Features

WHITEHORSE, YK - Jonathan Lucas isn't sure who came up with the idea to attach a dog to a bike and then race. But for the fourth summer in a row, Yukon dog and bicycle lovers are putting a modern touch on an ancient mode of transport. In summer there is no snow to race dog sleds. Bikejoring was born out of the effort to keep dogs and humans fit in the off-season.

"It has just developed and it's quite a sport. We were the first people to try it in the Yukon," said Lucas who is the president of Yukon's Dog-Powered Sport Association. "But I know a lot of professional dog mushers who finally clicked onto it because it's excellent lead dog training. You're not all in winter gear, you can get off and either discipline the dog, teach the dog, so it just has to do what you want it to do."

Dog teams have been used for centuries to help people transport goods and hunt. The tradition lives on today in sport. The Yukon Quest and the Iditarod dog sled races draw participants and headlines from all over the world. Skijoring is another puppy-powered sport where harnessed dogs pull cross-country skiers. Bikejor and canicross are the summertime answers to these.

More than 30 people and their dogs have gathered just north of Whitehorse at the Drag 'n Fly Kennel for one of five bikejor and cannicross events of the summer. As owners harness up their dogs for action, one thing is clear: these dogs love to pull. At the sight of her harness, Lucas' Rottweiler leaps into the air.

"I think the dog has great fun. I can hold the harness and say 'are you keen?' and that's when she's leaping, she knows what's going to happen," he said.

There is audible excitement at the start line as eager dogs pull their guide line out taut. The first event is a two-dog, two-mile race. A countdown sends the first dogs and rider off down the narrow quad trail. The dogs pull the bike and the rider pedals like stink. Riders leave every 30 seconds to avoid pileups, but there are still hairy moments as teams pass on the sandy trail.

"The sled dogs know their job. They maybe go faster if they see a squirrel, but most of the time, they stay on the trail," said racer Alexandra Rochat. Today she's racing in the pet category, which can be a challenge. "The other day there were some dogs roaming free; they chased a squirrel and she followed the other dogs off the trail. I was attached to her on my bike."

For many, the summer bikejor and cannicross races are an introduction to puppy-powered sport. Some participants run professional kennels. But other just bring their pets. A small fluffy white creature seems out of place amid the numerous Huskies, though she runs her little heart out.

"A lot of people are racing for their first time, or almost first time," said canicross racer Christel Bartczak. "So sometimes the dogs don't go in the right direction, or they're not used to it, especially head-on passing."