Last sunday was very exciting for us as it was THE moment: our first ever sled dog race... We hoped and expected nothing more than to get the dogs & Esko over the finish line in one team! But apparently we've done something right training the team as we placed 19th of the 34 teams! AND to my great joy our team got sled dog race trial scores "REK2"- i.e. "Good" for our two older dogs, Tiida & Hikka!!! Bruno is too young to get a score but I'm sure he will get one before the end of this racing season. The score is calcuated from the average time of the three fastest teams and REK2 is the second highest score. I'm SO happy!! Here's a pic of Esko and Tiida & Hikka (in the lead) & Bruno (wheel): Here's a link to another pic, taken from the start: http://www.phnet.fi/public/lansi/images/2007/2007_jaminjayna/album/img_9150.html
Hey Tuuli wow what can I say...I haven't even finished looking at the pictures just yet but they are amazing!
Fab pics! How exciting! I got to see some working sled dogs in Alaska one summer and it was an amazing sight to see! Your dogs look like they are absolutely loving it!
Wonderfull picture, everyone clearly enjoying it and it;s great to see dogs doing what they were bred for. Becky
The picture of the start of your race is amazing and makes you want to get out there and have a go yourself Not so sure our Golden Retriever would be very good at it though and we only have liquid mud not snow so could be a problem as well. It is great to see dogs working
Congratulations Tuuli, just going to look at the piccies now, are you going to put them up on the Ute Site as well? Not everyone is a member on here. You look very professional anyway, so you looked like you knew what you were doing, even if you felt that you didn't inside
LOL, that's my hubby Esko, not me! I have another race this sunday and I'll have to do the mushing myself this time . Esko is in Lapland AGAIN working as a sled dog guide. He will also travel all the way to North Norway to help our friend on the Finnmarkslopet race which starts next week. (http://www.finnmarkslopet.no/)
Wow, what an exciting thing to be able to do. the photos are amazing and the dogs look like they are loving it.
Thanks guys! I finished 6th yesterday (31 teams in total, of which 17 sibe teams)!!! And only 7 sec difference to the 4th... So another REK2 sled dog racing trial score for Tiida, Hikka & Hector, I can't believe it!! Here's a bad pic of us, that's Hikka & Hector in the lead and Tiida on the wheel.
im itching to get my dogs into racing i had an accident a few years ago and did a lot of damage to my back and i now have trouble being on my feet for periods of time. it ruined my plans of racing but im hopeful that if i keep working at it i will be able to race them one day your pics and story are a great motivator
Great stuff... sounds like you done well... and looks great too... might have to give that a go with Jake and Charlie Think I'd end up pulling them on the sledge
