MUSA NEWS:

Recent MUSA Happenings

IFSS Application for Enrollment for Nordic Training Camp for juniors and leaders

Sandviken, Sweden • August 7-10, 2012

The International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) invites applications from member federations to attend a Nordic Training Camp for juniors (ca 16-22 years) and leaders in Sweden August 7–10 2012. The site for the camp is in Sandviken, 150 km from Stockholm airport (Arlanda).  The camp will be dryland, for there is no snow in August in Sweden.

• The intention of the camp is to:

• Inspire, educate and train juniors who want to develop their skills in Nordic style. They will also meet juniors from Sweden and other countries.  

• Inspire, educate and train leaders who can teach youngsters/juniors in their home country or region.

• At the camp the participants will develop an action plan for their development work in their home country or region.

• The focus of the camp is Nordic style, but there will also be some training in Dryland/Sled.

• The training camp will be carried out at an annual training camp for Swedish youngsters and juniors.

• The international camp will be led by experienced national leaders. The activities at the camp will be led by young leaders in training, 20-25 years old.

The Swedish Federation kindly offers accommodation and meals for all participants at the camp.

IFSS has allocated a limited budget for travel support for international participants. You are asked to send to Sara Vanderwood (pulka4u@yahoo.com) no later than May 10, 2012, your application. Application can be found attached and also available on the mushing USA website: www.mushingusa.org.

Since the number of places is limited, the IFSS and the Swedish Federation reserve the right to limit the number of places allocated to each national member. The financial support offered by the IFSS will be announced after the deadline date for submission of the applications.

Click here for the Nordic Training Camp Enrollment Form

New Board Member

Board member John Perry (Colorado) resigned his position, and the MUSA board elected Natalie Harwood (Wisconsin) to replace him. She is excited about again being able to serve MUSA.

MUSA Committees

Canine Legislation Committee:

Sara Vanderwood: The canine legislation committee will gather information/resources of other affiliated groups such as national animal interest groups, AKC, sportsman’s groups, etc. to create a repository of ideas in an acceptable form on the MUSA website. This would be open to only  the mushing community and not the general public. As different bills affecting our sport hit different states, the info would be available on our website. MUSA would need to create action groups that would be willing to be the “eyes & ears” at municipal and state levels, willing to contact other animal welfare groups, and able to understand the legislative process, and the difference between animal welfare vs. animal rights.

Media Committee

Board members Diane Locotos and Amy Cooper presented their ideas for promoting MUSA. They have made several suggestions. They feel MUSA’s “brand” is outdated and needs a makeover. They suggested a new logo design and adopting MUSA’s former name, United States Sled Dog Sports Federation, which better reflects the organization’s purpose. They would also like a Facebook presence.

Mushing USA Holds Biennial Congress, Elects New Board

Mushing USA (MUSA), the national governing body of sled dog sports in the USA, held its Third Biennial Congress in conjunction with ISDRA’s annual Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, June 25^th. The main order of business was to elect a new board. However, several other issues were discussed as well.

With a mandate to elect the four officers, four Active Athlete board members (those who are currently competing), and four At-Large board members, MUSA had a nominee pool of seventeen, well-qualified and outstanding people. Sara Vanderwood has relinquished her president’s position to Mike Marsch of Neillsville, Wisconsin. However, she stays on the board as its Past President. Bud Rice (Eagle River, Alaska) takes on the job of Vice President, and Rebecca Knight (Wasilla, Alaska) fills the slot for MUSA’s Secretary. Sally O’Sullivan Bair (Monticello, Minnesota) was re-elected as MUSA’s Treasurer.

Elected as Active Athlete board members were Jocelyn Bradbury (Oxford, Maine), Mike Christman (De Pere, Wisconsin), Janet Saxon (Golden, Colorado), and Diane Locotos Stewart (Ipswich, Massachusetts). The At-Large board members elected were Lindy Howe (Stockholm, Maine), Joe Fessler (Hamel, Minnesota), John Perry (Sterling, Colorado), and Jamie Spaulding (Abrams, Wisconsin). Kevin Murphy (Lino Lakes, Minnesota) was approved as the board member representing the Affiliated Organizations. These capable individuals will serve four-year terms with the exception of Janet Saxon, who was elected to fill a vacancy that expires in two years. The MUSA board also includes Amy Cooper (Holmen, Wisconsin) and Chuck Gould (Isabella, Minnesota), both of whose four-year terms expire in 2013.

All board members have equal voice and vote. The Active Athlete category is a requirement from the US Olympic Committee (USOC), whose guidelines MUSA adheres to. The specific ramifications of this category guarantee that a sufficient percentage of a national federation’s governance is represented by those who are actually practicing the sport.

President Mike Marsch, a sprint musher, was MUSA’s Vice President and comes from a business background (University of Denver). He is currently employed by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Association, which has given him experience with political processes and lobbying. He keeps a kennel of around twenty dogs and has competed in the sprint classes for over twenty years. 

Vice President Bud Rice began as a cross-country skier who took up skijoring. He has competed extensively in Alaska, where he has won many trophies and awards, in skijoring events as well in the 2005 IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) World Championships in Dawson City, Yukon Canada. He has a B.S. in Forestry and Conservation from the University of California and a M.S. in Natural Resources Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He currently is an Environmental Protection Specialist in the National Park Service Alaska.

Secretary Rebecca Knight is new to the board and comes with a background in distance recreational mushing and more recently in skijoring. She competed in the recent IFSS World Championships in Norway and is excited to contribute her insights and experience to a new endeavor in MUSA.

Treasurer Sally O’Sullivan Bair has held this position since its inception. She also serves as the IFSS Secretary General and is the editor for the Tugline of North Star Sled Dog Club, Minnesota’s local organization. She is a product of (and retired from) the limited sprint classes, having garnered local awards with a small kennel of around ten dogs. She also serves as the chair of MUSA’s Anti-Doping Committee and is herself an IFSS-certified canine doping control officer. A graduate of Colorado Women’s College (now a part of Denver University), she is a retired high school special education (learning disabilities, remedial reading) instructor. She has completed graduate certification and work in special education, counseling, and computer graphics.

Jocelyn Bradbury graduated from college in 2003. At the same time she also “graduated” to a mid-distance team of her own. She has since worked for a touring company and now runs in the sprint and dryland events. This past winter she ventured to the IFSS World Championships in Norway as a spectator and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Mike Christman loves skijoring. His goals are to compete in the next IFSS World Championships and is anxious to help others get into the sport and grow the sport for future generations.

Janet Saxon has two skijor dogs in her kennel and competed at the IFSS World Championships in Norway this past winter. She, too, is interested in growing the sport. This talented athlete also skis, participates in mountain biking, road biking, and running – sans dogs.

Diane Locotos Stewart is already a part of MUSA. With her Ph.D. in chemistry, she serves on MUSA’s Anti-Doping Committee. A strong competitor in skijoring and dryland events, she also has background in legal issues, especially contracts.

Joe Fessler is the technology expert. This man runs at ninety miles an hour. His background is mainly in skijoring, but he also has handled for distance mushers, Blake and Jen Frekking, Minnesota Siberian mushers. He has a B.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota.

Lindy Howe comes from the Down East Sleddog Club and distance and mid-distance racing. She is a registered guide in Maine and through this avenue is able to promote our sport. She operates out of Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures, offering adventure packages for ice-fishing, wildlife sightings, and photography tours.

A musher well known among the sleddog world is John Perry (Sterling, Colorado), who has earned eleven ISDRA medals and an IFSS gold medal (Dawson City, Yukon Canada). An educator by profession at the high school and college level, Perry’s passion is dogs – sled dogs and hunting dogs. He looks forward to “working with other members of the MUSA board to improve sled dog sports in the USA.”

Another Wisconsonite is Jamie Spaulding. She brings to the board the Nordic purebred experience as well as the knowledge earned from an Animal Science degree from Michigan State. Her specialty is nutrition and animal husbandry. She has been active in the sport since 1997 when she was still in high school. She maintained a kennel of rescued dogs. Now she has taken on Siberians as her mainstay, competing in the sprint and dryland circuits.

Affiliated Organization board member Kevin Murphy got his start in skijoring and is the past president and founder of Midwest Skjorers. Currently he serves as president of Skijor USA, a new group formed in the last year but with an impressive record, having staged the first USA Skjoring Championship in Minneapolis this past winter. He earned his college degree from Century College and an MBA from St. Thomas University. He works at Wells Fargo Banks as a wholesale technology manager. A go-getter, Murphy has spent a lot of his energy over the years organizing skijoring races in the Minneapolis area.

Past President Sara Vanderwood (Oxford, Maine) saw MUSA through its formative years. She came into the sport through her mother, who owns a sleddog equipment business. Vanderwood has many trophies and awards to her credit in skijoring and currently serves as the USA representative to the IFSS council. A graduate of the University of Alaska, she now works as the Chief of Staff for the Maine State Senate. Her background in legislative issues has been a natural fit for MUSA’s  Canine Legislation Committee.

In other actions, MUSA passed a resolution supporting the cooperative North American Cup agreement between ISDRA (International Sled Dog racing Association) and IFSS. Dave Steele, ISDRA Executive Director, shared with the MUSA membership perspectives on the agreement and answered questions. The agreement will be in effect for one year, for the 2011-2012 season. After that, it will be re-evaluated.

Skijor USA was approved by the Congress as an Affiliated Organization member with Kevin Murphy as its MUSA board representative. Such a classification is required by the USOC. An Affiliated Organization is a USA sports organization that has programs in mushing. Other examples might be NCAA groups or any of the armed forces, should they initiate programs in sled dog sports.

Other discussions focused on the IFSS Dryland World Championship in Borken, Germany, in early November and the MUSA Committee on Canine Animal Rights Legislation. Amy Cooper will handle any application from USA teams that wish to compete in Germany. Pete Curtice, distance musher from Michigan, submitted his committee’s outline to tackle the animal welfare bills that plague almost every state legislature and many local municipalities.

MUSA is seriously considering a National Championship in 2013 or 2014. A prospective sponsor has stepped onto the scene, but plans are sketchy at present. Various aspects of such an event were discussed.

MUSA was able to complete all of its business on Saturday, allowing attendees to participate in ISDRA’s program. Mushing USA congratulates its new board members and looks forward to some very exciting activity.

IFSS 2011 Dryland World Championship

Borken, Germany

November 12-13, 2011

The International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) will be holding its Dryland World Championship in Borken,Germany, November 12-13, 2011. Mushing USA is accepting applications for Team USA. Deadline to apply is August 1, 2011. If you wish to be on Team USA, please begin planning now, especially if you wish to take a dog(s).

The application is now available online. Go to the main menu, click on World Championship. You will then be linked to the page on which is the application (MS Word).

Probably the best airport to fly into with direct flights from the USA is Amsterdam, Netherlands (Schipol), which is about a two-hour drive to Borken. It is a major airport. There is also a smaller airport in Dortmund, about an hour SE from Borken. Düsseldorf, Germany, is also about an hour from Borken (south).

Please contact Mike Marsch, MUSA Vice President (dogdaze@badger.tds.net), or Sally Bair, MUSA Treasurer (sbair@tds.net), if you have any questions.

In accordance with Article 8.3 of the MUSA Bylaws, I have the pleasure of sending you the formal Calling Notice for the 2011 MUSA Congress to be held at the in Green Bay, Wisconsin, June 25, 2011, beginning at 10:00 AM.

According to this article, “The Calling Notice shall contain a request for any items which any member may wish to have included on the agenda, including proposals for Bylaw changes. Such items for the agenda are to be sent to the President or Secretary at least six weeks before the Congress.”  The six-week deadline for agenda items to be sent to the President or Secretary is May 14, 2011. After May 14th, subsequent items for the agenda must be sent to the President or Secretary and should eventually be approved by the Congress.

In accordance with Article 8.3.4 of the MUSA Bylaws, the Agenda will be sent to you by June 11th along with any working papers, Bylaw changes or other proposals, and résumés of nominations from the Nominating Committee. Further nominations will be accepted until June 19, 2011.

In accordance with Article 11.3 (Active Athletes Council), the Active Athletes Council will hold its election meeting after the election of the Mushing USA officers (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer) and before the election of at-large board members. This Council elects positions to the MUSA board so that the total Active Athletes representation is at least five (5) of the MUSA Board.

Team USA Savors Norwegian Hospitality at IFSS World Championships

Sally O’Sullivan Bair

 April 7, 2011

Team USA came home from the IFSS World Championships in Norway with feelings of gratitude and an appreciation of the camaraderie and learning that comes from competition that offers the best in the sport. The sled long distance events took place in Røros, Norway, February 3-10, under the auspices of the Femundlopet, and the Nordic and sprint events were held in Hamar and Holmenkollen March 18-27^th.  Temperatures in all of the venues were warm. However, the terrain of the Femundløpet long distance race site saw temperatures drop during nights and in more mountainous areas and winter storms brewing. The first day at Hamar experienced snow, but subsequent days were sunny with temperatures in the upper 30’s and lower 40’s.  Holmenkollen temperatures were also very warm.

Rachael Scdoris (Oregon) competed in the Long Distance 400k in Røros, the only American entered. In a line-up that sent off over 150 teams from the start line, she finished 72^nd. Already a veteran of Alaska’s Iditarod, she was happy with the performance of her borrowed team and is glad to have this race under her belt. Simply finishing such a grueling race is an honor. And for a gal who is legally blind, it is an accomplishment to be proud of. There were plenty of rough spots along the trail, but she is grateful to the organizational skills of the Femundlopet and IFSS for making the race a success.

John Thompson (Minnesota) was the first America to take to the trail in the Nordic events, skiing to a 4^th place finish in the Nordic men’s skijoring 2-dog race. He was just 14 seconds off the pace for a bronze medal, having lost time (15 seconds?) in the start chute the second day due to icy conditions when donning his skis. Thompson also competed in the 17k 1-dog men’s skijoring, but took a wrong trail and had to drop out of the competition. Competing in Norway was a dream come true for him, and he relished every minute of it.

Rebecca Knight (Alaska) placed overall 10^th in the Nordic women’s 2-dog skijoring. Competing in Norway at such a prestigious event as the World Championships was a dream come true for Rebecca, and where she finished was not important. Getting her two dogs to Norway provided for some hectic moments, but all in all, she enjoyed every minute in Norway. Celebrating her 50^th birthday in Norway brought special meaning to the trip. But there is sad news, too, for her nine-year-old dog, Gypsy, raced her final race, and Rebecca will be retiring her. Janet Saxon (Colorado), competing at Holmenkollen in the Nordic women’s 1-dog skijoring, came in last, but, she commented, “We were just slow in our race, and Barclay was a bit timid throughout the whole course, and decided not to work very hard! I had a great experience regardless, and had no expectations going into it - so all was good.” Knight and Amy Cooper (Wisconsin) also competed in the Nordic women’s 1-dog skijor, placing 20^th and 21^st out of 23 teams. Like Rebecca, Janet and Amy learned a lot and were happy to be at the World Championships regardless of how they did.

Jason Sperry (New York) and Scott Aimone (Colorado) competed in the Nordic men’s 1-dog skijoring, placing 16^th and 21^st, respectively, out of 23 finishers. These two able athletes also entered the Nordic men’s combined (combining the pulka and skijoring), placing 13^th and 15^th respectively.

Young, 15-year-old Alexandra Vedeler, running for Team USA, took home a gold in the junior sprint 4-dog. She lives in Norway, where her parents are her best handlers and supporters. She wants to be as good as her idols: Hege Ingebrigtsen, Lena Boysen Hillestand, Venke de Lange and Nina Skramstad. “They are sooo good with the dogs,” says Alexandra. She thinks it is exciting to be a contestant in the same competition as some of her idols.

Eighteen-year old Dillon Gast (Vermont) turned in a splendid performance in the sprint unlimited competition. His first day was his worst, and he had to drop a dog because its health papers did not comply with the rabies titration requirements. However, on day two he came up from 9^th to a day time of 5^th. On day three, he had the 6^th fasted time, placing him overall in 7^th. He has been training with Uli Kuehn (Germany) since July and ran his dogs. He plans to stay on with Uli until this summer. He will be bringing home a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge. Dillon also competed in the junior men’s 1-dog skijoring, placing 8^th. Dillon is truly an all around mushing athlete!

Scandinavians ran away with most of the medals. As one Team USA member quipped: “Figuring out how to beat the Norwegians is hard. They start their athletes so young over there.”

Scott Aimone summarized the experience: “The event was simply first class. The Norwegian organization should be applauded for the work that they did to put this event together. It showcased our sport in a way that I have not seen before. The course was incredibly selective, winnowing out the most talented and prepared athletes (both canine and human). There were no fluke results.”

Mushing USA thanks these athletes for their contribution and dedication. They are worthy representatives for the USA. They did us proud.

December 6, 2010, Monticello, MN – Mushing USA (MUSA), the national governing body of sled dog sports in the USA, has made its final selection for competitors to represent the USA in the IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) Winter World Championships in Norway in February and March, 2011. The Long Distance events will be in February in Røros, and the Nordic and sprint sled classes will be in March in Hamar and Holmenkollen, near Oslo.

Selected are the following athletes:

•  John Thompson: Shoreview, Minnesota –  men’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring, men’s Nordic 2-skijoring, men’s Nordic combined (skijoring and pulka)

•  Scott Aimone: Divide, Colorado – men’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring, men’s Nordic pulka, men’s Nordic combined (skijoring and pulka)

•  Jason Sperry: Mexico, New York – men’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring, men’s Nordic pulka, men’s Nordic combined (skijoring and pulka)

•  Jim Benson: Blaine, Minnesota – men’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring, men’s Nordic 2-dog skijoring, men’s Nordic pulka

•  Jake Robinson: Morris, Minnesota – men’s Nordic 2-dog, men’s 1-dog skijoring junior, men’s Nordic Combined (skijoring and pulka)

•  Rebecca Knight: Wasilla, Alaska – women’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring, women’s 2-dog skijoring 

•  Amy Cooper: Holmen, Wisconsin – women’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring

•  Janet Saxon: Golden, Colorado –  women’s Nordic 1-dog skijoring

•  Katie Harris: lliff, Colorado – sled 4-dog sprint

•  Jenna Dittmar: Wausau, Wisconsin –  sled 6 dog sprint

•  Stephanie Dwyer: Leadville, Colorado – sled 4 dog sprint

•  Dillon Gast: Randolph Center, Vermont – sled unlimited sprint, men’s Nordic junior 1-dog skijoring

•  Rachael Scdoris: Bend, Oregon – sled long distance 8-dog

Some of these competitors will be transporting their own dogs to Norway, and some will be borrowing dogs from Europeans. Dillon Gast has been training in Europe this past winter and will be competing with Uli Kuhn’s (Germany) dogs. Jenna Dittmar is living in England this year and looks forward to possibly having a few of her own dogs flown from USA but otherwise borrowing dogs from a Norwegian musher. Rachael Scdoris will be leasing a long distance team from Ketil Reitan of Norway but will be transporting her own leaders, Breeze and Wrinkles. Each musher will receive a monetary stipend from IFSS for travel and transporting dogs from the USA to Norway. Many of the athletes are also being sponsored by private companies and individuals.

