Mushers & mutts

Sled-dog racing in Canterbury

While most Cantabrians remain tucked up indoors, a group of dedicated athletes rely on temperatures below 13 degrees.

Thinking about Christchurch, an image of six Siberian huskies pulling a sled across a snowy slope does not readily come to mind. However, it's not as uncommon a scene as one might think, nor is sled-dog racing limited to mountain terrain.

Huskies join Alaskan malamutes, samoyeds, pointers and others breeds that want to run, racing through forests in Burwood, Eyrewell, Chaneys and West Melton, pulling anything with wheels, over dirt tracks and pine needles. However, if the temperature rises to 13 degrees Celsius, all races are called off for the health of the dogs. Quite simply, "you can cook a dog", Tania Fellows explains.

The tips of tall white tails trail past the window of Tania and Brett Fellows' suburban home, where pure-bred Siberian huskies Serac and Jumar are the focal point of the backyard. They're family pets, first and foremost, but seven years ago, the Fellows joined the South Island Siberian Husky Club, which runs sled-dog races and shows.

"When we got Serac, we didn't even know you could race them. It's just something we've got into, which has worked out perfectly, because he's so energetic; you need to burn off that extra energy," Tania says.

In the garage is the race gear: a "rig" comprised of a triangular steel frame, with three wheels and handlebars; a kid's scooter with two large rubber tyres; and harnesses and bungy cords used to attach the dogs to either set of wheels.

"It is important to have a proper-fitting harness for the dog, so you don't do any injury to them, and you've got to have a bungy line so when you're stopping and starting you're taking the stress off the dog," Tania says.

As for the wheels, anything a dog can tow, such as a bike with its pedals disengaged, will do the trick.

Brett's the musher in the family, racing Serac and Jumar in the two-dog scooter class. Tania does practically everything else club-related, from marshalling and timekeeping, to being treasurer and secretary of the husky club. She's busy organising the club's next big event - the annual Hanmer Challenge, when as many as 80 dogs and their owners will take over Hanmer Springs for the weekend.

While it's a husky club event, there'll be all manner of breeds competing against one another in Hanmer, and it won't be the huskies taking out the top prizes, either. The ones to beat are the pointers, especially those from the Martin pack.

Daryl Martin was biking through Bottle Lake Forest with his dog Diesel, when he was stopped by Kim Wilson on a scooter with two dogs attached. She asked Daryl whether he'd be interested in sled-dog racing and, once he learnt about the sport, he became hooked. Five years on, Daryl is the president of the Canterbury Sled Dog Club, wife Lisa and daughters Taria, 12, and Georgia, 10, are all dedicated to the sport, and Diesel has four more canine pals.

*For more on sled-dog racing, pick up the August issue of Avenues*