Fulda Tyres Arctic Challenge
Another Win for UK\'s Remaining Racer
03.02.2005
The UK team celebrated its second win and another ten points on day four of the 2005 Fulda Challenge. Event 6: Dog-sledding at Blue Kennels
The Husky breed of dogs may be commonplace in the Yukon Territory but, for most of the teams involved in the 2005 challenge, the sledding event was the first time they had come face to face with these incredible animals.
Blue Kennels - home to 40 Alaskan Huskies - is just a short drive from the Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse. With an amazing backdrop that would normally be a professional-standard golf course, the athletes familiarised themselves with the friendly dogs (and sleds) that would carry them.
Divided into groups of four, each athlete had to steer a sled, towed by four huskies, down a steep gradient and negotiate a winding 3.5km snow-covered course. Ten points were awarded to the competitor with the fastest time.
Italian Haller Werner celebrated victory with a time of eight minutes 41 seconds. Newcastle-based Richard Jackson - competing without team-mate Emmie Gribble following a road accident earlier in the challenge - finished fifth in a respectable time of ten minutes 23 seconds.
After completing the course Richard said: “That was another fun event. It is very dependant on the temperament of the dogs that you have to steer. Luckily mine seemed to listen and I am happy that I didn’t fall off. If that happens, and you don’t manage to hold onto the sled, the dogs will just leave you behind!�See All Event Posts
