Olympic Dog Sledding . . .

Yes - Dog Sledding - an Olympic sport. Well not officially, but during the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, Dog Sledding was an exhibition sport. The Olympic sport featured five Canadians and seven Americans with six dogs per sled.

Olympic Dogs.

Canadian, Emile St. Godard, and his team - led by Toby - won both 50 mile races held at the Games that year.

St. Godard, obviously a dog lover, called his team “my family.” He once stopped mid-way through a race (one he and the dogs were winning) because the ice encrusted snow was injuring the dogs’ paws. It is understood his dogs were fed a steady diet of Lake Winnipeg goldeneye fish to enhance their stamina and boost their energy. Toby, the lead dog, was a husky-greyhound cross and held a very high status as lead dog. But he also held the place of top dog in the heart of St. Godard.

When Toby was no longer fit for racing, St. Godard gave up the sport as well. What a pair they must have been. St. Godard was well respected for his concern for the dogs. A true ambassador for the sport, he remains the only dog sledder to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and the only Gold Medalist for Olympic Dog Sledding. Emile and Toby – Canadian Olympic Heros!
 
You can read more about Emile St. Godard - now in the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame at the following link:

http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/honoured/2007/egodard.htm

 

To get a taste of what the world of dog sledding and dog sled racing is all about, head on up to Drummond Island this winter. Several dog sled races are held throughout the winter with the next one scheduled for the weekend of February 27 - 28, 2010. All events are held at the Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center :

 http://www.drummondisland.com/

For more information on the race schedule for February's contest, competion rules, and other dog sledding tidbits go straight to the source:

http://www.midunionsledhaulers.com/races.html