The Newberry Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes Mushers and Fans of the sport to our area!
The Newberry area is home to two annual Sled Dog Race Events in January: The Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Races held at Rainbow Lodge and the Great Lakes Sled Dog Association Newberry Race held at the Luce County Airport. Come and experience the excitement of Sled Dog Racing from Professional classes to Amateur enthusiasts, and long distance to sprint events! We have it all!
The Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Rainbow Lodge at 9706 County Road 423, north of Newberry. There are seven race classes: 12 Dog Pro Race (63 miles), 8 Dog Pro (42m), 6 Dog Sportsman (28m), 6 Dog Pure Breed Sportsman (19m), 4 Dog Sportsman (8m), 2-3 Dog Youth (4m), 1-2 Dog Skijoring (8m). The Drivers Meeting will be Friday night at 7:30pm at the American Legion in Newberry. The Race starts Saturday at 9:30am at Rainbow Lodge. For more information on the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Races click here.
Pictures courtesy of David Eggert.
The Great Lakes Sled Dog Association Race will take place on Saturday and Sunday, January 23-24, 2010 (NOTE: THIS IS A NEW DATE) at the Luce County Airport on M-28 east of Newberry. On Saturday the races start at 10am and on Sunday at 9am. Races will run until about 3pm. The Great Lakes Sled Dog Association is a Sprint Racing professional club. Race classes are 8 Dog, 6 Dog, 4 Dog, 3 Dog Jr., 2 Dog Jr., and 1 Dog Jr.; there are both professional and recreational groups. The race is a timed event over 2 days, with the fastest combined time winning in each class. Mandatory Drivers meeting is at 8:30am Saturday at the race site. For more information on the Great Lakes Sled Dog Association Race click here.
Helpful Hints for Spectators: *Do not bring pets to watch the race. A pet is a distraction to the sled dogs and could cause a driver to loose a race or result in harm to your pet. Sled dogs are athletes and need to concentrate on racing. *Do not stand on the trail. The leaders need to have an open path to see where they are going. *DO NOT feed the dogs. *Don't ask questions when the drivers are getting ready to race; they will be focused on the dogs. *Be careful where you walk: a driver has lines, harnesses,etc. out for the race and it is easy to trip on them. *Always ask permission to pet a dog: some dogs can be very hyper.
Musher Lingo: Musher - the driver of the team. Gee - right turn Haw - left turn Easy - slow down Mushers don't say "mush". They say "hike", "ready?" or "let's go".
Newberry Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 308 Newberry, MI 49868 Located on the South corner of M -28 & M -123.
