Highlights of the 2000 Canadian Challenge Dog
Sled Race
Prince Albert's Central Avenue was alive with the sound of 21 dog
teams barking and straining at harnesses to the hearty cheers of
6,000 fans.
It was March 1, 2000 and the Canadian Challenge, a four-day sled
dog race from Prince Albert to La Ronge and back, was about to begin.
The weather interfered with the planned route as highs of 15 degrees
made parts of the trail too mushy to mush, but organizers quickly
solved the problems. By bringing in snow and rerouting part of the
trail, organizers got the race under way as scheduled.
This year's mushers came from all walks of life, a variety of backgrounds
and mushing experience. Experience alone did not determine the winners,
however, as veterans like Yukon's Larry (Cowboy) Smith discovered.
With more than 30 years mushing experience, including the gruelling
Iditarod, Smith thought he was in for a smooth ride over a flat
and treeless terrain. He was in for quite a surprise. Although Smith
named his lead dog after the Norse god of thunder, his team did
not take the Canadian Challenge by storm. In fact, their thunder
petered out at Weyakwin South where the team quit the race, or scratched
as mushers call it, along with four others.
Along the way, eight other teams also scratched. But there is no
shame in doing so. Besides the rigorously challenging trail, mushers
have the health of their charges to consider. And to mushers, the
dog's health comes first. So when a team exhibits signs of stress,
a musher will scratch rather than risk the animals' health.
All those who finish the race take home cash from the $30,000 purse.
This year, eight teams cashed in.
Brian McDougall, a heavy equipment operator from Whitehorse, Yukon
slid into first place just 24 hours 53 minutes and 33 seconds after
pulling out of La Ronge. McDougall began running 15 years ago after
he fed a team in exchange for rent and he has been at it ever since.
This year, McDougall's dogs Bugs and Crispy netted him a cool $9,000
and the coveted Cameco Cup.
Second-place finisher, Alaskan Gwen Holdmann has run dogs for
only six years. When she is not running Hootch and Izzy, Holdmann
operates NASA's satellites.
Last year's winner placed third this year. Jim Tomkins, an occupational
safety officer from Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan, began mushing
15 years ago after rescuing a shepherd-husky cross from the SPCA.
Tomkins admits, "all my non-working hours are in some way involved
with dog sledding." Along with Brad Muir, Tomkins now travels
throughout Saskatchewan educating students about the sled dog industry.
As the story of Saskatchewan's Nigel Hill demonstrates, even those
who scratch can go home winners. Brooks recounts the poignant tale
of Hill's Hopes.
"Hill is a transplanted Australian," said Brooks. "This
was his first major race, his third year of dog mushing. Both he
and his dogs got very tired. Instead of the 24 hours to get to La
Ronge, he had a personal goal just to get there. We held up the
second leg of the race for 10 minutes so he could reach this goal."
"All the mushers agreed to it," added Brooks. "At
the banquet, Hill had tears in his eyes as he thanked us for helping
him achieve his goal." Stories like Hill's confirm to
the flotilla of race volunteers that the event has been a success.
Volunteers come in the form of sponsors and organizers.
Along with the hundreds of people who physically make the event
happen, scores of sponsors make it financially possible.
Besides corporate sponsorships like those of Cameco Corporation,
donations came from local merchants. Prince Albert's Lakeland Ford
supplied several vehicles, the La Ronge Motor Inn donated banquet
supplies and rooms, and the Gateway North Mall gave a cash donation.
In total, this year's in-kind and cash donations reached about
$90,000. And that amount, says Frank Brooks, is necessary to make
the event succeed.
"Fortunately," he says, "expenses and donations
increase each year as the race grows in popularity."
The sponsorship and volunteer efforts invested in the Canadian
Challenge are recognized throughout the province. 1998 proved to
be a banner year for the Challenge as it was nominated for four
different awards. It was finalist for Saskatchewan Tourism's "Rookie
of the Year Award" and won the "Best New Event" in
Saskatchewan from Attractions Canada. The Challenge also became
a federal finalist as "Best New Event" in Canada for Attractions
Canada in 1998. And in the same year, it won Prince Albert Tourism's
"Best Organization of the Year."
The Challenge's volunteers and sponsors were also recognized. Frank
Brooks won Saskatchewan Tourism's "Volunteer of the Year Award"
for his exemplary efforts in 1999. Melfort radio station CJVR won
the "Media Partner of the Year Award" and Cameco Corporation
captured Saskatchewan Tourism's "Corporate Partner of the Year
Award" at a ceremony in March 2000.
Brooks is quick to assume an "aw shucks" attitude about
his personal contribution. Instead, he credits the Challenge's success
to the efforts of the host of tireless volunteers and generous sponsors.
This year Brooks was particularly impressed by the accelerated media
coverage. He feels that the CJVR award was well deserved.
Brooks is also impressed with the efforts of Cameco, whom he sees
as a vanguard of the sponsors. Besides donating the winner's cup,
Cameco also sponsors Muir and Tomkins' efforts in educating Saskatchewan
students about the sled dog industry.
Now higher education is also getting into the act. In March
2000, the University of Saskatchewan announced that it will help
the Challenge fulfil its need for veterinarians at the race by adding
"Sled Dog Veterinary Medicine" to its curriculum. The
course will teach veterinary students about the many aspects of
the sled dog racing industry and produce graduates who can act as
race veterinarians or consultants.
"The college's involvement," said Brooks, "gives
us tremendous credibility. Like the mushers, we are very concerned
about the health of the dogs, so we need good vets. Our head vet
will still be Peter Surkin from Prince Albert, but now we won't
have to worry about getting other good vets as well."
With such strong support from the media and educational, corporate
and local sponsors, look out Yukon Quest: the Canadian Challenge
is coming faster than you can say scratch!
