LooringFor Sleds,Bags,SledComponents, Kennel Hardware,NEOS overshoesand more.

"Ril

Wemanufacture Runners"" and"Fast Trax"* You'llbe changing p/asth as fasf as NASCARpif crewschange tires!

t

HOWLING NSG MUSillFblGSUPFLTES ffifE *IGCA'SrInmd0l/arcfrIA{*0G M[/S]'WG

E*t/maenrtrsrcr{

tr*"*mesl t&c neeJsqf {qprariirg sfrddn.gsl fienfuring fi:e arigrncd{,nlrgFisf*nes .*Jqma"r& *l*rnessmwiflr a &rundpl, t&* ?rm?resfdug e*af* suf {j7er*, Zipr. Clacuwtr; $rypfsrra*nf*nd rnne&mare

e

Ask about this season,s SLEDOBDEB S4ECtALSI

ww$ahsrslingdcsalaska" cam stls-{E&5341

& m r m B r u m ffi ?*9';8tfr* T e l : ( 7 0 1 ) 6 6 8 - 2 4 s7 F a x: ( 7 0 1 ) 6 6 8 - 2 7 9 7

www.prairiebiltsleds,com e:prairiebitt@ictc.com

,G-.

Effi

-----sffi d&ss

SDS: I know the name, not the Person' too big a man for TS: He's in his 50's, probably weighs 230lbs' it the year that stuff. Same as Loyd Gilbertson who raced peddle and can you if helps before. Too big u guy. It certainly than any more any matters it think run and stufl 6ut I don't racing' of other kind learned a lot The biggest thing is to have patience' Buddy's Yelloknife' running from and a golfea about i{at from being have to just have You Patience' SDS:

Well that can be said for a lot of endeavors'

minute lead the TS: Let the race come to you' We had a 25 have to do is nurse you A1l ii.rt auy of Oregon well that's huge' the first day' Wendy with tied we it fromihere. In Wyoming so we had this day' second the dogt oi a bunch loaded ""Jtf-t" is a lot easier driving huee lead again and ,-t",,", *or' a stage' It can run your own You froin the front with some time to spare' race then. because where I live The mountains were interesting, you know' up to where went we So it's flat. We don't train on any hills' But to be weeks' two for andtrained Hans Gatt lives in Attlin, hill trainmuch very do to have d,on't you hills the efficient in putling up it' and i^g. if-t"y just have to know what it is' keep that train in the teams the of that there is an end. in sight' Most slow down' they and hill a see The hil's. t-,iitr, ur" slower in the the hills all the time SDS: Do you think the teams that train in can e ve r d evelo P anY s Peed' it is real hilly' TS: No. I know Jacques (Philip) they train where then in the side' by side and in Yelloknife, we'd ruce for 50 miles on minute a gain would we uphill, Iast mile there is a half-mile too' that me told Wang Cliff hillsl on trained that hill. And he he said "don t overtrain in the hills"' stage races?

SDS: What type of sled did you use for the T S:We used the Danler m id- dis t anc es led. I t , s lik eas p r i n t s l e d 3 or 4 lbs f.t, longer. It has a Sft' basket' It's only about ..iy " than the sPrint model' heavier you didn't use a SDS: Even on the days with the deep snow' tobaggon, or a sled with a bottom?

T S:Don town on e.O nt heM t . HooDoos t age, wewer e p u s h i n g and have them snow with the brushbow' We use P-tex runners They day' every shop stone ground and waxed by- a ski . each day' conditions the for wax ihe and matched the structure warm I think that helped a lot too, especially in the important' conditions where the wax becomes more some time off' what SDS: Ok, after the Wyomiing race, you had races? sprint for ready team the get to do did you did the Canadian TS: Three weeks after the Wyoming race' we a in Ft' Nelson' 2 days at 20 miles each day on flat-ass freewaY. -hampior,ships them 5 miles chasWe left Wyoming, gave them 10 days off' run took them 8 off' day a them gave slow, i"; ih; ,n'o**uitti'te,

KW

oIf' took them miles chasingthe snowmachine,give them a day off' then day a them gave snowmachine, the .hur'ing io *if"t 10 of them dogs, 20 drove them in tle team 14 miles, we trained all winshorter ran we dogs were 10 were stageracing dogs and racingl went then off days 2 ter. Then we took them out again SDS: So your idea, I'm assuming was to stretch with all the free mnning? here is a fast TS: Yes,it wasn t enough time though' This race the first day, us handed Eddy race20 miles in 61 minutes or so. us a spotted he and start wouldn't rn.y said go his team The freebies' few a had We day! first -n"" the u nulf ur-ta McGee'but -i.,rlt" other teams that should have beat us are Bittl and they so them on miles ,t-r"V"aii"', think they had enough Buddy had day second the On classl dog ducked out into the 10 he was and too.fast was pace the becauie Kobi, to load a dog, and Rondy the of ;" ; stiff] But then he ran all three days speed' the for bNeC. He just wasn't ready you do?

