Ohkola's race

2005-02-12

Ohkola's race was arranged in Mäntsälä by Länsi-Suomen valjakkourheilijat. The length of the track was seven kilometers. This route was run in two heats. Between the heats was a break, which lasted three hours. In the race was 20 teams, of which two competed in junior's class. Four dogs class was the only class in Ohkola's race.

Anne was the musher of our team, which consisted of leaders Jätkä and Nome, wheel dogs Uwa and Sally. Suski loaned the Alaskan husky Sally to us. Luna had a break of three months in training, so we didn't have the courage to let her compete in the race.

Because Anne was the 9th in the first heat, the first heat went better than we expected. Everyone of the dogs run well.

In the second heat Jätkä and Nome succeeded in making a mess. To disentangle the mess lasted long. During this time a team passed our team. When Anne tried to pass this team, Jätkä rushed near the leaders of the other team. One of the leaders was in heat, which was too much to Jätkä. Anne had to run behind the other team the rest of the second heat. At last Lunowa's team was the 12th in the combined results of both heats.

In the second heat the main problem of our team was the mess. Someone in the races has always a bitch in heat, thus we must teach Jätkä to pass any team.

Heikki Laurila won the race with three dobermans. Wilhelmiina Kallio had the other odd team in the race. In her team run two German shepherds. It is fine that we see in the races new breeds in addition to traditional sled dogs.