Hot hounds beat the heat with summer race

The Yukon Brewing Hot Hounds Race series continued this weekend with three events hosted at the Takhini Hot Springs on Sunday night.

The Yukon Brewing Hot Hounds Race series continued this weekend with three events hosted at the Takhini Hot Springs on Sunday night.

Local mushers competed in a 1.6-kilometre run in a one-dog bikejor race, a 3.2-km trail for the two-dog bikejor and finished things off with a 1.6-km canicross.

The pooches cooled off with a dip in an inflatable pool both before and after the races.

“For the middle of the summer it was a good turnout and it’s a great stretch for the dogs,” said Cynthia Corriveau, who placed third overall in the two-dog bikejor.

“It’s good because they can’t do too much in the summer with the heat so it’s always nice to get them running.”

Starting out from the Hot Springs, the mushers were taken down an ATV-route before the path narrowed out and weaved through the trees.

“It was a technical mountain bike trail so it was a lot of fun,” said Corriveau.

“You’re going super fast with the dogs and you get to follow the narrow bumpy trial.”

It was the third summer run for DPSAY, after getting things started in late June with the Summer Solstice Hot Hounds Run on the Mt. Mac cross-country ski trails.

Jess Heath placed third overall in the canicross and said the experience of being outside and running with your dogs makes the event enjoyable for everyone involved.

“It’s pretty cool seeing how jazzed these dogs get when they are able to get outside and run full speed,” she said.

“There are a lot of dogs out there who don’t get to experience that.”

Heath competed in the event with Annie, a border-collie mix.

“Both my dogs are small and have orthopedic problems and I wanted them out there so people can see you don’t need a sled dog to participate in the sport,” she said.

“It’s just about the dogs having fun.”

Heath, who is also a board member with DPSAY, said it’s the first event she’s been able to get out to this summer because of other commitments.

The lack of experience didn’t seem to affect her and Annie as they placed just over a minute behind top place finisher Stefan Wackerhagen.

Heath said the canicross event depends on how well trained your dogs are.

“Given that my dogs aren’t that well trained at all I’m kind of used to being pulled around,” she said.

“This time we were just kind of doing it with a purpose.”

The mushers will be back at it next month for an event that will be hosted on former Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt’s property.

“That’s a very technical trail and it’s a lot of fun because it’s wide open with a mass start,” said Corriveau.

“It makes it exciting and interesting, it will be a fun race. It’s always a super nice trail out there and Hans does a great job maintaining it.”

DPSAY Hot Hounds Summer Race results:

1.6-km bikejor (one dog):

Stefan Wackerhagen: 3 min 53 sec

Cynthia Corriveau: 3 min 57 sec

Claudia Wickert: 4 min 16 sec

Valerie Bussieres: 4 min 36 sec

Ann Bowen: 4 min 59 sec

Virginia Sarrazin: 5 min 17 sec

Janet Keller: DNF

3.2-km bikejor (two dog):

Stefan Wackerhagen: 5 min 7 sec

Cynthia Corriveau: 5 min 35 sec

Valerie Bussieres: 6 min 02 sec

Fabian Schmitz: 6 min 03 sec

Robert Siefke: 8 min 50 sec

Janet Keller: 9 min 11 sec

Canicross (1.6 km / one dog):

Stefan Wackerhagen: 6 min 04 sec

Virginia Sarrazin: 7 min 14 sec

Jess Heath: 7 min 49 sec

Cynthia Corriveau: 8 min 37 sec

Martina Siefke: 9 min 21 sec

Janet Keller: 11 min 13 sec