WASSA Magazine Magazine 2013 - 1st...1 dog 15 13 Denise Sixsmith 0:14:40 0:15:30 0:13:09 43:19.75 11.94 Class 2Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph km per heat Junior

WASSA Magazine

End of Season Edition

Oct 2013

2 WASSA • Oct 2013

Thank You to Our Sponsors! We couldn’t do it without you!

... for donating the use of lighting and a trailer to transport it for all of our races!

Contact Michael Stone (manager) at Kennards Hire Midland for all

the tools and equipment you need to get the job done!

221 Great Eastern Hwy, Midland, WA 6056

Ph: (08) 9274 6500 / Email: [email protected]

...for donating a fantastic leather jacket as an auction prize!

Check out their great range of top quality outdoor/work-wear!

http://www.huski.net/ “Bred to Brave the Elements!”

...for their generous donation towards our race prizes & trophies!

Bendigo Bank Mundaring – your community bank

6945 Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring WA , 6073

...for their generous donation towards our race prizes & trophies!

Suppliers of: Dr B's Barf Raw / Ziwi Peak / K9 Natural / All Natural Treats /

Soggy Doggy Mats / Homeopathic and Natural Remedies / Obedience

Training /Sleddog Training / Puppy Classes / Massage Therapist

Website: www.majaholistics.com.au / Ph: 0405 065 534

25 Apricot Street, Forrestfield, 6058, WA 6058 MAJA HOLISTICS

mailto:[email protected]://www.huski.net/


Contents

Presidents Report 4 Your 2013 Committee 5 2013 Principle Dates 6 Beginners Camp 7 Margaret River Sled Dog Masters Results 8-9 Collie Classic Results 10-11 Chidlow Chase Results 12-13 Gnangara Gallop Results 14-15 Dwellingup Dash Results 16-17 Pursuit in the Pines 18 A Snow Adventure 19-21 Nationals 22-26 The Importance of Massage & Stretching For Your Sled or Agility Dog 27-28 Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet 29 Kennel Cough 30-31 Funny Photos 32

Thank you for everyone who contributed to the 2013 Magazine.

Editor: Patrick Clohessy

Photos: Andrea Savage, Markus Israng and Miriam Gaulton

Articles: Michelle Matthews, Julie-Anne Tamati, Adrian Sacilotto, Katy Dillon, Peter and Denise Sixsmith,

Printing: Jessica Lin


President’s Report

Well another season is drawing to a close. It has certainly been a year of highs and lows. From

postponed races to a huge WA representation at Nationals in Canberra.

I would like to welcome all our new members for 2013 and hope you enjoyed your first year of racing

and have well and truly “caught the bug”. To all the End of Season winners congratulations on a great

year and I hope 2014 is as successful.

Committee has managed to manoeuvre the club through some difficult situations this year when

weather and health issues seemed to be conspiring against us, it is a great testament to their

commitment to the Club that we still managed to hold all 3 races. For this I wish to thank them

wholeheartedly.

The Canberra Nationals turned into a Team WA event with I believe at last count 17 members and

somewhere in the vicinity of 36 dogs making the trek to Canberra, with some taking the long way via

Dinner Plain and Falls Creek snow races. From all accounts they made a huge impression on the eastern

states competitors, who couldn’t understand how all these people smiled and laughed so much – with

each other. Not to mention the amazing results achieved. You all did WA and WASSA proud.

The Club is in a fantastic position financially and growing larger every year, we will be looking at trying to

replace the Club Trailer next year with a van that is easier to get to events. We have been blessed again

to have sponsorship from Bendigo bank Mundaring and Kennards Hire Midland, their continued support

makes running our events that much easier. Please support these companies whenever you can.

Michelle Matthews

2013 WASSA President


Your 2013 Committee Members

Michelle Matthews

President Judith Hay

Vice-President Mairead Duffy

Treasurer Patrick Clohessy

Secretary / Magazine Editor

Denise Sixsmith

Fundraising Officer Julie-Anne Tamati General Committee

Member

Adrian Sacilotto General Committee

Member

Katy Dillon General Committee

Member

Julie Bavington General Committee

Member

Peter Sixsmith General Committee

Member

Kathy Craddock Country Committee

Member

Joy Hunter Country Committee

Member


2013 Principle Dates

Date Event Location Event Organisers April 7th Display Day Whiteman Park WASSA April 14th, 20th , 21st Beginner’s Days Gnangara Pine Forest WASSA May 11th – 12th Beginner’s Camp Dwellingup WASSA June 1st – 3rd RW Margaret River Masters Margaret River Running West SDC June 29th – 30th RW Collie Classic Collie Running West SDC July 13th – 14th Chidlow Chase Chidlow WASSA July 20th – 21st Gnangara Gallop Gnangara Pine Forest WASSA July 28th Christmas in July Whiteman Park WASSA August 4th Annual Charity Race Gnangara Pine Forest WASSA August 17th – 18th National Championships Canberra, ACT CSDC Sept 14th - 15th Dwellingup Dash Dwellingup WASSA October 5th AGM & End of Year Dinner The Brook WASSA


Beginners Camp May 11th – 12th


Margaret River Sled Dog Masters

June 1st – 3rd

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Heat 3 Total Time kph 4.4km per heat

3 dog 1 29 Natalie McIlree 0:12:57 0:11:45 0:12:31 37:13.75 22.09

3 dog 2 28 Kristen Morton 0:13:26 0:12:08 0:12:12 37:45.92 21.77

3 dog 3 27 Matiu Tamati 0:17:07 0:14:13 0:13:01 44:20.48 18.54

3 dog 4 30 Narelle Crozier 0:25:35 0:24:23 0:20:14 70:12.06 11.71

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Heat 3 Total Time kph 4.4km per heat

2 dog 1 25 Madison Golding 0:11:29 0:12:22 0:11:54 35:44.77 22.17

2 dog 2 26 Michelle Matthews 0:10:58 0:13:04 0:12:14 36:15.83 22.14

2 dog 3 20 Christina Sewell 0:12:43 0:12:17 0:12:36 37:35.02 21.13

2 dog 4 63 Richard King 0:14:08 0:14:28 0:13:43 42:19.15 18.46

2 dog 6 21 Katy Dillion 0:15:03 0:15:16 0:14:43 45:02.12 18.02

2 dog 5 24 Kristen Morton 0:15:29 0:15:01 0:14:42 45:12.26 17.42

2 dog 8 62 Tony Hill* 0:15:01 0:14:18 0:16:11 45:30.07 17.43

2 dog 7 16 Jenny Taplin 0:16:50 0:15:08 0:14:30 46:28.38 17.32

2 dog 9 19 Markus Israng 0:18:29 0:20:33 0:17:56 56:57.97 16.56

2 dog 10 18 Geoff Knibbs 0:19:43 0:20:26 0:19:32 59:40.20 13.56

2 dog 11 17 Julie Bavington 0:20:36 0:24:53 0:19:36 65:05.05 13.15

2 dog Scratch 22 Nathan McNee 0:16:07 0:14:17 Scratch Scratch

2 dog Scratch 23 Judith Hay 0:20:56 0:19:31 Scratch Scratch

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Heat 3 Total Time kph 3km per heat

1 dog 1 2 David Dyer 0:07:12 0:06:52 0:07:16 21:20.07 25.61

1 dog 2 6 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:07:16 0:07:46 0:07:43 22:45.77 23.97

