With South River’s dog sled racing event over, the attention now shifts to nearby Kearney for its annual dog sled races.
This year Kearney is celebrating its 30th anniversary of dog sled racing and Muskoka – Parry Sound MP Scott Aitchison and his provincial counterpart MPP Graydon Smith will be on hand for the opening ceremony on Saturday, February 10.
Dyson Muzzell, who is 12 years old and Indigenous, is also part of the opening ceremony, and he’ll be talking about the importance of sled dogs to First Nations people. Dyson will also be taking part in his first-ever dog sled race.
The sprint dog sled race in Kearney is the largest event of its kind in Ontario. Kaitlynn Tidwell, the chair of the race committee, says last year 96 dog sled teams took part in the various categories, and that was a new record.
Tidwell adds this year the event could see as many as 110 and even 120 participants. There are a couple of reasons for that.
First, this year’s event sees the reintroduction of the eight-dog, 20-mile run after being on hiatus for several years. Tidwell says these dog sled teams will travel over a new trail which includes going by a couple of lakes outside the Kearney area.
Also, several categories at the Kearney races will be qualifiers for the World Cup of Dog Sled Racing after receiving International Federation of Sledding Sports (IFSS) sanctioning.
Tidwell says it’s a lot of work to become a sanctioned IFSS qualifier site, and the Kearney races have served in this capacity in the past.
Tidwell says after hearing from many mushers to once again have Kearney dog sled racing be a qualifier for the World Cup, local organizers set to work to make the trails IFSS compliant.
As a result, the newly reintroduced eight-dog 20-mile run, the four-dog sled, six-dog sled and one-dog skijor, where a dog pulls the individual on skis, are all World Cup qualifiers. Kearney’s two-dog skijor and two-dog sled races won’t be qualifiers for the World Cup because the trails don’t meet the IFSS minimum threshold for distance.
Tidwell says the IFSS wants a trail that’s at least six miles long in the two-dog skijor while the two-dog sled has to have a trail that is at least four miles long.
Tidwell says the local organizing committee determined trying to meet the various IFSS distances would create too many complications on the trails and decided to exclude the two-dog skijor and two-dog sled events as World Cup qualifiers.
She adds another reason for not applying for World Cup status for the two-dog class is because the local group uses the existing event as a means to introduce younger people to the sport, and that’s best accomplished by having them run shorter distances when they first start.
Tidwell says in addition to all the racing, the 30th-anniversary event has other attractions.
Jacob Betker, who owns Abitibi Dog Sleds in Timmins, is back with his dog sled rides for the public. Betker made a first appearance in Kearney last year, and many spectators who had never ridden a sled pulled by dogs got to experience just that.
This time Betker is putting up a ten-by-ten tent where the public can stay warm while waiting for their rides and also enjoy the dog sled memorabilia Betker is bringing with him.
The public can buy tickets for the dog sled rides at the local Legion branch at 58 Park Road. The area by the Legion is where competitors start and finish their races.
Tidwell says there is better parking for the mushers and more space for activities like Betker’s public dog sled rides.
Tidwell says spectators can go inside the Legion to warm up. While inside they can bid on a silent auction, pick up souvenirs, and have their children take part in a free colouring contest.
Vendors will be situated outside the Legion by a bonfire. This is also where the Pet-A-Pup pit stop is located – Tidwell says mushers will have their dog teams in this area for the public to pet.
Tidwell says the family-oriented event was introduced last year and is back after being very well received.
The mushers at the pit stop will also answer the public’s questions about sled dogs.
The Kearney event attracts mushers from a very large area. Tidwell says it’s common to have participants from Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, but quite a few are also from Northern and Central American states, plus one individual comes in from Alaska. Tidwell says on one occasion in 2016 a team arrived from Jamaica.
Many of the mushers have been returning to race in Kearney year after year. Tidwell says some have been absent for a few years, but when word got out that the eight-dog 20-mile race was back, people in this category began jumping on board.
Tidwell says the Kearney dog sled trails “are absolutely safe but are also challenging.”
“They are not for the faint of heart,” she says. “You need to be a driver and not just a passenger. You are not going to fly with your dogs at maximum speed and hang on. You have to drive your sled and drive your team because it is a challenging course. There are several hills and corners with significant S bends.”
Although Tidwell is the race committee chair, she credits the other seven committee members for making the event work.
The committee members are a committed group from the surrounding communities and include mushers plus town councillor Mike Rickward.
“They are a great crew,” she said. “They are the reason we can do this. And then on race weekend, we have 30 to 40 volunteers who also help us a great deal.”
Tidwell adds what’s also a big help are the more than two dozen sponsors both new and old.
With the Kearney Dog Sled Races expecting a large contingent of racers, Tidwell says that will bode well for the resorts, motels and restaurants in the area. Their stay will be welcome revenue considering snowmobile volume is down this season because trails are very late in opening.
Tidwell says out-of-town visitors travelling north or south on Highway 11 can take the Highway 518 exit which leads into Kearney. She adds once in Kearney, just follow the race signs that take you to a fun weekend of dog sled racing.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.