Tony Pratt has sentimental reasons for signing up for the Sask. sled dog championship. (Facebook/ Tony Pratt)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community events

Quebec musher plans to fulfill dream at Sask. sled dog championship

Feb 18, 2022 | 5:00 PM

After a one year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Saskatchewan sled dog championship makes it return to the Prince Albert Winter Festival next weekend, and a musher from Quebec will be joining the pack.

Tony Pratt, 47, from Trois-Rivières, told paNOW he’s won five times in Western Canada but it’s his first time coming to the winter festival.

“The father of my six dogs team is named Albert and he is my very best dog of my team. His nick name is ‘the prince’ so it’s a dream for me to participate in a race in the city of my prince,” Pratt explained.

Acknowledging he is relatively new to the sport, Pratt said he has been racing for four seasons and all his dogs are five-years-old. When asked what he enjoys most about mushing, Pratt replied the goal is to have fun with his dogs, no matter the result.

“Every practice is like a race and every race is like a practice [have fun]. My dogs are my family and it is with them that I want to do this trip,” he said.

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Pratt’s first race this year was at Mont Gosford, which is considered the hardest race in the Quebec championship (CACQ) due to the amount of deep snow and hills. Pratt finished first.

Described as a sprint, as compared to a marathon, the races during the Prince Albert Winter Festival are scheduled to take place Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. The starting line will be in the field, just west of the Rose Garden Hospice site off Marquis Road.

Race organizer Tammy McGunigal told paNOW she was expecting upwards of 20 teams for the 10 dog race, and possibly as many as 25 teams for the six dog event. She added trail preparation will begin on Sunday.

The total purse this year is $15,000.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell