Husky Sevillana Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hi there! I open this thread to post all the mushing great trophies that you know. Those that you consider hard, exciting or those which are close to your house. I'm starting with the Spanish Mushing Association (AEM) which fulfills all disciplines as bikejoring or canicross Here in Spain we haven't got a huge mushing tradition or federations...but I'm going to write about the hugest race in Spain: Pirena Also called "The White Path of the Pyrenees", its target is to cross the Pyrenees from West to East following this route: The race was founded by Pep Parés and his dog "Txao". 20 years later, the race became official. The essence of Pirena is the adventure, the respect for animals and nature, and the promotion of the link between dogs and humans. Nowdays, Pirena are races of all disciplines and also a big beauty contest. Here some pics from Pirena: And not as spamm, I also post the full special programme for Pirena in RTVE (public TV) divided into stages, it's so interesting but... it's in Spanish Pirena 2012 online - RTVE.es A la Carta Come on! another good race? :D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prinzess Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 I love looking at these dogs working in their element. They just seem to absolutely love it and it shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosemary Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Great post We don't have snow in SA, so no mushing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutsibe Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Thanks for the info/pictures/link! My Spanish is pretty rusty, but adequate to get the gist of what was being said - so thanks for the practice, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Sevillana Posted July 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Here goes more mushing! I love it:D Iditarod Also called "The Last Great Race on Earth". This hard race occurs every year in March, in Alaska following this route: As you can see, it starts at Anchorage (or also Willow) and it finishes at Nome. Do anybody remember Balto story? Yes this is Balto's route! It's an historical commemoration of all these Alaskan routes. Its initial length was 650 km, it increased to 1000km and gradually to their 1857 km at present. After Ophir city, the trail diverges in two routes: the northern (used in even-numbered years) and the southern (used in odd-numbered years) The race can last for days (9-17) and it's a huge challenge for dogs and mushers. They have to fight against frozen rivers, snowstorms, blizzards, dense forests, below zero temperatures, sleep deprivations, hallucinations and many more troubles. Dogs have to endure all these problems and that's because mushers select the best nordic pure or mixed breeds only. The Iditarod spirit is standing out all the routes, dogs, and mushers in the background of Alaska. Some pics from Iditarod, Alaska: It's a hard but very beautiful experience... I believe that Iditarod mushers can consider theirselves lucky. The official website of Iditarod is Iditarod | Last Great Race on Earth® (if someone is looking for more information) Kara also loves Iditarod, she is wearing an Iditarod team polar jacket (I found this husky in the internet hahaha) Bye! ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyMom09 Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 I was lucky enough to meet a lovely dog at the 2009 Siberian Husky Nationals, his name is Grissom and he runs on Team Stormwatch and has completed the Iditarod a couple of times. Lovely dog and amazing people, so nice to see our breed still doing what it was bred to do and doing it well! Not only in the ring but on the trails too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prinzess Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Loook at those faces, their long long tongues hanging out. The concentration on some faces and yes I see the pure happiness on them too. I love looking at these pictures. A photo tells a thousand words is very true. The caption pic with the dog going , you're joking ha ha...loved it. Ohh...some of the pics the dogs have no booties on. Not needed or?? I thought they wear them doing this mushing. Edited July 10, 2012 by Prinzess bootie question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Sevillana Posted July 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 Ohh...some of the pics the dogs have no booties on. Not needed or?? I thought they wear them doing this mushing. It depends very much on snow consistence and texture. Hard and cold snow could make "snowballing" (not in kamasutra vocabulary hahaha), little amounts of snow are shaped between toes and they can hurt their paws... it's very uncomfortable for the dogs. It also depends on musher experience: a musher can choose that their dogs or just one dog not to wear booties... those/that dog will run faster. If the dog that runs faster is the leader, all the line will go a little bit faster. It's just experience and musher skills. If I'm not mistaken... A musher in 2009 Iditarod edition risked all his line not wearing booties in a hard stage (hard, cold and sharp snow)... his dogs had a lot of abrasions but he finished the first on that checkpoint. Obviously he lost the global first position because his dogs weren't recovered at the following stage. That's a bad musher:S About Grissom, I know him! Chris and Wayne Curtis are good owners, I love how Wayne leads... he's very respectful with his dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prinzess Posted July 11, 2012 Report Share Posted July 11, 2012 @Husky Sevillana I am in awe of these dogs and the respectful mushers. I have been since I was extremely young. I heard that there is a club in Victoria, Australia that mushes their dogs over the big mountains there. I might even contact them and see how it all works. It is something I seriously would love Luka to do even though he is a cross. I will be looking for more pics of this...I just love looking at these pics particularly of them working. So when do these guys start working their pups/dogs? Like in age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Sevillana Posted July 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Recommended age is from 7-8 months to 14 months when all joints are well-formed... but you can give them a soft training since their 4th month old. Mushers could teach puppies to be in lines, to walk in lines, and also some harness-breaking (adapting and pulling) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 what are the regulations to joining in a comp? do the dogs have to be KC, done (as in chopped) etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Sevillana Posted July 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 what are the regulations to joining in a comp? do the dogs have to be KC, done (as in chopped) etc? I don't know how it works professionally or the KC policy because here in Spain it's "RSCE" and this society is basically for beauty... but... I think everybody can join a team with any dog... with pedigree or not. The "speed stars" of races are Alaskan Huskies which haven't got any breed bloodline, they're just a perfect combination of breeds. In order to create a team, you can do whenever it were licensed by the official mushing federation (in every country, it's ruled by an international cooperation like Federation Internationale Sportive de Traineau a Chiens -FISTC-) For both objectives, it's necessary to follow some basic rules, you can read them here: NKC Race Rules If you don't follow these rules, you'll be suspended from the NKC and all clubs all over the world. MUSHING IS RESPECTING THE NATURE AND YOUR DOGS. You can't do this: His name, Claudio de Ferrari, italiano, officially suspended from races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 I don't know how it works professionally or the KC policy because here in Spain it's "RSCE" and this society is basically for beauty... but... I think everybody can join a team with any dog... with pedigree or not. The "speed stars" of races are Alaskan Huskies which haven't got any breed bloodline, they're just a perfect combination of breeds. In order to create a team, you can do whenever it were licensed by the official mushing federation (in every country, it's ruled by an international cooperation like Federation Internationale Sportive de Traineau a Chiens -FISTC-) For both objectives, it's necessary to follow some basic rules, you can read them here: NKC Race Rules If you don't follow these rules, you'll be suspended from the NKC and all clubs all over the world. MUSHING IS RESPECTING THE NATURE AND YOUR DOGS. You can't do this: His name, Claudio de Ferrari, italiano, officially suspended from races. ah yes i have seen this video makes me cring....ill have a read of the attached this weekend, not thinking of joining, just always interesting to know more cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osinn11 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Just found this thread....glad I did with the Yukon just finished and Iditarod right around the corner! Love seeing huskies at work! I think they love every second of it too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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