This is the biggest Sled Dog Race of the year beside the Yukon Quest here in Fairbanks. They held the first set of races last weekend. My wife's good friend, and co-worker Marie Wynn is racing in the four dog and six dog classes. Marie is always looking for dog handlers to help her get to the starting line, and control the dogs. One person can not control four dogs that wants to run, let alone six. The wife is going to help, I'm going to sit this one out.
The dogs have to be left in the dog boxes on the truck till time to harness them to the sled. The reason for this is so they don't expend all their energy jumping around and barking and fighting the chain when out on the ground. If in their boxes they lay down and are quite. It takes strength to get them out of their boxes and chain them to the rings on the truck. Then you have to put the harness on a squirming jumping excited bundle of energy. These dogs are not vicious or mean, they are just excited, and in their excitement they grab and lightly bite anything they think is stopping them from getting out there on the race track. Handlers need to wear heavy gloves and a tough coat with heavy sleeves. Once the harness is on, you have to remove the chain from their coller and take them to their location on the line attatched to the front of the sled. To do this you have to grab them by their collers and lift their front feet off the ground, otherwise you will be jerked around, and possiably lose your footing on the ice and snow. If you fall and a dog gets loose, every one tries to grab that dog before it gets too close to another team and gets in a fight.
Once the dogs are attatched to the sled they are all trying to run. The sled is firmly tied to a post. The dogs are jumping straight up in the air, barking, and hitting the harness with all they got. They start reaching around biting the ropes and gitting in fights with team mates. So a handler often has to stay there and hold that dog with it's front feet off the ground to keep it under control. Trying to talk to them and calm them down is futile, you'll just get bit. Keep your face, and any exposed skin away from the dogs. Being a big guy I can handle two dogs by straddling one and clamping my legs around it's body just behind the front legs. I lift it to where it's front legs are just off the ground and clamp down to hold it there with my theighs and knees. Then I reach across the line and grab it's team mate and lift it up. Ot I straddle the line, which I don't like to do and hold one with each hand. Just think about it, the rope holding the sled to the post breaks or comes loose. All those dogs start running and you are in trouble. You could fall into the sled and have a wild ride. Or you could get ran over by the sled. Or worst of all get hung up in the ropes and get drug. Until you have had your hands on a team of sled dogs you just can not understand the power six excited dogs can generate.
Once the racer is called to the ready line, a handler has to grab each dog and the sled is untied. Then you lead the team to the ready line. You have your hands full controling your squirming, jerking, jumping, biting, bundle of energy. Then they start the count down, don't let anyone tell you dogs can't count. They start at five, and as the countdown progresses, that bundle of energy becomes almost uncontrollable. At the word GO, if you don't turn them loose you are going to get drug. Their off. From standstil to wide open in less than ten yards. The Musher had better have a good grip on the sled, and ready or they are in deep trouble. those dogs are off and nothing can stop them for the first couple of hundred yards. then they settle down to running. Once the edge is worn off they are very controlable by the musher.
More than once Marie has had the sled tip over and she got dragged for a short distance. One of her dogs Elvis, sensing something is wrong, everytime will stop the team and stand there till she can right the sled and get herself togeather. But when she says Hike, it's off at full tilt again.
Marie has placed third after two days of racing in the six dog class. In the four dog she is running pups, young dogs that have not had much training. Her compatition is kids and young people with usually older mature well trained dogs. So Marie is running last, but that is OK since she is not there to win, but to give her young dogs some training.
When it comes to the ten dog class, you are talking about some real power. The local high school foot ball team comes out to hold the sleds back as they go to the ready line, and while they wait on the ready line. Snow hooks and sled brakes can't do anything to hold these bad boys. It takes the whole team to hold the sled back. Dogs standing on their hind legs and lunging against the harness can still put a strain on that main drag line hooked to the sled.
