By Taylor MacPherson

Mushers, vets prepare for shortened Canadian Challenge

Feb 21, 2017 | 5:00 AM

Despite some concerns over the lack of snow, the 20 mushers entered in the Canadian Challenge sled dog race were enthusiastic as the vets looked over their teams at the exhibition grounds.

Race President Gill Gracie said organizers were forced to shorten the race distance because of bare trails on the southern part of the course.

“Most people are OK with that,” Gracie said. “The problem is for the ones who want to qualify for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest; they need 300 miles. We’re left with 270, so we’re 30 miles short.”

Gracie said if the shorter distances are not accepted as qualifying times, they will add extra distance at the end for those who hope to qualify for the other races. The mushers, she said, remained largely unconcerned about the changes.

“They’re rolling with the punches,” Gracie said. “They’re just here to race and have a good time. There’s been very little snow in a lot of areas of Western Canada, so they’re just happy to be out there and running dogs.”

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Head Veterinarian Dr. Ruth Sims looked over each of the entered dogs closely, as she will do several times throughout the gruelling race.

Sims said because of the warmer weather, they will be watching for signs of dehydration. With the dogs running on a harder, rougher surface due to the lack of snow, she said she will be inspecting their paws and joints for signs of repetitive stress injuries.

“We see all the dogs at every checkpoint,” Sims said. “Some places there’s a mandatory full physical checkup for every dog.”

The mushers will also be on the lookout for potential injury, Sims said, as caring for the animals is the first concern of everyone involved.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time the mushers already know about the issues before we even see the dogs,” Sims said. “They’re very much aware of what goes on with every single dog in their team.”

Steven Laviolette, a fourth-generation musher and first-time competitor in the 12-dog event, came all the way from Quebec to race the Canadian Challenge.

After an issue with one of his daughter’s dogs forced her to retire from the race two years ago, Laviolette said he entered to show her the power of perseverance.

“I decided to run it this year to show her that hard work and determination pays off,” he said.

Laviolette said he was concerned the race might be called off due to lack of snow, as he had made significant time and financial investments in preparing for the race.

“We drove 3,000 kilometres to get here, and as we were crossing from Ontario into Manitoba we could see the snow disappearing,” Laviolette said. “We were worried, but we’re happy it’s still on and we’ll do the best we can.”

The Canadian Challenge starts 5 p.m. Feb. 21 at Elk Ridge Resort.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews