Peter L. Smith
Published online December 3, 2025, at www.pontiacjournal.com.
L’ISLE-AUX-ALLUMETTES — Local athlete Elisabeth Leblanc, 28, brought pride to the region—and to Canada—after earning a silver medal at the 2025 International Federation of Sledding Sports (IFSS) Harness Dog Racing World Championships held in Minocqua, Wisconsin this past October. Alongside her canine partner, Porto, a Magyar agár (Hungarian greyhound)/Greyster cross, Leblanc competed in the highly demanding bikejoring event.
Leblanc raced in the 5 km bikejoring, which featured 20 competitors from 15 different countries. She finished second in her division and seventh overall across all age and gender categories. The competition spanned two days, with rankings based on combined times. First place in her category also went to a Canadian athlete.
Overall, the United States captured the most medals at the event, followed by Canada in second place and Norway in third. The championships included multiple harness dog sports: canicross, scooter, bikejoring and four to six-dog rigs.
Bikejoring is a form of off-road cycling in which a dog or team of dogs pulls a rider on a specialized bike along a marked trail. The dog wears a safety harness connected to the bike by a bungee line, and competitors typically use cross-country mountain bikes or cyclocross models.
Leblanc told Journal she has been training in the sport for four years. “I began running with my dog to improve my fitness. I discovered the canicross and bikejor community while looking for others who also ran their dogs. It helped keep me motivated,” she said.
She added that the World Championships represented something deeper than competition.
“It’s the heart of what I love most about the sport—the bond, the challenge, and the growth shared between human and dog. It’s about learning from the best, discovering new levels of teamwork, and celebrating the incredible connection that drives us forward. Most of all, I’m proud of what my dog and I accomplished together.”
Photo – Allumette Island bikejorer Elisabeth Leblanc with her partner, Porto. (Submitted)