Alaska’s skijorer Rebecca Knight is not only is exhilarated at being invited to be part of Team USA … “a great honor for me!” She states that “Just to have the opportunity to travel to the ‘cradle’ of Nordic winter sports to experience such a gathering of skijorers, mushers, dogs and sled dog sport enthusiasts from around the globe is in itself tremendously exciting. To be able to participate as a racer in the skijoring class....well, I’d have to say, will most likely be the pinnacle of my years as a musher…I’m eager to learn and absorb all that I can from others about the sport of skijoring while overseas and likewise share a bit of my knowledge gained over my nearly 20 years in Alaska which has provided me with some opportunities I feel I could not have experienced elsewhere.”

John Thompson, being 100% Norwegian and looking forward to his second IFSS World Championship, can’t wait to visit Norway. He is excited about competing against the best of the best. “I also enjoy meeting competitors from around the world who love dog powered sports. From past experience, it’s humbling and exciting at the same time.“

Scott Aimone, who has traveled to South America as well as competed in previous World Championships on behalf of IFSS, enjoys meeting “new people who are enthusiastic about their dogs and their sport is always a pleasure as well as an amazing learning experience. I would welcome the opportunity to go back to Norway, reconnect with old friends, observe how others in the world are advancing the understanding of dogs… I think that it is very important for this sport to demonstrate that small kennels such as mine can be competitive on the world stage. I believe that success does not come from numbers but rather from having a close relationship/bond with your dog in combination with a no-excuses, organized and disciplined approach to preparation and training.”

Long distance competitor Rachael Scdoris, after competing in the Iditarod, is amazed at how few people realize that sled dogs even exist outside Alaska. “Competing in and promoting the Femundlopet would give me one more tool to peak peoples’ interests in sled dog sports.” As a legally blind person, she will be competing with the adaptive aid of a companion team from Ketil Reidar’s kennel.

One of the young members of Team USA is Jake Robinson, who says, “I will be able to fulfill a life-long dream as well as share my experience with others as I promote the wonderful sport of mushing.” He is also a previous IFSS champion, having earned a first place finish in the IFSS 2009 Daaquam (Quebec, Canada) World Championships in the Junior 1-dog skijoring class.

Dillon Gast, the youngest member of the USA competitors, is cognizant of the fact that few USA mushers have been represented in European competition in the unlimited sprint class. He is proud to be using a team from a very reputable European musher and previous unlimited IFSS gold world champion. “Allowing me to represent my country will show the world that the United States does have young competitors coming up in the near future. I have the knowledge, skill, and the ability to compete at this level. All I need is the opportunity to compete!”

Jenna Dittmar is equally as excited about going to Norway. “From this experience,” she comments, “I hope to gain knowledge of different techniques used in sled dog sports abroad, forage international relationships, and ultimately be a part of a more unified organization that governs sled dog sports. A World Championship event of this calibre is the ideal place to forge international relationships, and advance sled dog sports globally.”

Katie Harris reflects on her 2009 Daaquam IFSS World Championship, where she was amazed at “seeing all the competitors from all over the world, and getting to race against the best.  I had never even been out the USA, and here I was getting to have dinner with the Norwegian team, learning about dog sledding in Jamaica, and getting to see classes I had only heard about, like pulka. I was proud of my team’s performance, but at the same time I came home with plenty of ideas on how we could do better. I learned a lot in Daaquam that I could bring back and share with others.” She anticipates bringing home more learning tools and friends from Norway.

These worthy representatives of the USA all look forward to going to Norway and mixing with and learning from their peers from all over the world. Some will be spending some extra time traveling (and maybe some shopping?) and taking in the sights that such a beautiful winter wonderland presents.

MUSA congratulates these elite athletes and knows that they will be worthy representatives of the USA in competition against the many outstanding competitors from throughout the world. MUSA wishes them the very best fortune and looks forward to their tales from the trails of Norway.

MUSA Extends Deadline for 2010 Norway World Championship Applications

Mushing USA has extended the deadline for submitting applications for entry to the World Championships this winter in Norway from September 15^th to October 1^st. Application for entry is online at the Mushing USA website (www.mushingusa.org>Competition> Competition Entry Form). Anyone wishing to compete in the World Championships must complete an application even if they have received an automatic berth. Those not having been granted an automatic berth will have their application evaluated and prioritized by the MUSA Selection Committee. Competitors will be notified of their selection by November 1^st.

First Annual National Championship Skijoring Races To Be Held This Winter In Minneapolis, Minnesota

From John Thompson, Skijor USA

In partnership with Mushing USA, Skijor USA will be hosting an USA National Skijoring Championship race on February 5th and 6^th 2011. The nation's top skijorers will compete in Minneapolis, MN for national titles in one and two dog skijoring. A third title - combined skijoring - will be awarded to the skijorer who posts the fastest combined time over the two days of racing. Women and men will compete separately, and the purse will be divided equally between the classes. Skijorers outside the USA are encouraged to race and will be eligible for all cash prizes (national titles awarded to top American finishers only).

