The second Dryland Sled Dog Derby saw 69 participants competing in two days of races.

Hub Staff

Man’s best friend took over MacGregor Point Provincial Park November 4 and 5 as it hosted the Dryland Sled Dog Derby, now in its second year. A boost in class participants saw 69 competing compared to 25 participants in 2016.

The two day event turned into the biggest dryland race for pure-bred dogs from Quebec to the Michigan area. Grand Marshall Jim Cunningham said that having 69 participants for a second year race was “fanastic” and that the McGregor Park course was ideal for races.

“A lot of [participants] love this course because it’s so technical and has a wide variety of courses. The dogs love looking and wondering what’s around the next corner so they're keeping up their speed instead of being out on a railway bed where they just get bored and don’t want to run anymore,’ said Cunningham who has overseen events such as the Yukon Quest and Alaska’s legendary Iditarod.

A SASSO (Sled Dog Sports Association of Southwestern Ontario) event, the derby saw races in multiple categories from the 4 Dog Rig, 2 Dog Scooter, 2 Mile Canicross to the 1 Dog Bike. Cunningham said the 2 mile Canicross was the hardest event of the weekend. “It’s got runs through the forest on very technical trails, and then you get out on the roadway and you can open your dogs up and let the run on the road and then you’re back into the forest again.”

Organizer Lisa DeGennaro of Saugeen Shores, who also raced during the weekend, said that last year’s race received the thumbs up from mushers who participated in the inaugural event. “The park is a fantastic place to hold the event. We have fabulous trails, but not only that, a lot of times when a race first gets off the ground a small group of mushers will come out and they’ll kind of check out the race, and they’ll give it the thumbs up or the thumbs down for the [dog sled] community,” she said, adding that the MacGregor race got a thumbs up rating after the first year. This year, DeGennero said participants came from as far away as Boston and Nova Scotia to test out the terrain, as well as closer to home such as Chatsworth, Blyth and Palmerston.

The weekend’s dryland race is the last event for 2017 for the local musher. DeGennero is gearing up for her 2018 season that will begin with a race to gain her triple crown in February’s Kearney Dog Sled Race where she will be defending two first place titles in the 6 Dog Purebred Class. She is also co-organizing and taking part in the Sequin Sled Dog Mail Run, a historical recreation of delivering mail via dogsled between two towns; with a final race in Halliburton.

Lisa DeGennaro, local musher and organizer of the MacGregor Park’s Drylands Sled Dog Derby with her dogs Nyx, Valkerie, and Stark, November 5 before a race.

Lisa DeGennero during the 4 Dog Rig race at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

The variety of trails at MacGregor Point Provincial Park pleased racers during the Drylands Sled Dog Derby.

Participants in the 2 Dog Bike races, November 5 at MacGregor Parks Drylands Sled Dog Derby.