Dog power
Low-tech sleds run on renewable energy
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
NEWPORT — Sammy, a 5-year-old Alaskan Husky sled dog, throws his head back for a good, a high-pitched howl.
Jen Buswell of East Corinth looks back to see she has be overtaken by Sara Vanderwood of Oxford near the finish of the dog sled races Saturday in Newport. Vanderwood made up the staggered start to finish with a faster time. Races continue today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. click to enlarge
His teammates Loki, Nike, Sonik, Zeus and Energy join the cacophony with yipping, yapping and yelping of their own.
The barking soon spreads to other dog teams assembled Saturday at the Sebasticook Valley Snowmobile Club until the din fills the cold air.
"He's saying 'Hook me up. I want to race,' " said Missi Thomas, 19, of East Corinth. "They love it. They all really enjoy what they do."
Thomas and her family arrived Saturday with more than 30 sled dogs for the two-day event. The family's Northwind Kennels has about 40 dogs in all, some old, some young, but all of them well behaved and ready to race.
"When the old dogs are retired they feel left out," Missi Thomas said. "They want to train and come to race.
"Our puppies, too, when they're too little to run. They want to run with the big dogs."
The annual Down East Sled Dog Club races are sponsored by the Sebasticook Valley Chamber of Commerce, which this year placed a $2,000 purse for mushers competing in several different classes.
Chamber board member Vic Buckland said the races are in their fourth year in Newport and have generated more advertising dollars this year, and in turn the higher purse.
"We have 88 teams of dogs here this year," Buckland said. "There are 30 advertisers."
Racers come from all over Maine and New Hampshire, as well as Atlantic Canada and Quebec.
Thomas said she has been sled-dog racing since she was 9 years old. Her sledding teammate Brady McGowan, 19, formerly of Canaan, now of York, said he was first inspired by the motion picture "Iron Will," some of which was filmed in the area of The Forks, in nearby Somerset County.
According to Sara Vanderwood of Oxford, the origin of the word "mush" for sled dog racing comes from the French word "marche," which means to go forward.
Vanderwood will travel to Germany soon for the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports world championships. She will compete in skijoring, in which the racer is on skis, and pulka, which also is on skis, but with additional weight for each competition.
Dog teams finished up the day Saturday afternoon with four-dog and six-dog heats, going approximately four and six miles, respectively, per race.
Four miles can be done in about 15 minutes. Six miles in about 25 minutes.
Thomas said she and other mushers like Alaskan husky dogs because of their temperament, their speed and their long line of pedigrees.
"It's a mixed breed of the fastest dogs out there," she said.
Dogs average between 35 and 55 pounds and are able to compete from age 2 1/2 to 6 or 7 years old. The sleds are made of ash, and are equipped with speedy runners and a foot brake.
As for shouting "mush" to get the dogs inspired, Thomas said that is largely a myth perpetrated by TV and movies.
"You say 'Let's go,' or 'Hike,' not 'Mush,' she said. "You talk to them, get off the sled and run with them to encourage them."
Placement in Saturday's races will be posted Sunday and the final tally will be based on total times logged for both days, according to the racers.
As for Sammy and his running mates, it was an early supper of performance formula Saturday and then back to their little houses with straw bedding for the night.
Today, after a breakfast of chicken and water, the dogs will be back racing in the final heats. And judging by the yap of excitement that filled the air here Saturday, these dogs will be up for it.
Doug Harlow — 861-9244 dharlow@centralmaine.com