1 dog 3 15 Glenn Walker 0:07:27 0:07:47 0:07:42 22:56.00 23.64

1 dog 4 5 Riley Savage 0:07:47 0:07:56 0:07:51 23:33.95 22.91

1 dog 5 4 Kevin Savage* 0:08:20 0:08:13 0:09:11 25:44.92 21.75

1 dog 6 1 Miriam Gaulton 0:08:41 0:09:18 0:08:51 26:50.08 20.04

1 dog 7 11 Lauren Herd 0:09:45 0:08:59 0:08:59 27:42.83 19.25

1 dog 8 12 Peter Sixsmith 0:09:13 0:10:08 0:09:07 28:27.62 18.65

1 dog 9 9 Jodie Colley 0:09:41 0:09:50 0:09:37 29:08.29 18.45

1 dog 10 14 Mairead Duffy 0:10:18 0:09:50 0:10:07 30:14.78 17.89

1 dog 11 7 Dominic Chew 0:10:19 0:10:00 0:10:08 30:27.73 17.72

1 dog 12 8 Kevin Davies 0:12:06 0:11:45 0:11:24 35:14.11 15.10

1 dog 13 10 Matiu Tamati 0:11:00 0:12:49 0:11:26 35:15.42 15.20

1 dog 14 3 Jacqueline Hansen 0:11:33 0:12:22 0:11:39 35:32.85 15.07

1 dog 15 13 Denise Sixsmith 0:14:40 0:15:30 0:13:09 43:19.75 11.94

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2km per heat

Junior 1 33 Donovan Chew 0:05:18 0:05:29 10:46.80 22.26

Junior 2 34 Scott Dyer 0:05:16 0:05:33 10:48.59 22.20

Junior 3 31 Liam Moore 0:05:32 0:05:53 11:25.22 21.04

Junior 4 32 Ashlyn Savage 0:05:30 0:06:00 11:29.70 20.91


Veteran 1 36 David Dyer 0:05:02 0:05:02 10:03.77 23.84

Veteran 2 43 Nikki Rouse 0:06:43 0:06:36 13:19.63 18.02

Veteran 3 40 Jodie Colley 0:06:52 0:06:30 13:22.31 17.97

Veteran 4 35 Andrae Moore 0:06:59 0:07:01 14:00.57 17.14

Veteran 5 42 Katrina Cummins 0:06:45 0:08:16 15:01.12 16.15

Veteran 6 41 Kim Rance 0:07:19 0:08:40 15:58.55 15.12

Veteran 7 39 Kevin Davies 0:08:58 0:10:25 19:23.37 12.45

Veteran 8 37 Kerry Hislop 0:09:12 0:12:35 21:46.81 11.29

Veteran Scratch 44 Glenn Walker 0:08:46 Scratch Scratch

Veteran Scratch 38 Nicola Adderson Scratch Scratch Scratch


Novice 1 49 Basel Shami (Ben) 0:06:43 0:06:02 12:45.36 18.88

Novice 2 47 Farran Burkala 0:07:40 0:06:28 14:08.02 17.10

Novice 3 50 Jamie Adeane 0:07:18 0:07:18 14:36.25 16.44

Novice 4 51 Thomas Bauerie 0:08:09 0:07:15 15:24.00 15.64

Novice 5 53 Stephen Graham 0:09:08 0:07:22 16:30.41 14.71

Novice 6 52 Lynn Ostler 0:09:27 0:09:07 18:34.79 12.93

Novice 7 45 Ursi Israng 0:09:46 0:09:28 19:14.41 12.48

Novice 8 48 Michelle Waterhouse 0:11:34 0:10:07 21:41.00 11.12



Puppy 1 55 Anina Israng 0:05:44 0:05:50 11:34.05 20.75

Puppy 2 146 Rhys Harrison 0:06:38 0:06:03 12:40.78 18.96

Puppy 3 60 Trisha Hazell 0:06:20 0:06:44 13:04.44 18.38

Puppy 4 54 Nicola Adderson 0:06:52 0:06:43 13:34.52 17.67

Puppy 5 61 Katy Dillion 0:07:44 0:08:22 16:06.02 14.93

Puppy 6 58 Dominic Chew 0:09:41 0:10:29 20:10.76 11.92

Puppy 7 59 Judith Hay 0:10:45 0:10:31 21:15.62 11.29

Puppy 8 57 Andrea Hill 0:09:25 0:11:57 21:22.00 11.39

Puppy 9 56 Coral Parkinson 0:09:54 0:13:11 23:05.93 10.61


Touring 1 73 Kevin Savage 0:05:21 0:05:23 10:44.69 22.36

Touring 2 77 Elizabeth Sacilotto 0:06:07 0:06:03 12:10.31 19.73

Touring 3 71 Kerry Hislop 0:06:14 0:05:59 12:13.40 19.65

Touring 4 74 Sam Young 0:06:41 0:06:55 13:36.24 17.65

Touring 5 75 Kurt Gregory 0:06:20 0:08:02 14:21.59 16.94

Touring 6 82 Nikki Rouse 0:08:28 0:06:04 14:32.02 16.98

Touring 7 70 Trisha Hazell 0:06:40 0:08:48 15:28.00 15.82

Touring 8 76 Kevin Davies 0:07:25 0:08:23 15:47.80 15.25

Touring 9 83 Louise Barnett 0:08:28 0:07:40 16:07.28 14.91

Touring 10 79 Mairead Duffy 0:11:11 0:12:03 23:14.41 10.34

Touring 11 81 Lynn Ostler 0:12:37 0:12:49 25:25.29 9.44

Touring Scratch 65 Julz V Scratch Scratch Scratch


Touring 2 Dog 1 68 Christina Sewell 0:04:41 0:05:01 09:41.59 24.77

Touring 2 Dog 2 66 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:05:02 0:04:41 09:43.08 24.73

Touring 2 Dog 3 67 Donovan Chew 0:04:51 0:05:05 09:56.00 24.17

Touring 2 Dog 4 69 Julie Darby 0:05:32 0:05:44 11:16.13 21.31

Touring 2 Dog 5 64 Tara Sewell 0:07:01 0:07:29 14:30.09 16.57

Touring 2 Dog 6 78 Travis Russell 0:08:54 0:07:35 16:28.38 14.65

Touring 2 Dog 7 72 Simon Rokich 0:12:59 0:07:01 20:00.31 13.17


Collie Classic

June 29th – 30th

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 6.1km per heat

4 dog 1 66 Christina Sewell 0:13:18 0:14:02 27:20.12 26.80 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 6.1km per head

3 dog 1 67 Kristen Morton 0:14:12 0:13:43 27:55.32 26.23 3 dog 2 68 Natalie McIllree 0:13:42 0:14:19 28:00.14 26.14 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 4.9km per heat

2 dog 1 54 Dominic Chew 0:11:03 0:11:17 22:19.78 26.33 2 dog 2 62 Kevin Savage 0:12:23 0:11:52 24:14.38 24.26 2 dog 3 55 Richard King 0:12:18 0:12:16 24:34.00 23.93 2 dog 4 63 Nicola Adderson 0:15:06 0:13:01 28:07.92 21.03 2 dog 5 57 Judith Hay 0:14:44 0:13:28 28:12.16 20.89 2 dog 6 60 Jenny Taplin 0:15:02 0:13:57 28:59.78 20.32 2 dog 7 64 Katy Dillion 0:14:54 0:14:06 29:00.05 20.29 2 dog 8 59 Coral Parkinson* 0:18:09 0:18:42 36:51.44 15.96 2 dog 9 65 Monica Halissey 0:18:34 0:20:41 39:14.59 15.02 2 dog 10 58 Julie Bavington 0:17:25 0:21:55 39:19.80 15.15 2 dog

56 Geoff Knibbs 0:18:28 scratched


1 dog 1 39 David Dyer 0:08:29 0:08:16 16:44.54 25.08 1 dog 2 38 Glenn Walker 0:08:58 0:08:50 17:48.02 23.60 1 dog 3 53 Krystal Felton 0:09:27 0:09:16 18:42.79 22.44 1 dog 4 43 Mark Colley 0:10:26 0:10:23 20:49.13 20.18 1 dog 5 51 Mairead Duffy 0:10:58 0:10:50 21:48.30 19.27 1 dog 6 41 Miriam Gaulton 0:11:20 0:10:47 22:07.18 19.00 1 dog 7 45 Peter Sixsmith 0:11:10 0:11:12 22:21.42 18.78 1 dog 8 47 Dominic Chew 0:11:00 0:11:43 22:43.14 18.51 1 dog 9 37 Nikki Rouse 0:12:27 0:11:26 23:53.62 17.62 1 dog 10 49 Jacqueline Hansen 0:12:50 0:15:14 28:03.91 15.07 1 dog 11 44 Denise Sixsmith 0:15:18 0:16:24 31:42.42 13.27 1 dog 12 40 Kevin Davies 0:15:54 0:15:55 31:48.59 13.20 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.6km per heat

Junior 1 35 Donovan Chew 0:03:25 0:03:22 06:46.76 28.31 Junior 2 36 Ashlyn Savage 0:03:38 0:03:14 06:52.09 28.06 Junior 3 34 Scott Dyer 0:03:55 0:03:22 07:16.35 26.51 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.6km per heat

Novice 1 20 Basel Shami (Ben) 0:04:05 0:03:45 07:49.74 24.56 Novice 2 23 Farran Burkala 0:04:57 0:03:52 08:48.89 22.11 Novice 3 22 Robert Jaunzems 0:04:38 0:04:25 09:02.55 21.23 Novice 4 21 Lynn Ostler 0:04:58 0:04:05 09:03.32 21.42 Novice 5 19 Stephen Graham 0:06:00 0:04:59 10:58.61 17.63 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.6km per heat

Puppy 1 29 Rhys Harrison 0:04:31 0:03:51 08:21.84 23.09 Puppy 2 25 Judith Hay 0:08:56 0:05:56 14:51.90 13.46 Puppy 3 27 Andrea Hill* 0:07:27 0:07:43 15:10.80 12.66 Puppy 4 26 Coral Parkinson* 0:08:14 0:07:30 15:43.89 12.23 Puppy

24 Natalie McIllree 0:08:42 scratched


Touring 1 14 Donovan Chew 0:03:24 0:03:22 06:46.79 26.53 Touring 2 17 Christina Sewell 0:04:02 0:03:52 07:54.39 22.89 Touring 3 13 Andrew Phan 0:04:35 0:03:40 08:15.20 21.99 Touring 4 10 Ashlyn Savage 0:04:42 0:03:40 08:22.30 21.73 Touring 5 12 Bob Watson 0:04:27 0:04:13 08:39.60 20.96 Touring 6 11 David Kenny 0:04:59 0:03:56 08:54.50 20.46 Touring 7 18 Judith Hay 0:07:18 0:06:31 13:48.97 13.42 Touring 8 9 Lynn Ostler 0:08:01 0:07:01 15:02.95 37.64 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.6km per heat

Veteran 1 33 Krystal Felton 0:03:46 0:03:12 06:58.09 24.17 Veteran 2 32 Mark Colley 0:04:06 0:03:08 07:14.60 23.32 Veteran 3 30 Nikki Rouse 0:04:35 0:03:37 08:11.53 20.87 Veteran 4 31 Kevin Davies 0:06:32 0:05:36 12:08.52 14.62


Chidlow Chase Results July 13th – 14th

Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3km Sat, 5km Sunday

4 Dog 1 1 Christina Sewell 0:10:00 0:10:33 20:33.46 23.35 4 Dog 2 2 Narelle Crozier 0:14:19 0:19:54 34:13.08 14.03 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3km Sat, 5km Sunday

3 Dog 1 4 Kristen Morton 0:08:34 0:10:38 19:12.27 24.99 3 Dog 2 3 Natalie McIllree 0:08:45 0:10:58 19:43.27 24.34 3 Dog 3 5 Matiu Tamati 0:12:27 0:13:25 25:52.27 18.55 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3km Sat, 5km Sunday

2 Dog 1 6 Natalie McIllree 0:09:19 0:10:55 20:14.01 23.72 2 Dog 2 9 Dominic Chew 0:09:01 0:11:14 20:15.61 23.69 2 Dog 3 8 Madison Golding 0:09:48 0:11:56 21:43.61 22.09 2 Dog 4 11 Richard King 0:11:03 0:11:56 22:58.62 20.89 2 Dog 5 14 Katy Dillion 0:12:30 0:14:04 26:33.45 18.07 2 Dog 6 12 Jenny Taplin 0:13:31 0:16:03 29:34.76 16.23 2 Dog 7 10 Judith Hay 0:14:40 0:15:41 30:20.89 15.82 2 Dog 8 13 Monica Halissey 0:13:34 0:19:17 32:51.14 14.61 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3km per heat

1 Dog 1 19 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:08:52 0:08:07 16:59.02 21.24 1 Dog 2 29 Riley Savage 0:09:01 0:08:42 17:42.45 20.33 1 Dog 3 34 Peter Sixsmith 0:10:46 0:09:12 19:58.30 18.14 1 Dog 4 21 Krystal Felton 0:08:50 0:11:33 20:22.40 17.98 1 Dog 5 15 Jodie Colley 0:10:54 0:10:12 21:05.72 17.08 1 Dog 6 20 Ray Woodcock 0:11:54 0:10:58 22:52.02 15.77 1 Dog 7 17 Tony Hill 0:11:24 0:11:48 23:11.29 15.52 1 Dog 8 26 Elizabeth Sacilotto 0:11:40 0:11:36 23:16.54 15.47 1 Dog 9 30 Jacqueline Hansen 0:12:55 0:12:36 25:30.92 14.11 1 Dog 10 25 Mairead Duffy 0:11:23 0:14:49 26:12.16 13.98 1 Dog 11 28 Danni Kemps 0:13:56 0:12:29 26:24.65 13.67 1 Dog 12 18 Markus Israng 0:14:34 0:12:24 26:58.60 13.44 1 Dog 13 27 Julie Bavington 0:14:25 0:12:58 27:23.54 13.18 1 Dog 14 22 Michelle Matthews 0:13:14 0:17:21 30:34.48 11.99 1 Dog 15 32 Dominic Chew 0:15:31 0:15:25 30:55.52 11.64 1 Dog 16 31 Denise Sixsmith 0:15:58 0:15:38 31:35.86 11.39 1 Dog 17 33 Kevin Davies 0:25:07 0:17:28 42:35.41 8.74 1 Dog 18 23 Dave Dyer 0:08:49 Scratched 08:49.00 20.42 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.1km per heat

2 Dog Touring 1 48 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:05:53 0:05:44 11:36.33 21.70 2 Dog Touring 2 54 Natalie McIllree 0:06:12 0:06:14 12:26.11 20.27 2 Dog Touring 3 50 Matiu Tamati 0:07:24 0:07:21 14:45.33 17.08 2 Dog Touring 4 55 Andrew Phan 0:07:49 0:07:53 15:42.51 16.05 2 Dog Touring 5 64 Simon Rokich 0:08:57 0:07:57 16:53.98 14.96 2 Dog Touring 6 51 Tara Sewell 0:08:55 0:08:49 17:43.92 14.21 2 Dog Touring 7 46 Bob Watson 0:09:31 0:08:59 18:29.89 13.63 2 Dog Touring 8 61 Markus Israng 0:10:34 0:09:30 20:03.52 12.59 1 Dog Touring 9 49 Trish Grimmett 0:18:30 0:14:06 32:35.85 7.87 2 Dog Touring 10 57 Donovan Chew DNF 0:06:42 06:41.65 18.82 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.1km per heat

1 Dog Touring 1 62 Dave Kenny 0:09:55 0:10:13 20:08.11 12.52 1 Dog Touring 2 58 Julie Bavington 0:11:53 0:11:14 23:06.86 10.91 1 Dog Touring 3 59 Emily Alexander 0:13:34 Scratched 13:34.37 9.29 Only ran Saturday Heat

1 Dog Touring 4 47 Judith Hay Scratched 0:13:53 13:53.05 9.08 Only ran Sunday Heat


Novice 1 42 Jaime Adeane 0:07:36 0:08:15 15:51.21 15.93 Novice 2 41 Lynn Ostler 0:07:56 0:08:04 16:00.67 15.75 Novice 3 40 Ben Shami 0:08:24 0:07:54 16:18.73 15.47 Novice 4 39 Farran Burkala 0:08:52 0:08:28 17:20.79 14.55 Novice 5 43 Stephen Graham 0:09:14 0:09:05 18:19.35 13.76 Novice 6 44 Steve Everington 0:12:25 0:11:03 23:27.73 10.78 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.1km per heat

Puppy 1 73 Michelle Matthews 0:06:33 0:06:20 12:53.21 19.57 Puppy 2 70 Rhys Harrison 0:07:49 0:07:31 15:19.20 16.44 Puppy 3 75 Anina Israng 0:08:02 0:07:27 15:29.01 16.30 Puppy 4 76 Nicola Adderson 0:08:45 0:08:32 17:17.61 14.58 Puppy 5 74 Andy Hill 0:09:48 0:09:42 19:30.01 12.92 Puppy 6 72 Coral Parkinson 0:10:53 0:10:19 21:12.11 11.90 Puppy 7 71 Judith Hay 0:12:56 0:15:43 28:38.86 8.88



Junior 1 67 Donovan Chew 0:05:03 0:06:40 11:43.17 21.93 Junior 2 68 Scott Dyer 0:05:30 0:06:40 12:09.33 20.90 Junior 3 69 Liam Moore 0:04:52 0:07:55 12:47.70 20.90 Junior 4 65 Ashlyn Savage 0:06:04 0:07:13 13:17.86 19.11 Junior 5 66 Matt Lander 0:07:40 0:09:33 17:13.11 14.81 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.1km per heat

Veteran 1 38 Krystal Felton 0:09:22 0:07:09 16:31.20 15.54 Veteran 2 36 Andrae Moore 0:10:09 0:08:30 18:38.39 13.62 Veteran 3 35 Jodie Colley 0:10:38 0:08:37 19:14.92 13.24 Veteran 4 37 Kevin Davies 0:14:27 0:14:01 28:28.48 8.85


Gnangara Gallop Results July 20th – 21st


4 Dog 1 4 Christina Sewell 0:09:11 0:09:33 18:44.67 25.77 4 Dog 2 3 Matiu Tamati 0:10:30 0:11:00 21:30.04 23.59 4 Dog 3 5 Narelle Crozier 0:14:13 0:12:05 26:17.61 18.54 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 4.2km per heat

3 Dog 1 1 Natalie McIllree 0:09:35 0:09:32 19:07.42 26.34 3 Dog 2 2 Kristen Morton 0:09:39 0:09:35 19:14.13 26.31 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 4.2km per heat

2 dog 1 12 Dominic Chew 0:08:55 0:09:25 18:19.50 27.58 2 dog 2 13 Madison Golding 0:09:13 0:09:51 19:03.82 26.44 2 dog 3 10 Kevin Savage 0:09:32 0:09:54 19:26.40 25.93 2 dog 4 9 Richard King 0:09:32 0:10:00 19:31.98 25.80 2 dog 5 7 Natalie McIllree 0:09:43 0:10:15 19:57.60 25.25 2 dog 6 11 Jenny Taplin 0:11:08 0:11:30 22:37.95 22.27 2 dog 7 14 Katy Dillion 0:12:06 0:11:38 23:44.83 21.22 2 dog 8 6 Michelle Matthews 0:09:26 Scratched 09:26.18 26.71 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.5km per heat

1 dog 1 29 Riley Savage 0:05:06 0:04:58 10:04.14 29.79 1 dog 2 15 Dominic Chew 0:05:35 0:04:48 10:22.96 28.89 1 dog 3 36 Peter Sixsmith 0:05:31 0:05:21 10:51.73 27.62 1 dog 4 26 Elizabeth Sacilotto 0:05:49 0:05:30 11:18.23 26.54 1 dog 5 16 Krystal Felton 0:06:00 0:05:23 11:23.24 26.35 1 dog 6 32 Miriam Gaulton 0:05:54 0:05:41 11:34.95 25.90 1 dog 7 35 Kerry Hislop 0:06:12 0:06:01 12:13.76 24.53 1 dog 8 31 Ray Woodcock 0:06:12 0:06:03 12:15.29 24.48 1 dog 9 19 Kim Rance 0:06:33 0:05:56 12:29.07 24.03 1 dog 10 25 Jodie Colley 0:06:18 0:06:33 12:50.92 23.35 1 dog 11 20 Mairead Duffy 0:06:40 0:06:12 12:52.32 23.31 1 dog 12 18 Nathan McNee 0:07:03 0:06:19 13:22.36 22.43 1 dog 13 27 Kevin Davies 0:06:41 0:06:53 13:34.51 22.10 1 dog 14 22 Julie Bavington 0:07:25 0:06:38 14:02.53 21.36 1 dog 15 28 Judith Hay 0:07:07 0:07:04 14:10.36 21.17 1 dog 16 17 Jacqueline Hansen 0:07:40 0:06:38 14:18.08 20.98 1 dog 17 23 Markus Israng 0:07:24 0:06:59 14:23.27 20.85 1 dog 18 21 Denise Sixsmith 0:07:53 0:07:13 15:05.88 19.87 1 dog 19 34 Danni Kemps 0:06:56 0:08:54 15:50.89 18.93 1 dog 20 33 Louise Barnet 0:08:21 0:08:27 16:48.38 17.85 1 dog 21 38 Coral Parkinson 0:08:11 0:09:00 17:11.38 17.45 1 dog 22 30 Michelle Matthews 0:07:57 Scratched 07:57.40 18.85 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.5km per heat

Touring 2 Dog 1 47 Dominic Chew 0:05:30 0:05:40 11:10.29 26.85 Touring 2 Dog 2 46 Nicola Adderson 0:05:54 0:05:24 11:17.95 26.55 Touring 2 Dog 3 43 Donovan Chew 0:05:52 0:06:15 12:06.33 24.78 Touring 2 Dog 4 39 Ursi Israng 0:07:38 0:06:40 14:18.95 20.96 Touring 2 Dog 5 48 Helena SwanHau 0:07:18 0:07:51 15:09.45 19.79 Touring 2 Dog 6 42 Michelle Gouljhar 0:07:37 0:08:20 15:56.77 18.81 Touring 2 Dog 7 37 Christina Sewell 0:08:05 0:08:23 16:28.36 18.21 Touring 2 Dog 8 49 Josh Peterson 0:07:39 0:09:19 16:58.73 17.67 Touring 2 Dog 9 41 Nathan McNee 0:08:54 0:09:42 18:35.67 16.13 Touring 2 Dog 10 45 Trish Grimmett 0:10:28 0:10:58 21:26.19 13.99 Touring 2 Dog 11 44 Bob Watson DNR 0:08:56 08:55.71 16.80 Sunday Heat Only

Touring 2 Dog 12 40 Monica Halissey DNR 0:09:18 09:17.65 16.14 Sunday Heat Only


Touring 1 Dog 1 62 Sam Young 0:07:47 0:08:03 15:50.10 18.95 Touring 1 Dog 2 58 Dave Kenny 0:08:11 0:08:32 16:42.39 17.96 Touring 1 Dog 3 53 Kurt Gregory 0:08:57 0:08:49 17:45.66 16.89 Touring 1 Dog 4 51 Kevin Davies 0:08:25 0:09:58 18:23.04 16.32 Touring 1 Dog 5 50 Louise Barnet 0:09:20 0:09:36 18:55.54 15.85 Touring 1 Dog 6 55 Julie Bavington 0:09:58 0:09:41 19:38.60 15.27 Touring 1 Dog 7 64 Thomas Bauerle 0:10:10 0:09:33 19:42.95 15.22 Touring 1 Dog 8 57 Kerry Hislop 0:10:06 0:09:57 20:02.89 14.96 Touring 1 Dog 9 54 Kathy Craddock 0:11:30 0:10:39 22:08.98 13.54 Touring 1 Dog 10 56 Steve Weston 0:11:40 0:11:20 22:59.71 13.05 Touring 1 Dog 11 63 Eric Pike 0:11:51 0:11:50 23:40.26 12.67 Touring 1 Dog 12 52 Trisha Hazell 0:08:11 Scratched 08:10.99 18.33

* 61 Matiu Tamati 0:07:45 0:07:02

15.46



Novice 1 75 Andrew Phan 0:06:17 0:06:05 12:21.39 24.28 Novice 2 76 Farran Burkala 0:06:43 0:06:00 12:42.64 23.60 Novice 3 77 Ben Shami 0:06:44 0:06:29 13:13.27 22.69 Novice 4 82 Stephen Graham 0:08:17 0:07:50 16:07.60 18.60 Novice 5 79 Steve Everington 0:08:55 0:07:16 16:10.64 18.54 Novice 6 78 Leanne Quartermaine 0:09:01 0:09:13 18:13.39 16.46 Novice 7 80 Jaime Adeane 0:07:35 Scratched 07:34.90 19.78 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.5km per heat

Puppy 1 70 Markus Israng 0:06:19 0:05:44 12:03.25 24.89 Puppy 2 74 Danni Kemps 0:06:35 0:06:13 12:48.20 23.43 Puppy 3 65 Rhys Harrison 0:07:22 0:07:07 14:29.21 20.71 Puppy 4 72 Nicola Adderson 0:07:29 0:07:49 15:17.52 19.62 Puppy 5 73 Andy Hill 0:09:00 0:08:07 17:07.08 17.53 Puppy 6 67 Coral Parkinson 0:09:31 0:09:01 18:31.59 16.19 Puppy 7 71 Michelle Gouljhar 0:10:12 0:09:07 19:19.67 15.52 Puppy 8 68 Judith Hay 0:12:59 0:20:36 33:34.76 8.93 Puppy 9 69 Trisha Hazell 0:08:37 Scratched 08:37.43 17.39 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.5km per heat

Junior 1 86 Donovan Chew 0:06:02 0:05:57 11:58.58 25.05 Junior 2 87 Liam Moore 0:06:21 0:06:27 12:48.07 23.44 Junior 3 84 Scott Dyer 0:06:44 0:06:21 13:05.53 22.91 Junior 4 85 Ashlyn Savage 0:07:00 0:06:44 13:43.85 21.85 Junior 5 83 Matt Lander 0:07:12 0:07:14 14:25.45 20.80 Junior 6 88 Mia Hazell 0:07:42 Scratched 07:41.90 19.48 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 2.5km per heat

Veteran 1 89 Krystal Felton 0:06:47 0:06:47 13:33.83 22.12 Veteran 2 92 Jodie Colley 0:06:54 0:07:21 14:14.98 21.05 Veteran 3 91 Andrae Moore 0:07:51 0:08:57 16:48.16 17.85 Veteran 4 93 Kevin Davies 0:09:58 0:11:29 21:26.55 13.99


Dwellingup Dash Results

Sept 14th - 15th


4 dog 1 2 Christina Sewell 0:09:11 0:08:44 16:54.76 24.85 4 dog 2 1 Matiu Tamati 0:08:23 0:09:26 18:48.98 22.32 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3.5km per heat

3 dog 1 3 Kristen Morton 0:09:31 0:08:28 17:58.82 23.43 3 dog 2 4 Markus Israng 0:09:42 0:09:47 19:28.74 21.56 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 3.5km per heat

2 dog 1 10 David Dyer 0:08:13 0:08:19 16:31.36 25.40 2 dog 2 9 Michelle Matthews 0:09:01 0:09:28 18:28.98 22.74 2 dog 3 8 Madison Golding 0:09:15 0:09:17 18:32.04 22.66 2 dog 4 5 Katy Dillion 0:11:06 0:13:22 24:27.29 17.31 2 dog 5 7 Richard King 0:09:46 DNR 09:46.37 21.50 Only ran 1 heat

2 dog 6 12 Coral Parkinson 0:18:38 DNR 18:37.71 11.27 Only ran 1 heat


1 dog 1 17 Riley Savage 0:09:15 0:09:24 18:38.48 22.52 1 dog 2 13 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:09:58 0:08:51 18:49.27 22.40 1 dog 3 22 Krystal Felton 0:10:13 0:09:39 19:52.42 21.16 1 dog 4 14 Peter Sixsmith 0:10:46 0:11:11 21:57.70 19.14 1 dog 5 20 Jodie Colley 0:11:33 0:11:43 23:16.54 18.05 1 dog 6 15 Ray Woodcock 0:12:35 0:12:18 24:52.83 16.88 1 dog 7 21 Jacqueline Hansen 0:12:55 0:13:26 26:21.51 15.95 1 dog 8 16 Julie Bavington 0:12:40 0:13:55 26:35.17 15.83 1 dog 9 19 Denise Sixsmith 0:13:56 0:13:35 27:30.57 15.27 1 dog 10 18 Jenny Taplin 0:15:13 0:15:40 30:53.02 13.60 1 dog 11 23 Mairead Duffy DNR 0:12:36 12:36.27 16.67 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.5km per heat

2 Dog Touring 1 55 Kathy Kopellis McLeod 0:03:26 0:03:38 07:04.26 25.49 2 Dog Touring 2 58 Christina Sewell 0:03:52 0:04:01 07:53.58 22.84 2 Dog Touring 3 53 Matiu Tamati 0:05:34 0:04:57 10:30.99 17.17 2 Dog Touring 4 54 Sam Young 0:05:33 0:06:20 11:52.67 15.21 2 Dog Touring 5 56 Trish Grimmett 0:07:08 0:05:58 13:05.80 13.85 2 Dog Touring 9 52 Donovan Chew 0:27:14 Scratched 27:13.87 3.30 1 Dog Touring 6 50 Michelle Matthews 0:05:44 0:07:09 12:53.36 14.14 1 Dog Touring 7 49 Julie Bavington 0:06:39 0:06:27 13:05.95 13.74 1 Dog Touring 8 51 Mairead Duffy 0:24:01 0:09:34 33:34.71 6.58 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.5km per heat

Puppy 1 48 David Dyer 0:03:35 0:03:46 07:20.61 24.51 Puppy 2 46 Rhys Harrisson 0:04:46 0:04:27 09:13.42 19.55 Puppy 3 45 Nicola Adderson 0:04:43 0:04:33 09:15.64 19.43 Puppy 4 44 Andy Hill 0:06:10 DNR 06:10.18 14.59 Only ran 1 heat

Puppy 5 42 Coral Parkinson 0:07:15 DNR 07:15.27 12.41 Only ran 1 heat


Junior 1 40 Donovan Chew 0:04:24 0:03:38 08:01.29 22.61 Junior 2 36 Scott Dyer 0:04:33 0:03:43 08:15.67 22.00 Junior 3 38 Ashlyn Savage 0:04:34 0:04:16 08:50.23 20.40 Junior 4 37 Liam Moore 0:06:07 0:06:03 12:09.77 14.79 Junior 5 39 Kayla Woodcock 0:07:39 0:09:13 16:51.98 10.76 Junior 6 35 Rachael Woodcock 0:09:39 0:10:58 20:37.13 8.77 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.5km per heat

Novice 1 29 Peter Taplin 0:04:01 0:03:53 07:53.39 22.79 Novice 2 32 Ben Shami 0:04:11 0:04:20 08:31.01 21.14 Novice 3 34 Andrew Phan 0:04:45 0:04:11 08:55.45 20.23 Novice 4 30 Farran Bukala 0:04:44 0:04:41 09:24.92 19.12 Novice 5 33 Lynn Ostler 0:05:16 0:04:30 09:45.63 18.54 Class Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph 1.5km per heat

Veteran 1 26 David Dyer 0:04:18 0:03:48 08:05.89 22.31 Veteran 2 27 Krystal Felton 0:04:12 0:04:11 08:22.57 21.47 Veteran 3 25 Liam Moore 0:05:00 0:04:30 09:30.14 19.00 Veteran 4 24 Jodie Colley 0:05:43 0:04:56 10:39.13 16.99


Pursuit in the Pines August 4th


My Snow Adventure By Katy Dillon

I grew up always wanting huskies, and having watched movies like Snow Dogs and Eight Below, I knew

that when I did eventually get one, my dream would be to take my dog to the snow. So when I moved to

Australia five years ago, I wasn’t so sure that my dream would come true. I got my first pup Maya 3 years

ago, and joined WASSA when she was just over twelve months old. I rescued Mishka at the end of my

first season with WASSA. My love of dry land dog sledding had begun. But I wanted to take it that step

further.

I researched and chatted to WASSA members and that’s when I realised my dream could actually

become reality. Who’d have thought there’d be snow in Australia?

I managed to talk Julie Bavington in to coming to the WASSA beginner’s days at the beginning of my

second season. And she became hooked too! We chatted about going to the snow… and decided to

make the dream reality! And whilst we’re at it, why not throw the Canberra Nationals in to the mix? So

the Road Trip was locked in! Pete and Denise got on board, happy to come a long for the ride, Kim and

Kerry surprised us later on with their plans and Markus and Ursi told us they had booked flights to come

and watch! Go Team WA!!

So between us we researched races, sleds, accommodation and equipment… all that was required to run

our dogs in the snow. 12 months and a load of dollars later we were good to go!!

So with the car packed full of snow boots, jackets, beanies, goggles, mushing gear, a trailer full of dogs

and scooters and a roof rack with a sled on it… we were off. I can’t tell you some of the looks we got

leaving Perth with a snow sled on the roof!

Pete and Denise were the navigation crew, and Pete found us some awesome tracks along the Nullarbor

to get some dry land practice in. (Watch out for the training videos soon to be added to the WASSA

website featuring our runs on this epic journey)

A crazy four day trip with little sleep, lots of 80s music and giddiness and we finally reached our first

destination – a log cabin at Bogong Village. But no snow!! On the first night we arrived, with one sled

made, there was one to go. I refused to let anyone sleep until my sled was made… So Pete, Jules and I

drank wine and built my Team Red Sled whilst Denise and the pups looked on (through closed eyes!!)


So, our first full day and contact was made with the Falls Creek crew! The sleds were built and we were

eager to have a go. Only to find out that Falls Creek Resort was a little bit precious about their snow and

didn’t want our pups and sleds on it prior to the race.

We hadn’t come this far to be defeated – we contacted Shaun, the Falls Creek Sled Dog Classic President

– he kindly met us up at the resort and gave us a ‘how to attach all the equipment to the sled’ lesson,

plus a ‘how to stand, turn and manoeuvre the sled’ lesson all on a bitumen car park!

We took the pups to play on the snow and for them it was like a dream come true. They bounced and

danced on it, ate it, made yellow snow, and smiled like I’ve never seen them smile before. Emotional is

the only way to describe how I felt.

So, the day of the race came for Jules and I, and still the dogs hadn’t pulled a sled and we hadn’t ridden

one! We got to Windy Corner – the starting place of the race. And the blizzard came! With frozen

fingers, we attached the drag mats, snub lines, snow hooks and gang lines. Then we used Pete and a few

Queenslanders as our ‘dogs’ to drag us round the car park so we could practice turning the sled.

And so we were ready to race!

I was hooked up, camera on, lights on, dogs excited and I was nervous as hell. There was a blizzard, it

was dark, there was no visibility and an aqueduct either side of the first straight – oh, and the fact we’d

never sledded before! The countdown came and went; I set off and glided along the snow, the dogs

loving the fluffy white stuff beneath their paws. I actually shouted out loud “Oh my God, we are actually

doing this’ and fought back the emotional tears behind the yellow tinted snow goggles.

There were highs and lows in the race, the dogs ran awesomely well in parts, and plodded along in

others. The weight of the sled, the musher’s clothing and the drag of the snow, sometimes too much for

them. Passing was an experience – the lack of control of the sled was certainly a scary learning curve.

But I passed a few mushers and got passed by a couple. As I crossed the finishing line I fist pumped and

shouted “Yes!’ because I had lived my dream. I’d finished the race, stayed upright and most importantly

experienced sledding in the snow with my baby girls. As I headed back to the car on the sled, I was

passed by other dogs, my pups took off downhill and I stacked it! Thank God for soft powdery snow!! I

was amazed to finish 6th from 9, and was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for travelling so far, having

no practice, and for finishing so well. Very proud!

So the next race was the A5K Dinner Plain, and we were able to practice a couple of times on a small

circuit. The morning of the race came, and again the nerves kicked in. Mostly because of the fear of the

infamous ‘S bends’. The conditions were great, it was daylight and there’d been a fresh dump of snow.

The pups ran the first straight really well, struggled on the first uphill turn, but then picked up speed as

we headed on a slight decline. We were fast and it was exciting, but little did I know that the ‘S bend’

was coming up!! Bam! We hit it and I hit the snow! But I did not break that cardinal rule that had been

imprinted on my brain “whatever happens, do not let go of the sled”.


I picked myself up, and again we were off, for about three seconds, until I fell off again! The rest of the

race followed a similar pattern, some great running by the girls, some plodding and trotting, and a total

of five stacks. The race distance was like Dinner Plain’s best kept secret, never to be revealed (for some

bizarre reason) but I can tell you it felt like about ten kms. As I crossed the finish line, I burst in to tears

from the emotions of the race – how tough it was, how well the girls ran in places and how proud I was

of us finishing despite the difficulty of the race.

Day two came with horrendous conditions. The snow had melted then frozen, and the trail was like an

ice rink. I was advised to bootie my dogs – they’d never run in them before, and my confidence had hit

rock bottom. I was scared, nervous and felt sick with fear. But with some awesome support, I got on the

sled and hit the trail again. The girls had obviously picked up on my fear, they seemed confused and

didn’t want to run, and when they did want to run, I felt immense fear and kept holding them back!

Mishka got attacked and got scared, and the majority of the race was not fun at all (apart from giggling

when they ran on what they thought were puddles, which was actually ice and they were doing Bambi

impressions!!) It was a relief when this race was over.

Overall, I finished 9th from 12. Again another amazing achievement considering the issues!!

Jules and I made sure we ‘got back on the horse’ so to speak, by going out on the following days to run

on the snow with our dogs. We conquered our fears!

And so, my snow adventure was over…. What an amazing, exhilarating, scary ride! Recommended to

every dry land musher as a must do!!

Cool Runnings indeed

Katy Dillon


Nationals

Canberra Sled Dog Classic, Kowen Forest, ACT

By Denise and Peter Sixsmith

Scene: Outdoors, afternoon, cold, road-weary white(ish) Nissan Patrol idling in park in front of a just opened heavy metal gate. A young (don’t argue) woman sits in the passenger seat as a (also young) man gets back into the Patrol.

Man: It was only dummy locked, so I didn’t even need The Code.

Woman: Oh, well, cool. Hopefully that means we’re going the right way! (laughing tiredly)

Man: Yeah. (Puts Patrol into gear, drives in, closes gate as instructed in The Packet, and drives up the dirt road into the forest)

Driving on….. and on….. and on….

Man: Does the GPS have signal?

Woman: Nope.

Man: Does your super awesome fancy new Samsung S4 that gives me phone envy?

Woman: Nope.

Silence.

Driving on…. And on…. And on.

Man: Ok, well, we should have gone as far as The Packet said we should have to go. So, we should see a clearing or something sometime soon….. Anytime now…. Someplace close….

Woman: OMG LOOK AT THE HUUUUUGE GANG OF KANGAROOS OMG HELP!

Kangaroos look at Patrol disdainfully and hop away, the sounds of “Seriously” evident in their hops.

Luckily, we only had to drive a little farther before we not only saw a longdrop (signs of civilization!), but also a clearing full of dozens of racing dogs, dog trailers, scooters, rigs, and (YAY!) Dave Dyer. Ok, we thought, if Dave is here, it must be The Right Place! We found ourselves a place in the clearing in the to set up the Taj Mahusky Premium (the Ultra Premium model requires a powered site for the circulating oil heater) near Dave and the Boys, Nic, Nat, and Tina, and settled in. We were so excited! Nationals! Over East! Yay! It was going to be so cold! Yay!

It was very, very cool watching everyone arrive. Everyone who showed up seemed to know at least a few other people, and very few arrivals were made without at least one stop to say hi and give hearty hugs to friends. It was also very entertaining to see each team’s set up as they drove in. There were all kinds of vehicles and trailers coming in, from single cars with a couple of dogs to custom-made multi-dog trailers, to converted fifth-wheelers and quad bike trailers. There were grizzled old men on their own, strong, single women doing it all, families with toddlers to teenagers, couples, groups of friends, single young guys….. you name it, they were there. It was truly proof that sledding can bring us all together.

We arrived on a Wednesday, with the idea of getting to set up with no time pressure and wanting to have time to socialize and meet new people. Katy and Jules showed up a couple of hours


later to say hi to everyone, as they had a cottage in Queanbeyan (/ˈkwiːnbiən/, in case you were wondering). Pete and I took to calling it “CrispyBacon” as it seemed easier to pronounce… plus we were craving bacon. When we arrived, Liam, Scott, and a couple of the Running West ladies were busy losing each other in the woods. We were therefore advised to not try to not run our dogs that night. So we settled in. Darren Browne and Ryan Cooling set up near us all that day, too, with their Mally power and poo bucket (yes, I know, only Ryan had Mallies). Nat had a nifty fire pit made out of an old clothes washer drum and as the light faded, chairs gathered in a circle around the campfire. We filled the chairs with our clothing layered selves and the night with stories and laughter and the sounds of new acquaintances and friends being made. (Drinks included).

Thursday broke and was filled with more arrivals, running the dogs through the forest (Echo and Indy ran well as a two-dog team, yay!), knitting while sitting in the sun, and Dave showing Pete how to make a two-dog gangline. Dave is the go-to man for ropes of any color, apparently (the hardware store guy knows a gangline addict when he sees one)! Scott Dyer and Liam Moore were sent off on a quest for firewood, and came back cheekily carting a huge log on Dave’s scooter. Darren and Ryan started setting up another tent for some reason, then Kim Rance and Kerry showed up to sleep in it! Pete and I were designated a partial hunter-gatherer role and went to town to go shopping. We ventured out for food, water, and coffee. We joined Katy and Jules at their cottage for butternut squash chili, WiFi, and (praises be!) showers. We returned to camp victorious gatherers with milk, bread, and water. Hey, Nat, did you know one of your containers has a leak in it? Oops!

Friday brought more, and more, and MORE people and dogs, trips to town to see the doctor for gooey lurgy, trips to town for showers and more food, dogs playing and running around (on leash, of course), and the arrival of Maggie, Don, Kristen, and Lynn with their gang of pooches. Pete and Dave and a few others took the dogs to walk the 1-dog track so they could get an idea of where they were going. That afternoon was check-in, where we received our race bags. Apparently, we’re supposed to be hairy, smelly, and cold, because we were gifted razor blades, shaving cream, air freshener spray, and beanies or caps, along with other stuff in our bags. We all compared the contents of our bags, some air freshener scents were traded with others, beanies were swapped for caps, and we had a good laugh about our unexpected swag. All in all, it was kind of a low-activity day, but a good one, and sunny. Low-activity or not, though, you could feel the electricity in the air as people began to anticipate the races to come in the morning. You could tell the dogs knew they were there to race, too, and couldn’t wait to get going. Night, and the 1 degree cold, settled in. Fires were put out, last minute equipment checks were done before going to bed, drinks were finished off, dogs were settled, and the camp went still as all of those gathered snuggled in to try for a few hours sleep before the first heat of The Big Event.

The Event

Saturday morning breaks silent, despite the hundred or so dogs on the grounds. The morning is cold, and dark, and damp, but as the hooning gangs of kookaburras start to call out with their crazy voices to their mates, stirrings of activity were heard here and there. Our alarm goes off at 5:15 AM (a veritable lie-in!), which gives us enough time for a quick bite to eat and some tea before the 6 AM race meeting. We get words from the local club president, the event Race Marshall, the event vet, and the usual reminder to be careful, be nice, be helpful, have fun, and a reminder that the well-being of our dogs comes above everything else. We are released, and everyone scrambles to ready their dogs and gear. The dogs know It’s Time, and you can practically hear them happily yelling, “Now? Now? How ‘bout now? Can we go now? Is it time to run now? How ‘bout now?” The 8 dogs teams run first, and it’s absolutely incredible to see all that raw muscle power lined up. It’s all the handlers can do to keep a

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hold of the dogs in their excitement, but the dogs know they can’t actually go yet. You can see it in their eyes. They are focused, and so ready to go, and as their warm breath curls up into the cold early morning air, you can tell they are listening for, “Five…. Four…. Three…. Two…. One…. GOOOO!” And they are let go and all of a sudden everything is in motion forward and they are barking and happy and gooooone off into the woods!

So follow all of the 8-dog teams. The 6-dog and 4-dog teams are run together, as are the 2 and 3-dog teams (which makes for some interesting situations maneuvering rigs and scooters on the same track!). Then the 1-dog race went out, followed by 2-dog touring, 1-dog touring, veterans, juniors, bike-jouring, and canicross follow. It had somehow turned into a gorgeous morning, with temperatures still staying cool enough to keep the dogs and drivers happy. The WA crew did our usual of standing at the finish line to call everyone (I mean everyone) in, getting funny looks from non-WA people. Hey, we can’t help it if we like to be encouraging! We also had a lot of fun teasing Ryan Cooling about the fact that he had signed up for canicross with one of Darren’s dogs but really wasn’t a runner. Somehow, he survived. Team WA had good run after good run after good run (with only a couple of hiccups), and we ended the day as a bunch of pretty happy people. It was also pretty neat to get to see people taking on the bike-jouring and canicross events.

The Banquet and “Massive Auction and Raffle” were…. unexpected. There was hot food, though, and dessert, and a slide show running that even featured photos of our own Cool Runnings and Natural Disaster teams. We snuck in some gluten free, vegan ginger snaps, just to be rebellious. To top it all off, Kim Rance won the biggest prize of the night, which was a brand new Kickbike! Wooo hooo!

It was almost as though those few hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning couldn’t pass fast enough, and Sunday morning vibrated not only with excitement, but also determination, as everyone prepared themselves for one last run. We all had battle plans, and the tracks were so awesome that we couldn’t wait to get back out on them. We all had our personal goals, be it to nail down first place, to move up at least one place, to not be last, or just to have a great time running with our best friends through the gorgeous Kowen Forest. We were to run in reverse order by time, and that had everyone excited about the possibilities.

I can’t tell you how it was for everyone, but I can tell you how that day was for me. I, like others, was so sick, but I was determined to not let this life experience slip away from me. I was determined to at least go out there and try, having already accepted that, as ill as I felt, possibly the best I could hope for is to have fun. Echo had other plans, though. It was as though she knew I was sick, and she turned on that rarely seen serious working dog side of herself. She was ready. Somewhere in the prior few weeks of running every day with her Pack across the Nullarbor, something had finally clicked. She got it. We had managed to place 15th of 21 the day before, so we started 6th Sunday morning. I suited up, put her harness on her, carefully secured her fluoro orange “dancing shoes”, patted Indy, and kissed Pete for luck. Echo had been getting excited, listening to the other races, and as we wheeled the scooter up to the start line, she actually started whining in anticipation. Jules handled for me. Usually Echo’s handlers have to keep turning her to point forward and get her revved up, but not today! She kept whining and prancing and jumping and pulling, with her bottom jaw chattering. MOM LET’S GO! Finally, we get the GO, and we’re off! She digs in like a real dog and we fly around the first curve in the track. She is totally concentrating on the trail in front of her, and I actually see her making choices about the best path to run. For once, she is not just running along the left side of the track, but running in front of me and taking me through or around puddles depending on what looks good. I’m so proud of her! She sees a Mally in front of her and flies for him. He and his driver have stopped, and I barely have time to ask the driver if they are ok (poop stop, apparently) before we are by. She knows this track by now, so I hardly have to give her directions as we take another corner. At the end of the next stretch


she sees another dog and hears someone behind us, so she pours it on even more. We pass the second team shortly after the next corner and it’s as though she doesn’t even see them there, as she is concentrating on the next team in front of us. I see that third team and borrow a play from Kevin Savage’s book. I tell her, “Good girl! Ok, next one! Go get the next one! Get ‘em!”. And she listens! We pass the third team at the bottom of The Hill, and we pass the fourth team as she pulls me hard enough up The Hill to let me actually scoot half-way up. I’m sucking wind so hard at this point that I’m convinced I’m going to pass out any second, but I’ll be dammed if I don’t give at least as much as she is. She is giving her all for me. So when I eventually have to hop off the scooter to get up the rest of The Hill and she looks back at me like, “What are you DOING?!? Let’s GO!” I find it somewhere within myself to jog so I can go fast enough to hold up the scooter as she pulls it up the hill.

We pass the last of the 5 teams in front us (as I encourage the poor Mally in the other team up the hill) as we reach the top of the hill and I jump back on the scooter just in time to not be left behind by my apparently now competitive dog. We race toward the next corner, and as we skid around it, the corner marshals hear me screaming, “Good girl! Best girl!” Echo flies down the downhill faster than she’s ever taken a downhill before. So fast that at one point she looks at me in disbelief, almost as though even she can’t believe it, and is it ok, is she still a good girl? I giggle at her and tell that she is. When we’ve almost reached the 500 meter mark, she almost gets spooked by some crazy people on motorcycles, but I don’t think she even knows what to make of them, so as I yell at them to get off the track, she just keeps running. I can tell she is getting tired now, as this is the hardest she has ever run, so I work even harder to scoot as much as I can and take some of the load off of her. We see the 500 meter cones in front of us. I look behind us and I can’t see anyone there. Oh my God. We’ve passed everyone that started in front of us. No one has overtaken us. Oh. My. God. I start to get excited, but then I think, no, we’re not done yet, don’t get distracted because that’s when things fall apart. Concentrate. Don’t get a wheel wrap. Watch Echo. Help her. So I scream “Good girl! Good girl! Go home, baby! Go home!” and from somewhere, who knows where, she finds that last bit of anything that is left and she uses it. By now, all the WA team people who aren’t in this race see that it’s Echo coming in and (bless them) they start calling her and yelling for her and they, too, tell her good girl! I’m guessing that at least one person said, “OMG is that Echo? No way!” She runs and runs (and dodges that huge puddle) and runs and is the first dog to finish in our heat! I unhook her and pick her up and spin and dance around, telling her more good girls and best girls and you did so gooooooood! She just pants and smiles like yeah, I know, I’m the best dog evah.