The two-dog race will consist of two laps around Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis with a finish on the snow-covered streets of the trendy Uptown neighborhood. Race distance will be 7.5k and one or two dogs are permitted. The one-dog race will be held on the hilly Junior Olympic course in Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Race distance will be 14k and only one dog is permitted. To be eligible for the combined title, a skijorer must use one of the same dogs raced in the two-dog event the previous day. Racers must agree to possible drug testing. Both races are being held in conjunction with the City of Lakes Loppet (cityoflakesloppet.com). Last year the City of Lakes Loppet and race director Kevin Murphy organized the world's largest skijoring event with over 120 participants.

Final details including purse size, online race application and contact information will be available online at the Skijor USA website at www.skijorusa.org.

IFSS 2011 World Championship Applications Available for Team USA

June 28, 2010

Monticello, MN – Applications for Team USA participation in the 2011 IFSS World Winter Championships in Norway are now open. They can be downloaded in MS Word by going to Mushing USA’s website (www.mushingusa.org) and clicking on “Norway 2011 WCh” on the main menu at the left. Anyone wishing to compete in the World Championships must complete an application even if they have received an automatic berth. Those not having been granted an automatic berth will have their application evaluated and prioritized by the MUSA Selection Committee. Applications are due to MUSA by September 15, 2010. Final selections to represent Team USA will be made and competitors notified by October 10, 2010.

IFSS Anti-Doping Training Seminar

September 27-28, 2010

May 19, 2010

Funäsdalen, Sweden, 15 May, 2010 – IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) has scheduled a two-day training seminar for prospective Doping Control Officers (DCO) and Assistants (DCA) as well as National Anti-Doping Officials for Monday and Tuesday, September 27-28, 2010, in conjunction with its General Assembly to be held near Dublin, Ireland, September 25-26, 2010.

All interested persons are welcome to register for this Anti-Doping seminar. However, participation is limited to twelve persons, and reservations must be made to the IFSS Anti-Doping Chair Person, Carin Ahlstedt, at  antidoping@draghundsport.se as soon as possible and at the latest by September 1^st. The participants will then receive a list of documents, mainly from the WADA website, which are to be studied in preparation for the training seminar. Interested persons are also requested to copy email IFSS Secretary General, Sally O’Sullivan Bair (sbair@tds.net) with their reservation.

The seminar itself is free of charge, but accommodation and travel are at the expense of each Federation/participant. The trainer will be Carin Ahlstedt, official DCO trainer for IFSS. The training will conclude with a written test, which is required for those who wish to gain IFSS DCO certification. Candidates who pass the exam must officiate as a DCA at, at the minimum, one approved race event and, preferably under two different DCOs, and upon recommendation from these DCOs, may then apply for an IFSS DCO certificate.

In the near future each Federation will be obliged to report on Doping Control of Dogs at minimum in connection with their National Championships and International Events and also report educational work aimed at both athletes and race judges.

This means that each Federation – or a group of Federations together in a Region – must nominate both an Anti-Doping Official (Contact Person) and at least one Doping Control Officer (DCO) for Dogs to be able to meet these obligations. From the beginning those two positions may be held by the same person as human resources may dictate. However, as soon as possible, each Federation – or each Region – should have different people in the two positions for Results Management reasons.

Carin Ahlstedt is also willing to offer her services to come and hold training seminars on a national or regional basis as well, possibly together with some of the other already certified DCOs, if they get travel and accommodation costs covered by the organizer. However, offering this training seminar in conjunction with the IFSS GA will hopefully provide the opportunity to coordinate the Anti-Doping Education and attendance as a delegate at the GA.

IFSS Council Approves 2011 Norway WCh Schedule

April 22, 2010

Monticello, MN – The Council of the IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) has approved the tentative schedule of events for its Winter World Championships (WCh) in Norway, 2011. MUSA will soon open up the application process for Team USA. To get the schedule, please click here for a downloadable PDF.

Mushing USA Appoints Anti-Doping Committee

Oxford, Maine – Mushing USA, the national governing body of sled dog sports in the USA, has appointed three members to its Anti-Doping Committee. Previously appointed as chairperson was Sally Bair, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) and member of MUSA’s Board of Directors. Serving with Bair will be Jerry Vanek, Donna Davis, and Diane Locotos Stewart.

Donna Davis is a pharmacist (Duluth, MN) who is also a musher. Jerry Vanek (Angus, MN) is a former musher. Also a veterinarian for such major sled dog races as the Iditarod, he is certified by the ISDVMA – International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association. Diane Locotos Stewart (Ipswich, MA) is a chemist and musher. All are very qualified persons with impressive résumés.

