Susannah Kelly from Team Norway was one of the racers that competed in the World Championship Dryland Dog Races at Timberland Tours, in Bristol.
Louise St. Laurent
Susannah Kelly from Team Norway was one of the racers that competed in the World Championship Dryland Dog Races at Timberland Tours, in Bristol.
Louise St. Laurent
BRISTOL – Dog racers from 16 countries visited the Pontiac from October 28 to November 1 to compete in the World Championship Dryland Dog Races at Timberland Tours in Bristol. The opening ceremony for the race was held at Pine Lodge, October 28, where Phillip Holmes sang the National Anthem before Bristol Mayor Brent Orr and Timberland owner Denis Rozon addressed the hundreds of attendants.
Orr congratulated Rozon for all of his efforts in bringing the World Championship to the Pontiac and welcomed everyone to the area. “I couldn’t be happier to have the world come to Bristol. Hosting the race is a dream come true,” said Rozon, who explained his first request to host the Championships in 2014 was denied.
The races officially began October 29 despite the on and off rain. Twenty-two year old Sandra Asander, racing for the Swedish team, has been racing since she was 10 years old. Before the races began, Asander did a test run on the track and found it very different from what she is used to. “There are a lot of curves,” she said.
Valarie Desroches, representing Team Canada, has been racing for the last two years, but this was the first race with her dog Telsa, an Alaskan Hound. “The trails were very fun, with lots of curves, making them very technical and challenging,” she said.
The race winners were: Canicross Women’s Junior (1.6mi) – Emmy Noslund (Sweden); Canicross Men’s Junior (1.6mi) – Asa Szegvari (US); 8 Dog Rig (3mi) – Laurent Gonsolin (France); 6 Dog Rig (3mi) – Mike Marsch (US); 4 Dog Rig (3mi) – Igor Tracz (Poland); Canicross Women’s Veteran (2.3mi) – Anne Van hove (France); Canicross Women’s (2.3mi) – Tessa Philippaerts (Belgium); Canicross Men’s Veteran (2.3mi) – Jean Philippe Deshays (France); Canicross Men’s (2.3mi) – Antony Le Moigne (France); Scooter 1 Dog Junior (2.3mi) – Nova Clifford (US); and Scooter 1 Dog (2.3mi) – Vesa-Pekka Jurvelin (Finland).