My flower-sniffing, wheel-shy, fluffy princess has given me everything she had, and that is all I could ever ask of her.

Pete and Indy have what could have possibly been the best runs of their lives, too, pulling up to an incredible 5th place, and we are so proud of our little buddies.

As the morning goes on Team WA stands and cheers and helps and consoles and is generally just the awesome group of people that we are. We do our clubmates proud with our good attitudes and our support of everyone. We make people think we are crazy as we all erupt in cheers and applause for each WA person who places. I whoop and give Pete a huge hug and cry like Niagra Falls when he is announced as the fifth place winner in 1-dog. We take a thousand pictures of everything and even adopt some people as “ours” to be honorary WA teammates and cheer for them, too. We all get together to take a Team WA picture, and everyone else probably gets sick of how ‘GO TEAM WA’ we are. You know they are all just jealous.

Denise and Peter Sixsmith


The Importance of Massage & Stretching For Your

Sled or Agility Dog By Julie-Anne Tamati

Massage and stretching improves the quality of your dog’s life. The dog may not only run faster, but will

be able to enjoy the natural agility of a young dog for many years of its life.

Massage and stretching are no replacements for visits to the vet if your dog is injured, but they do

prevent injuries occurring. They complement daily exercise, training and a good diet. The purpose of

massage and stretching is to maintain and improve mobility, increase blood circulation, relax and calm

your dog. Regular massages and stretching helps prevent strain injuries.

Exercise should always include some warm-up stretching exercises. Muscular contractions improved

20% by increasing the body temperature by 1degree. Muscular contraction decreases significantly in the

cold. A warm-up helps the blood vessels open up and supply blood to the muscles and nerves and also

helps to stretch the ligaments and tendons so that injury is less likely to occur.

A good stretch loosens the muscles of the limbs and spinal cord and lines up the bones of the joints in

preparation for exercise.

Sled dog racing is a sport and you and your dog/s are athletes, so warm up and warm down and stretch,

making it less likely for either of you to be injured.

Warm-up:

1. Let the dog walk slowly for a while, then increase tempo for 2-3 minutes

2. Let the dog trot 2-3 minutes

3. Let the dog gallop for 1 minute

4. Ease off and let the dog wind down

This does not tire the dog, but increases the blood circulation and warms up the muscles ensuring that

the joints are lubricated and more supple.


Stretching:

Works up good mobility in the muscle and around the joints,

Reducing pressure on the joints.

Stretch 1:

Hold the dog's elbow with one hand , grasping the wrist with

the other. Move the leg forward and upwards, stretching the

elbow joint and flexor muscles of the foreleg(shoulder joint)

Stretch 2:

Place one hand directly above the knee joint on the back leg and

the other on the lower part of the leg around the hock joint.

Lift the leg upwards so the knee is bent, then push gently

upwards and backwards with the hand positioned above the knee

joint.

After completing the race let the dog wind down , then carefully

do some stretching exercises. When you get home reward your dog

with a massage, get one yourself as well !

Before racing:

Hydrate: your dog 2hours before racing. Give your dog water that has been baited with e.g. Sardines so

that the dog is encouraged to have a good drink.

Warm-up:

Stretch:

After racing:

Wind down:

Gentle stretching:

Hydrate: Give your dog water in small amounts with some electrolytes added to prevent dehydration

(you can buy the liquid form or powder)

I don't feed my dogs for at least 1/1/2 hours after running to prevent bloat. Remember to prepare and

maintain fitness of your dog and yourself. Happy mushing!

Julie-Anne Tamati


Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet

Source: http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/newtsm/bikes/helmets-EasyStepsEngColor.pdf


Kennel Cough

Source: http://www.midlandvet.com.au/pet-info-details.php?catid=2&id=56

"Kennel Cough" is one of the most common conditions of the upper respiratory tract in dogs. The

condition is also known as Canine Cough, canine infectious tracheobronchitis, tracheobronchitis and

Bordetellosis. The disease is found worldwide and will infect a very high percentage of dogs in their

lifetime. Despite its name “Kennel cough”, it does not require your dog to stay in a kennel to contract it.

It is highly contagious and can be transmitted by nose to nose contact with an infected dog or by sharing

food and waterbowls.

Infectious agents

There are many different agents that can cause Canine Cough. The two most common are Parainfluenza

virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria. Mycoplasma, Canine adenovirus, Reovirus, and Canine

Herpes virus are other less common agents that are thought to possibly contribute to the disease.

Parainfluenza virus is the most common viral agent in Canine Cough. This virus causes mild symptoms,

which generally last around 5-7 days unless there is secondary involvement with other bacteria (which is

usually the case). Both our C5 vaccine and Canine cough vaccines offer some protection against this

virus.

Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common bacterial agent in Canine Cough. Symptoms occur around

3-5 days after exposure, and if uncomplicated with other agents, will last around 10 days. However, after

signs of the infection have been resolved, the affected animal will continue to shed the bacteria for 6 to

14 weeks and can spread the disease to other susceptible animals during that time. Both our C5 vaccine

and Canine cough vaccines offer some protection against these bacteria.

Canine Cough is commonly a result of a combination of Parainfluenza and Bordetella infection and

symptoms of this duo last from 14-20 days.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is a dry hacking cough sometimes followed by retching. The cough can be

so severe, that it often sounds as if the dog is choking! A watery nasal discharge may also be present.

With mild cases, dogs continue to eat and be alert and active. Many times, there is a recent history of

boarding or coming in contact with other dogs (such as dog training classes). In more severe cases, the

symptoms can include lethargy, fever, inappetence, pneumonia, and in very severe cases, occasionally

death. The majority of severe cases occur in immuno-compromised animals (e.g. animals on

chemotherapy), or young unvaccinated puppies.


Diagnosis

Your veterinarian can typically diagnose Canine cough from a physical exam and history of recent

exposure to other dogs. The cough is very characteristic and can be easily elicited by massaging the dog's

larynx or trachea. However if your dog is showing more severe signs of illness, your veterinarian may

want to perform diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) chest x-ray, and laboratory

analysis of the micro-organisms inhabiting your dog's airways. These tests can help determine whether

the dog has developed pneumonia or another more serious illness.

Treatment

Because the majority of cases involve a bacterial component, antibiotics are often recommended. We

will generally use a broad spectrum antibiotic that will cover for both Bordetella and Mycoplasmas. We

will also often prescribe a course of anti-inflammatories to help with mild pain and inflammation of the

throat. This can also help reduce fever.

In more severe cases where the animal is not eating, running a high fever, or showing symptoms

suggestive of pneumonia, stronger antibiotics are used and we may recommend your animal to be

hospitalised for intravenous fluid therapy and other treatments.

Vaccination and prevention

Vaccination can provide protection against contracting the disease, but because there are so many

different agents that can cause Canine Cough they do don’t offer full protection. They will however help

reduce the severity of the disease if the animal becomes infected. After initial vaccination as puppies at

12 and 16 weeks, a yearly booster is recommended. However, some dogs that are at very high risk are

vaccinated every six months.

In kennels where Canine Cough is a problem, strict hygiene with thorough cleaning and disinfection of

cages and food and water containers is essential. In addition, kennels that are indoors should have good

ventilation with an air turnover rate of at least 12 times an hour. Agents causing Canine Cough can be

transmitted on hands and clothing as well as through the air, so infected animals must be isolated and

handlers should wear gloves and use proper hand washing to help prevent spread. Vaccination of all

animals, especially puppies is indicated in problem kennels.


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WASSA Magazine Magazine 2013 - 1st...1 dog 15 13 Denise Sixsmith 0:14:40 0:15:30 0:13:09 43:19.75 11.94 Class 2Position Bib Number Driver Heat 1 Heat 2 Total Time kph km per heat Junior