UPDATE: LOCAL MUSHER PREPARES FOR WORLD-CLASS SLED DOG RACE
by Gavin T. Telfer
Just after 9:00 on a typical Tuesday morning, Dr. Tim Hunt, DVM, is performing some routine surgery at the Bayshore Veterinary Hospital in Harvey, Michigan. But while the day is typical for Dr. Hunt, his days are anything but typical.
Though Hunt’s day job is that of a Veterinarian, he’s also an avid musher. So it’s no surprise that at 9:00 am on a Tuesday, Dr. Hunt has already been working for several hours. In fact, he gets up before 6:00 to perform his morning dog chores. What’s more is that after work, around 5:00 pm, he tends to run his team of Alaskan Huskies for anywhere from four to six hours.
In just a few short weeks, Dr. Hunt will see a huge payoff for all his hard work as he travels to Europe to compete in the inaugural La Grande Odyssee, a 1,000-kilometer sled dog race through the Alps. Hunt has the privilege of being one of only two mushers from the lower 48 states competing in the race.
Though Dr. Hunt will be showing his skills as a musher in the actual race, which spans from January 8th to the 19th, his veterinary knowledge will be called upon prior to the event. Hunt and his wife Mary, will board a plane in Chicago on January 4th, and will be the only two passengers on board, aside from the flight crew…and, oh yeah, a lot of dogs.
Actually, before the 747 even arrives in Chicago, it will have picked up all the teams of dogs from the Alaskan and Canadian participants. Once the Hunts’ board the plane, it will be their responsibility to take care of the dogs throughout the flight. In a sense, this makes Dr. Hunt’s job as crucial as anyone else participating in the race.
After performing his duties as a vet on the plane ride, Dr. Hunt will prepare for, and then participate in the race, which includes two 100-mile loops that will each be run twice. Meanwhile, his wife Mary will be acting as handler throughout the race.
Six of the eighteen checkpoints in La Grande Odyssee are handler-assisted. At these points, Mary will help with feeding, foot care, and bedding for the entire team of dogs. While not all the checkpoints are handler-assisted, Mary will be driving the team truck from checkpoint to checkpoint. At the sites where assistance is not permitted, Mary will record the day’s events via laptop and put them in an online journal. This journal, as well as a current pre-race training journal, can be found at: www.drtims.com/timsjournal.html
Obviously, La Grande Odyssee is an elite race with some top-class competitors. Many of the mushers are professionals and have had a great deal of experience in these types of races. Though Dr. Hunt has been running dogs for about ten years, this is the longest race his teams have ever competed in. Therefore, he’s more concerned with getting his dogs great experience than winning the event.
“The trick in my mind is not to race the race, but to go from point to point,” says Hunt.
The grueling race will feature many steep inclines and all sorts of varying terrain, as the mushers wind through the European Alps. While Dr. Hunt has competed in a few mountainous races, he can’t routinely practice in the mountains. Therefore, Hunt takes his dogs on long runs to build stronger muscles for the race.
The grueling race will feature many steep inclines and all sorts of varying terrain, as the mushers wind through the European Alps. While Dr. Hunt has competed in a few mountainous races, he can’t routinely practice in the mountains. Therefore, Hunt takes his dogs on long runs to build stronger muscles for the race.
“If they’re strong, they’re more protected against injuries,” states Hunt.
Getting the dogs a little stronger for the race will help Hunt’s team compete. However, he’ll have to use some in-race strategies as well.
Dr. Hunt will use eight or nine different lead dogs throughout the race. One of his dogs, Kiwi, can only see out of one eye. Ironically, Hunt says he leads better at night than most of the dogs.
At night, I think the tunnel effect of the headlamp is more comforting for him than [running] during the day,” remarks Hunt.
Another solid lead dog named Phyllis will help out at the head of the pack. Yet while Phyllis is very quick, she requires running with a very stable dog next to her. Hunt says he may pair her with Dave, one of his most steady team members.
The rules for La Grande Odyssee state that a team can have no more than ten dogs racing at a time, and no less than six. However, teams can take up to fourteen dogs with them for the race.
Hunt says he will try to use the maximum of ten dogs when he can, since it will provide for more power. However, the steep grades in the mountains will require Hunt to run with a smaller team in some spots.
Dr. Hunt will also try to rotate the fourteen dogs as best he can to avoid stress. He wants to avoid overrunning the dogs. He also wants to minimize the threat of injuries to the huskies.
“It’s the law of averages that some dogs will get injured,” admits Hunt. Hopefully the training and preparation will keep these injuries to a minimum, however.
Especially at risk for burn-out or injuries are the three yearlings that Dr. Hunt will be bringing along for the event. These dogs, which are all less than two years old, cannot be run for a long period of time. Hunt’s plan is to get the dogs some good experience and use them very sparingly throughout the competition. The upside of running these dogs is the amount they will learn in the event.
Finally, one other factor will have an affect on the team: altitude. Although the dogs aren’t used to running in high altitude conditions, the changing elevation is more likely to affect Dr. Hunt than the dogs. While there is no way to simulate the altitude changes, it will no doubt be a factor in the race.
Much of the funding for this endeavor comes right from Dr. Hunt himself. However, he is very thankful for the positive encouragement from the community.
“We’ve had a great deal of support, both actual and verbal, from the community,” remarks Hunt.
And he’ll have just as much support when he completes this daunting task.