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Sidebar to Chinook Article published Mar 12, 2006 in Fosters Citizen
Museum could help N.H. sled dog racing mush on
WONALANCET - Sled dog enthusiasts say the proposed Chinook Kennels
Heritage Foundation museum could give their sport a needed boost as it
faces an uncertain future.
Amild winter led to the cancellation of the Laconia World Championship
Sled Dog Derby in February and the Sandwich Notch Sled Dog race. It
also postponed the Tamworth Sled Dog race, originally scheduled in
January. That event was held on March 4 and March 5, according to
Chris Hayes, first vice president of the New England Sled Dog
Association in Andover, Vt.
A lack of snowfall and mild temperatures didn't just affect sled dog
racing events in New Hampshire and New England, according to David
Steele, executive director of the International Sled Dog Racing
Association in Merrifield, Minn.
"It's a problem everywhere. Even in Alaska they are having problems
with that," Steele said.
Another problem for sled dog racing is to find trails suitable for
races and to train during the winter season, Steele said. Trails for
long-distance racing events, which span up to 60 miles, are becoming
harder to locate due to increased private development, he said.
For example, George Cook, president of the Chinook Kennels Heritage
Foundation, said the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby race
that was canceled this year due to unseasonable weather also has had
its trails cut. In the past, sled dog teams would race 20 miles on
Friday, 20 miles on Saturday and 30 miles on Sunday, he said. Today,
they are racing 12 miles on Friday, 12 miles on Saturday and 18 miles
on Sunday, Cook said.
The Sandwich Notch race, also canceled this year because of the lack
of snowfall, called for teams of six sled dogs to race 60 miles, Cook
said. Today, those teams race 30 miles instead because the teams could
no longer do adequate training for that long a race, he said.
Cook, who also serves as first vice president of the New Hampshire
Mushers Association, said the group is trying to pass a bill in the
New Hampshire Legislature to have sled dogs added to the list of
recognized users of recreational trails so they can be treated in the
same way as snowmobilers, ATV users, horseback riders, and
cross-country skiers by the state.
Hayes said he and his group's 175 members also are struggling with
higher insurance premiums to maintain dog teams and breeding
operations on their property. He said more insurance companies view
sled dog kennels as a risk, and some towns in Vermont have banned them.
This year, Hayes learned his annual property insurance premium of $500
will go up to $2,500 because of this trend. Some sled dog owners may
not be able to absorb those costs on top of the normal costs of caring
for their dogs, he said.
Cook said he believes creating a museum at the historic site could
bring sled dog racing to life for many visitors who already are drawn
to the sport.
"Sled dogs are the antique snowmobile, and we are rapidly losing
ground to our motorized counterparts," Cook said.
Cook, a former sled dog racer for 25 years who raced in the grueling,
16-day, 1,000-mile Yukon Quest in Alaska in 1992, said long-distance
racing in North America is taking a beating. He predicts the sport
will see an increase in dry ground events, where sled dog teams will
no longer exclusively mush through the snow.
George Cook is not related to Robert M. Cook. Robert Cook can be
reached by calling 742-4455, ext. 5396 or via e-mail at bcookfosters.com.
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