One normally associates Husky dog racing with snow-covered landscapes, yet the UK leads the world in what is known as ‘on dry-land mushing’ and there is no better place to see one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the world than the British Siberian Husky Dog Championship.
Teams of dogs and their owners, drivers, and trainers congregate at various forest venues throughout the short winter season (Mid- November to early March) to compete for the UK championship title.
The first Siberian Husky Dogs came to Britain in the 1960s but the first race was not until 1996 since then the sport has become more popular and evolved into a serious competition championship.
These race meetings are held on trails throughout Britain. Each meeting has raced with classes for two, three, four, six, and eight dog teams of Siberian Huskies. This meeting at Elvedon Forest was the penultimate in this year’s 2018 British championship.
Since there is rarely snow in the UK, competitors race on what is known as a ‘Rigg’ - a 3 or 4 wheeled contraption resembling a trike.
The dogs are harnessed to the Rigg and complete the course on a time trial. The championship is highly competitive, but the safety and welfare of the dogs and the drivers is paramount so before racing can commence each Rigg must pass scrutineering to ensure it is race-worthy; that the steering and brakes are in good order
Each set of dogs race against the clock, 2 minutes divide each team. The forest circuits range in distance for the different teams and are also adjusted according to weather conditions on the day. For this meeting, the 8-dog team​ circuit was 3.7 miles and this was reduced for the smaller dog teams.
The British championship consists of 16 races and 66 points are awarded for a win. Only 11 out of the 16 races count for the Championship title so competitors may select their best 10 races and therefore the maximum points.
The Siberian Husky is a superb athlete, bred for speed and stamina and racing can form an important part of their exercise regime. Team-work is essential, but even more so for the larger dog teams where the front row can be some 20 yards from the Rig. Although it is their natural instinct to run, communication between the dogs and the ‘Musher’ is also critical to safely negotiate the bends in the forest circuits.
Some rushes from the day