SDS: BetweenFt Nelson and'the Rondy whai did 12 mile runs' TS: Maybe two runs of typicai sprint training' race' It was Nelson the,Ft' thut-t ,uy-'lo*"t Then ttre Rondy *u, sprint The was' really it dogs, Race Stage ihe for ."uiiy .uty race hardened' really reidy for it' They weren't aogJ They -"t""'a ,t"rr", got trained for 10 days during Oregon' unX plus, an had We train' to place no was there but *"." o. the tru& to had and i.rit.y on Little Dee the third day of the Rondy racing t*it.ft her out of lead coming home' but to the stage cake' dogs it was a Pieceof ONAC' SDS: What about between the Rondy and the just that we needed TS:We weren't ready for the ONAC' It was team hadn't run dog The trails' fast good on more time running the stage only in those hlgtttt-rilgfast conditions' Not Little Dee with ".,o,reh Now dogs' but ahJthe oih"t op"t' ;;:;;"gt, This crein lead' it put and out dog out we Lad to take a point screwed we where is that and posilion, point in hole ated a huge a put We years' few up, made ou. biggest misiake of the last there' been have z"r. old on poiniihut shouldn't SDS: Was that the dog buddy loaded the first day? two miles into the race' Out of the TS: She was out of the game "have problem with point dogs' it's an a gu*" plu". We always on point' I imporiunt position and I don't like to run leaders rest more. can they so like to runleaders way back in the team hard smart a be to has dog A point when they are not l"uiit'g' got finally they day' third the On setter' driving dog, a pace their feetunder them.

SDS: You felt they got better as the race progressed.

TS:

Yes, we beat Egil pretty good on the third day.

SDS: What are the plans for the Streeper camp in 2005?

TS: We are going to go to the Attaboy3O0, then after that I,m undecided. We'll train them to go to Oregory then if the Wyoming race is too late, I won't go because it is too late to bring them back for sprint racing. I sure hope we can go to Wyoming though, because it was a lucrative race and it is a lot of work to train {or just one Stage Race. I think this year I,l1 train more dogs farther distances. I actually had this idea for last yeaq,but didn't stick with my game plan. Last year we trained 26 or 28 for stage racing, this year we might train 40.

SDS: So you haven't left sprint racing behind, it,s stil part of your plan?

TS: No not at all. There aren't enough stage races yet. you can't survive on two races in January.

SDS: Ok here's the money question, and I know you're always planning ahead, so I'm not afraid to ask it. Any plans for the Iditarod in the near or far future.

SDS: What about Buddy, he got a taste of "overnighting,, at the Attaboy.

campout night in Oregon, we were so afraid of it. We thought the dogs would be up all nighf not being in the truck. We got in there, put the coatson the dogs, put the straw down and they went to sleepquicker than the Iditarod dogs did. Buddy may want to try somemid-distancestuff, but the Iditarod, not me.

TS:

End.

TS:

Not for me.

Hell, we had never slept outside in our life before the

Championshipmid distance6-dog class 2003 in Todtmoosbut he has decidednot to defend his title. "First I thoughtof going to Oregonand the World Championshipbut it is too expensive to travel with a dog team all the way lrom Germany,,'he says. "l also thinkthat it is too earlyin the season,beginningof Januaryto holdthe WC." Hanneshas a smallkenneland for

N

c f

Y

* . F{ " { KikiAastromwillbe a strong"challenge/'for a medalin DawsonCity (Continued from page 11) From Norway I get the information that at least three mushersplan to participateat the IFSS WC in pulka and skijoring,maybe as many as four. But that is not for sure yet. Sweden also plans to have their best teams on the start line at the WC but who it will be is not yet decided.

IFSSWorldChampionship in mid distancewill be held in OregonJanuary2005 within the Atta Boy stage race. Hannes Kronbach,Germany,won the gold medal at the IFSS World

rb

f f i'

r } Y{ , I

Ej; HelmutPeeris alwaysa threatto win.

inset:Helmutwithdog-palMax this season he will have nine dogs to race with. ,,lnsteadof the WC I will race at the Alpentrailand maybe travel to Sweden later in the springto do some racingthere,so no trip to the U.S. & WC for me" ln the next issue I will presentsome of the Europeanchallengersfor top positionsat the IFSS World Championship2005.

HelenLundberg

ffiw

ffiffiWWW

MAGAZINE WORLDW]DE

s,#w *#dffi

Ws3w w rffgsww ffi W * #w sYP

NJ07860 635Route94 Newton,

PRSRTSTD U.S.Postage PA]D NEWYORK, NY PERMIT NO. 4494