Each national sports federation is required by the mandates of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to set up its own anti-doping committee. Presently, the work of the Mushing USA committee is only minimal, primarily in the sphere of keeping abreast of any new developments in the world of doping control for both people and dogs. It is required to provide all Mushing USA athletes with anti-doping education so that they know their rights and responsibilities with regard to doping control and the principles of the Anti-Doping Code.

Currently, one of the barriers to more work is the USA Anti-Doping Agency's hefty price for granting TUEs (Therapeutic Use Exemptions). Dogs do not need TUEs. When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA can sort out the TUE issues, there will gradually accrue more involvement of MUSA’s Anti-Doping Committee. This will include carrying out and following all the procedures for drug testing in the USA for MUSA-sponsored competitions such as regional or national championships.

Mushing USA is pleased to have such an auspicious team on its Anti-Doping Committee.

IFSS Selects Two USA Skiers for Scandinavia’s Training Camp

Oxford, Maine – The International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) has announced its selection for a training camp to be in Sweden at the end of February, 2010. Two skijorers from the USA will be attending: Jason Sperry (New  York) and Jim Benson (Minnesota).

The primary goals of the camp are to improve the abilities and performance of those wishing to compete in the Nordic disciplines at the IFSS World Championships in Norway in 2011 and to give the training camp participants the skills and tools to enable them to go back to their own countries and educate others, further helping to develop skijoring and pulka.

Sperry has competed in many Nordic skijoring races, including the 2009 IFSS World Championships in Daaquam, Quebec. He is anxious to be exposed to Scandinavian skijor methods and philosophies. He has organized skijor camps and wants “to take what I learn in Sweden and Norway and bring that back and utilize the information at the camps and clinics I have been working on in the US.”

Like Sperry, Benson is an experienced skijorer but has never competed internationally against the best of the best. He has developed a training curriculum that is currently being used by his local Minneapolis club, the Midwest Skijorers Club, of which he is currently president. The Scandinavian training camp “is a very unique opportunity to further broaden the spectrum and depth of our training venues for the benefit of the sport and participants at all levels,” Benson commented upon learning of his selection.

Both Sperry and Benson as also anxious to develop their skills in Nordic pulka. They are both also looking forward to competing in the 2011 IFSS World Championships in Norway and are grateful to IFSS for giving them the opportunity to further their skills in such an auspicious venue as the training camp. In all, there will be twelve participants in the camp, selected from all over the world among thirty-three, very qualified applicants. Benson and Sperry are proud to have been selected.

IFSS World Cup Accreditation &

World Championship Selection for 2011 Team USA

The Mushing USA Board of Directors passed a resolution at the June, 2009, Congress that states that IFSS World Cup points will be used for part of the selection process for Team USA for IFSS World Championships. What does this means for anyone wishing to go to the 2011 WCh in Norway? Although final selection criteria are not yet established and ultimately must be approved by the Mushing USA board, it would behoove any prospective 2011 Team USA athlete to compete in at least one 2010 IFSS World Cup event in the class in which he/she wishes to be accepted for 2011 Norway WCh Team USA.

Be aware that Race Giving Organizations (RGOs) are not required to accredit every class that is eligible for accreditation. They may pick and choose.

IFSS has set aside $10,000 to help defray travel expenses to Norway for those traveling from overseas. How this money will be allocated is yet to be decided by the IFSS Council. In the past it has been based on a set amount for the musher and an amount per dog (up to a limited number of dogs).

IFSS 2009-2010

World Cup Series

Sign up now as an IFSS World Cup Event for 2009-2010!

Winners qualify for IFSS 2011 World Championships in Norway!

What is IFSS World Cup?

The IFSS World Cup Series offers a worldwide ranking system for mushers. It provides opportunity for promotion of mushing and mushers and welcomes participation from race giving organizations (RGOs) in each class from all regions of the world.

2009-2010 World Cup and 2011 World Championships

Entry into the World Championship is in part based on a competitor’s World Cup ranking for the past year. The first three finishers in the 2010 World Cup in each class in each region will automatically be awarded a World Championship berth for the World Championship to be held in Norway in 2011. In addition, medalists in the 2009 IFSS World Championship in Daaquam (Canada) will be eligible to enter in the same class.

Each country is also entitled to three berths in each sprint and Nordic class in the 2010 World Championship in Norway. However, there is no limit to the number of entries into the  mid-distance and long distance classes. Criteria for selection of the teams is up to each IFSS National Federation (IF). Mushing USA has set World Cup ranking as part of its criteria for Team USA 2011 Norway.

IFSS, together with the 2011 host, the Norwegian Sleddog Federation (NHF), will also be offering  travel money to help defray costs for those competitors traveling from overseas to Norway.

South America has already staged its Continental Championships in both dryland and snow, and snow races are around the corner in the northern hemisphere. Offer your USA mushers a part of the action in Norway!

Sign up now for

2009-2010 IFSS World Cup! 

Visit the IFSS website at: www.sleddogsport.com

for the World Cup application and information.

