Sid Robinson has been competing in the Canadian Challenge since it began in 1998. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

International event

Robinson preparing sled dog team for upcoming Canadian Challenge

Feb 10, 2020 | 12:58 PM

Winning isn’t everything for Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race board member Sid Robinson.

Since the competition began in 1998, Robinson has raced in every event except one. He also has the unusual record for coming in last the most times, but he doesn’t let that keep him down. A love for his dogs and being out on the trails keeps Robinson signing up for the Canadian Challenge every year.

“People joke to me about it a little bit, but if you come in last, it means you finished,” he said. “It’s a pretty big accomplishment for me to finish. I’m just having fun out there, but I do want to finish. Last year, I wasn’t able to finish so this year my goal is to finish.”

At his property south of La Ronge, Robinson cares for about 25 dogs which are either active sled dogs or retired. He begins preparing them for the race at the end of August by hooking them up to a quad and taking them for four or five-kilometre runs. The dogs pull the quad while it is in gear and Robinson said it helps build muscle in their shoulders to prevent injuries.

Once there’s enough snow on the ground, the dogs then start training using a sleigh. When that happens, Robinson noted they tend to be quite fast because it’s easier than the quad to pull.

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“They get the summers off because they don’t do too well in the hot weather,” he said.

The dogs are conditioned for months to prepare for the race. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

During the summer, the dogs are strictly fed commercial dog food but now they are currently eating a mix of dog food and meat. Mushers have special access to meat scraps specially sold to dog sled teams, which consist of chicken or a mix of other meats.

All of Robinson’s dogs are mixed breed, which is what the majority of other mushers are also using for races. The ideal age for a racing dog is between three and six years with retirement age being around 10. To help him manage all the dogs and prepare for the Canadian Challenge, Robinson is assisted by his dog handler Redman Fox and his friend Dave Smallwood.

“I was interested in dogs when I first moved to La Ronge, but I lived in town so I couldn’t have dogs,” he said. “I moved out here and James (Magic) Ratt had dogs, so I spent time with him and I got my first dogs from Magic.”

When he is out on the trail, Robinson said the general rule is to give the dogs one hour of rest time for every hour they spend racing. When they are taking a break away from a checkpoint, Robinson will group his dogs in two to sleep and give them hay to stay warm. On the really cold days, he will also use blankets or group more dogs together for heat.

The dogs tend to stay on the trail as they are packed and suitable for racing. Dogs who have already raced in the event before also remember it and know where to go, Robinson said.

“They are happy to see the finish line,” Robinson said. “If a dog has done the race before, they know where every checkpoint is and where La Ronge is. A couple of years ago, I was having trouble with a couple young leaders, so I put an old guy up front and he knew exactly where La Ronge was and right away everything picked up.”

There are three events in the Canadian Challenge with a 72-kilometre six-dog race, an eight-dog 286-kilometer race from Elk Ridge to La Ronge, and a 12-dog race that goes all the way to Grandmother’s Bay then back to La Ronge. So far, 17 mushers are registered with the event with Robinson competing in the eight-dog race.

The Canadian Challenge begins Feb. 18 at Elk Ridge at noon. Volunteers are also still needed for the La Ronge checkpoint and anyone interested should reach out to Robinson or other officials.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno