The Yukon Brewing Copper Haul Twister League had its final race of the year on Sunday, and Tony Radford was the victor of the day, and the season.

Radford powered ahead of the eight-mile Twister at the Optimum Pet Foods Race Day, with 2009 league champ Jon Lucas in hot pursuit.

"It was another great day,” Lucas said.

With the temperature plunging down into the low twenties overnight Saturday, the morning saw a hard packed and near-perfect trail for the races.

"The trail seems to set up really well,” Lucas said.

Radford and his team of five dogs clocked in at 27.2 km/h, with Lucas trailing at about 24 km/h.

Another great victory of the day was the kids race, which had a rise in attendance.

"I'm really pleased with the popularity,”Lucas said.

The Copper Haul league has had huge success this year, with bigger turnouts and more teams signed up.

Lucas said at one point they had 10 teams ready to run in the pet dog race.

The kids race had a great turnout on Sunday, with three new racers showing up to try their hand at dog racing. Two of the three skijor teams out ran league regular Erin Spicer's sled team of four dogs.

At the banquet that followed, Lucas said they welcomed the newcomers, and pointed out the left over prizes they could have won had they participated all year long. Spicer was the only kid's race winner to receive a prize, for her year-long commitment, which several prizes going unawarded.

The eight-mile league shaped up with Radford earning the top prize of $250 and a trophy he will keep for the year – passed on by second place finisher Jon Lucas.

Third place was snagged by Chrystal Bjartzack.

Lucas said he isn't disappointed by the loss.

"I had a long time to come to terms with it,” he said.

The skijorer knew that spoiling Radford would mean he would have to pull off a number of upsets.

He did manage to give Radford a run for his money Sunday, however.

"I'm just enjoyed the competition,” Lucas said.

Many of the Copper Haul League's teams will now take on the Percy de Wolfe race starting next week.

Lucas will be racing in the skijor race, a figure-eight course that features two loops of 56-kilometres over two days.

"It's good fun,” Lucas said.

The challenge is keeping the dogs moving, as they start at the centre at the Dawson ice bridge, and loop around, having to pass the beginning four times. On the second day, the teams reverse and do the loop from the other direction.

"It actually plays with the dog's head something awful,” Lucas said. Four Copper Haul teams will be competing in the race.

"Everyone's in it to win it,” Lucas said.

Now that the Yukon Brewing Copper Haul Twister League is over for the season, dog-powered sports fans have only a few short months to wait until the next installment starts up for the summer season.

The Hot Hounds league is set to kick off in May, with the start of a series of one-mile dryland dog races.

Teams can have one or more dogs while running, biking, or any other mode of non-motorized transportation.

"It's easy with one dog,” Lucas said.

While the final dates are not set, Lucas said the first race will be at Icy Waters up the Fish Lake Rd., and will feature more than one team starting at once.

The Copper Haul and Hot Hounds races are organized by the Dog Powered Sports Association of Yukon.

Lucas invites anyone interested to attend the annual general meeting, to be held April 13 at the Beringia Centre, starting at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to everyone, and Lucas says many of the board members have been serving for three or more years in the same positions, and are hoping to change up the group.

Complete league results have not yet been posted, but will be available on the Copper Haul Twister League's website, at copperhaultwister.blogspot.com

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Optimum Pet Foods Race Day results

Kids five-kilometre

1. Caelon 10.58

2. Pelly Braun 13.32

3. Erin Spicer 15.00

4. Nora Braun 27.20

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One pet dog five-km

1. Pippa Lawson 17.17

2. Cynthia Corriveau19.00

3. Jane Whiteman 30.50

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Eight-mile Twister

1. Tony Radford 26.12

2. Jon Lucas 29.49

3. Chrystal Bjartzack 31.43

4. Cynthia Corriveau 31.44

5. Trevor Braun 32.14

6. Darryl Sheepway 32.24

7. Laura Jane Lucas 35.12

8. Fabian Schmitz 37.42

9. Jesse Doherty 39.48

10. Jeff Diment 40.20

11. Claudia Wickert 43.18

12. Maren Bradley 43.53

13. Gunter Glaser 44.41

14. Janet Keller 56.05