For additional information or to apply for your race, you may also contact:

Team USA Picks up Medals at Dryland World Championship

By Sally O’Sullivan Bair

Saguenay (Quebec) Canada – Four inches of slushy snow on Tuesday before the start of the IFSS (international Federation of Sleddog Sports) World Championships didn’t deter race organizers from having a superb trail at Saguenay (Quebec) Canada. Snow crews worked hard to clear the trails of the white cover prior to the race start.

The event took place over four days, from October 29 through November 1, 2009, in the LaBaie District of Saguenay (Quebec) Canada. The Bec-Scie Center in Saguenay hosted the four-day event. The nature center is named after a hooded merganser duck that inhabits this river area.

Hills and curves dominated the forested trails of the Bec-Scie Nature Center, separating the elite athletes from their up and coming rivals. Race Marshall Robert Schiesser of Switzerland was impressed with the event “with the effort the local people have put into making this a really good race.”

 Approximately 100 teams from Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, France, and the USA vied for medals in the twelve classes.

The first day’s events saw cloudy skies with a temperature of about 40° F (4.4° C). Scooter 1-Dog class, Bikejor, and 4-Dog Cart classes wrapped up on Friday, October 30, after two days of competition. The day was overcast but remained relatively cool, in the range 4 to 6 degrees Celsius. The trail was damp and some sections were quite muddy. 

Saturday began the Canicross, 2-Dog Scooter, and 6-Dog and 8-Dog Cart classes. Warm temperatures and intermittent rain showers greeted competitors. Cart classes were delayed and their course shortened due to temperatures being too warm. Saturday was capped with a Halloween dinner and dance with live music. Crazy clowns from Team Canada stole the show and got everyone onto the dance floor. 

The sun shone on Sunday and cooler temperatures prevailed. Competitors and spectators alike enjoyed the mass start Canicross relay, which was won by Poland. 

Poland and Norway dominated many of the classes, but USA teams made respectable showings in the 4-Dog Cart class where they copped silver (Jessica Doherty) and bronze (Liz Bailey) medals. Brittany Colbath picked up a bronze on the Women’s Senior Bikjoring class, and Ed Clifford and Fred Derksen earned gold and silver, respectively, in the Veteran Men’s Bikjoring class. Clifford also took home a gold in the 8-Dog Cart, with Josh Mercure winning a bronze in the 6-Dog Cart class. Christina Dawn Eagle glided to a 2-minute win in the Women’s Senior Canicross class, while Liz Bailey managed another medal, a bronze, in the same class. Diane Locotos took home the gold in the Women’s Veteran Canicross. The Canicross Relay team of Liz Bailey, Jason Sperry, and Christina Dawn Eagle picked up the silver medal.

IFSS thanks the Saguenay organizing committee for its wonderful hospitality and for putting on a successful event.

Complete race results are on the IFSS website (www.sleddogsport.com).

East Meets West Dryland Sled Dog Race Gears Up to Welcome Mushers

Clearwater, MN – The organizing committee for the East Meets West Dryland Sleddog Race is swinging into high gear in preparation for the November 14^th &15^th  debut in Clearwater’s Warner Lake Park.  Race Coordinator Monica Jendro is excited about all that will be available to mushers and the public: “We will have a smorgasbord of concessions throughout the two days as well as a “Meet the Mushers Dinner” on Saturday evening where anyone and everyone can mix and mingle with competitors and find out more about this exciting aspect of sled dog sports.” Events will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Of course, the public is welcome to come and see for themselves as the dogs and mushers ply the trails on Saturday and Sunday. In fact, the public can even participate and get their feet wet in dryland racing by entering a canicross “Fun Run” event to be held on Saturday! All you need is a dog and a leash. If you have the specially designed canicross belt and a sled dog harness, all the more power to you!

Canicross is essentially running with your dog in harness and attached to the musher via a line and a specially designed belt.  However dryland racing offers a variety of new sled dog sports. Bikejoring is done with one or two dogs and an experienced musher on a suitable bike.  Scootering is also done with one or two dogs and specially designed “mountain scooters.” Then there are rig races, where mushers ride a light-weight, wheeled cart pulled by a team of dogs, typically two to six.

Dryland sled dog racing is a relatively new aspect of sled dog sports, but it has caught on rapidly throughout Europe and now, also in North America. 

Over 100 competitors from throughout North America are expected to be competing for a $10,000.00 purse in 12 classes of racing. The event is sanctioned by the International Sled Dog Racing Association and accredited by the International Federation of Sleddog Sports with collaboration by the North Star Sled Dog Club of Minnesota.

Host Joel Nelson, himself a former champion musher, can hardly contain his enthusiasm: “What can you say, a $10,000 purse, trophies, free T-shirts for mushers, along with a great meal for participants.  Mushers will finally be treated like the professional athletes they are!”

For further information please visit www.isdra-dryland-racing.info or call Monica Jendro at 320-282-2824

Mushing USA is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization.