![]() The dog running season is well and truly here, with low temps we have all enjoyed getting out lots with the dogs. The trails are stunning this time of year, nature is decorating the forests and trails with the golds and reds of Autumn. It has been a real joy to run the dogs in the dry and cold and super to be able to get the mileage on the dogs without temps and Matt's work commitments getting In the way. It has been a busy month with a trip at the beginning of the month to Edinburgh to attend shows. Pickle won her undergraduate class at the Scottish Siberian Husky Club and bought home a lovely trophy and rosette. Show Critique 'Evans’ Zarchenski Schooner Pickle, very striking bitch, medium size, feminine head with a real foxy look, well angulated, super outline, brush tail, double coat of correct texture, moved soundly, body is starting to develop & mature'
November saw our first rally of the season at Rendlesham, Suffolk with The British Siberian Husky Club Racing Association (BSHRA). Matt ran in the two dog and Lou (me) ran in the 3 dog. The aim was to mix maturity with youth and gauge how the teams would work out in a race situation so for Matt's team we ran Snik who is 9 with Mars who is 2, and Laika who is 7, Kara at 5 and Pickle at 2. The younger dogs haven't as much race experience as we would like due to Matt being away last Season in Norway so we decided to be sensible with team combinations. Matt had a good run coming sixth out of thirteen teams. Musher error he missed the first turn and the last turn the dogs were interested in an offlead dog but they soon listened and were on their way again. My run was eventful, decided to run Kara Muffin in single lead which had worked beautifully in training but the delights of running in a new environment encouraged the strong willed part of Kara's character not helped by her spotting a deer and us all taking an unplanned trip into the woods resulting in stopping, snubbing up and sorting out a big tangle. I also stopped to talk to a marshal about another musher who I thought was in difficulties. This was probably the worse run I have ever had but a good learning curve and I did need to try Kara in single lead in a race environment, it didn't work but that's okay, running dogs is a constant education and adventure! The dogs had fun regardless and got us all safely home which was the main thing. The next day I planned to change the team combinations, putting the very solid Laika and Picke in lead, but unfortunately overnight rain stopped play and the trails were flooded and with the dogs safety in mind quite rightly, the race was cancelled. Beautiful, technical trails, great atmosphere and we had all had lots of fun. This season is all about giving the younger dogs good race experiences whilst being mentored by the older dogs in the kennel, we hope this steady education will be very fruitful for when we build on the younger teams In the future... Comments are closed.
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