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Photo by Kjell O.Brun


Photo by Alexandra Wiedmayer


Photo by Sofia Ericsson








Photo by Richard Ryderstedt







Racing season 2008/2009

Amundsen Race Östersund- Röros. Start: 27 March 2009
After long debate we decided to give Amundsen Race a try. On and after Femundlöpet we struggled with high liver values in the dogs, making it impossible to start with our best possible team on the Amundsen Race. Three key dogs were not with on the team. Several dogs who would otherwise not have made the race team were now running, as well as we loaned two other dogs of which 1 was not used to our team, making him a 'wildcard'. He turned out to be a safe bet.

Some facts about the race:
48 starting teams of which 6 purebred teams
11 Swedish teams starting, 7 in finish.
34 teams in finish, of which 3 purebred teams.

12 dogs on the team starting: Nathan, Barney, Noa, Peikon, Grubian, Putin, Dante, Glimmer, Spotted, Raggen, Goofy, Hulk Haakon (loaned from Fredrik and Nina Filander)
8 Dogs in finish: Nathan, Barney, Noa, Peikon, Grubian, Dante, Spotted, Hulk.

The start
Amundsen Race started in perfect weather conditions, Friday 27th March 18:00 hours at the ice of the great lake of Östersund. The 48 teams participating provided a spectacular mass-start.Though it was the meaning to start out slowly, Karsten had a great position and got ahead of the field avoiding tangles and passing other teams.
When crossing the ice-road ca. 25 km. out from the start, Karsten was in the front pack together with Robert Sörlie.
As the stage to the first checkpoint of Ljungdalen was 142 km., Karsten calmed the team down by breaking and stopped after ca. 70 km. to snack and water the dogs. This resulted in that ca. 15 teams had to be passed as soon the team was back on the trail.

1. Checkpoint Ljungdalen
Saturday morning 05.00 hours the team arrived at Ljungdalen after a run of 11 hours. They came in at 20. place. Most top 10 teams stopped only for a few minutes. Karsten took a rest of 2.43 hours. The entire team of 12 dogs were eating well and all went out of Ljungdalen at 0742 hours. Next stop was Tänndalen, 69 km. further up the trail and 211 km in the race.

2. Checkpoint Tänndalen, 211 km. in the race
Saturday afternoon at 13:47 hours the team arrived Tänndalen in 19. positon after a run of 6.05 hours. Here the team took 6 hours mandatory rest. Karsten was unsure whether to take 6 hours or 8 hours rest. Most of the dogs were eating, but youngest team member Raggen was very tired and had bad appetite, so he was dropped from the team. Goofy had not been enjoying the speed during the race and was taken out as well. Putin had been working so hard that there was the risk of getting him in the sled on the next stage. In his best interest, he was taken out of the team. Glimmer had been showing a slight limp, but after some massage and check-over by the vet got green light to continue. Karsten was not able to sleep and went out 16 minutes beyond the mandatory pause of 6 hours. The team with 9 dogs left Tänndalen at 20:03 Saturday evening after 6.16 hours rest in 20. position. Next stop was Grövelsjon.

3. Checkpoint Grövelsjon, 294 km. in the race
The 3rd. checkpoint was wildlife checkpoint Grövelsjön, 83 km. from Tänndalen. There is no possibility to go indoors here as there is only a tent for the officials working at the checkpoint. The teams have to take 4 hours mandatory rest here. Karsten and the team arrived in Grövelsjon in 19. place on Sunday morning 03:48 hours after a run of 6.45 hours. Glimmer's limp had started to come back and he was dropped from the team.
All the other dogs seemed to be in good shape and at 07:48 hours, the team left for Tufsingdalen, a run of 88 km. and 382 km. in the race. Most of the climbs were behind now.

4. Checkpoint Tufsingdalen, 382 km. in the race
Tufsingdalen is not an official checkpoint but a place to drop dogs. It is not the meaning that teams stop for much longer then necessary at this point. As all 8 dogs left on the team were doing well, Karsten went straight through Tufsingdalen when he arrived at 14:30 hours Sunday afternoon. The 88 km. run from Grövelsjön to Tufsingdalen had taken the team 6.42 hours and they had passed several teams on the way, giving them an 15. place. Now it was only 40 km. left to the finish.

5. Finish in Röros, 422 km.
The dogs were picking up the pace the closer they came to the finish. Karsten said the dogs had good speed all the way and they made the run to the finish in 3:49 hours which was the 3rd best time of all teams. The team managed to improve one more placing on the final stretch and finished in 14. place overall, crossing the finishline at 18:19 hours, only few minutes behind nr. 12 and 13.

The 14. place gave the team a silver medal in the Open Swedish Long Distance Championships. Thereby being the first purebred Siberian Husky team to earn a SM medal in competition with mixed breds. Usually, the Swedish Championships are being rated separately between mixedbreds (Group A) and purebred Siberian Huskies (Group C). With a 14. place, the team was also the best purebred team and had the fastest SH time on all stages.

Many thanks to the great athletes of the kennel: main leader Nathan who was in lead from start to finish. Co leaders: Barney, Noa and Putin, Team members: Peikon, Dante, Glimmer, Grubian, Spotted, Raggen, and step ins Goofy and Hulk Haakon av Vargevass. We were especially impressed with 'Hulken' who was loaned to the team from Fredrik and Nina Filander. He had finished the 500 km. Finnmarkslöpet two weeks earlier on the team of Fredrik, but he stepped in on our team without any problems and had a tight line from start to finish. Thanks to Fredrik and Nina Filander for their great help, both in handling and supporting the team with two dogs. Hulk Haakon is now Swedish Polardog Champion and has both a gold medal in the Swedish Championships Middle Distance on the team of Nina Filander, as well as a silver medal on the Open Swedish Championships Long Distance!

Thanks also to the all the volunteers for a fabolous event, the atmosphere and organization were in one word GREAT! Truly a race to recommend.

Thanks to all who encouraged the team and send congratulations. We feel very grateful with so many supporters. THANK YOU!




Photos by Kjell O.Brun


Photo by Kjell O.Brun
  
Photo by Kjell O.Brun
     

Photo by Richard Ryderstedt
 
Photos by Richard Ryderstedt
Silver medal in Open Swedish Championships Long Distance   Prize for best Siberian Husky team

SPHK NN Club Championship Lillholmsjö. 10/11 January. First race of the season.
Middle Distance Unlimited 2 x 46 km.
1. Karsten ----------------- 2:13:48 - 2:18:59 - Total 4:32:47
2. Torbjörn Ohrström -- 2:18:47 - 2:23:10 - Total 4:41:57
3. Manfred Witschel --- 2:21:19 - 2:29:25 - Total 4:50:44
4. Richard Ryderstedt- 2:38:14 - 2:31:46 - Total 5:10:00


Karsten and the team on the trail after 30 km. upper photo and 43 km.


The kindergarden team coming into the finish. Myggen and Libby lead. Photos by Lore Mair.
With a time of totally 1:09:57 we ended in 10. place over 13,5 km.


Racing Season 2007/2008

Polar Distans 12-14 March 2008
Organized by SPHK Västra. Eveline entered in 6 dog class, 140 km. with the dogs of the WSA bronze medal team; Grubian, Putin, Peikon, Noa, Dante & Barney. Dante & Barney went in lead on the first 80 km., on the second leg of 60 km. Barney & Noa in lead. Total time: 10 hours, 4 minutes. Place: 1. Number of entrants in 6 dog class: 15

Mireille la Barre from Switzerland entered in same class with Sujoz, Al. Chanel of A., Nordvikens Glimmer, Libby, Exxon and Vikerkollens First Earl. Total time: 11 hours, 14 minutes. Place: 5. Chanel and Sujoz were in lead from start to finish.

Thanks to all the volunteers and officials for a great event.

WSA Championships 7- 9 March 2008
Kjell placed 3rd, winning bronze medal in 8 dog class sprint 3 x 18 km.
Dogs on the team: Noa, Putin (lead), Grubian, Robert (point), Dante, Glimmer (team), Peikon, Goofy (wheel).

Eveline placed 5th in 8 dog class sprint 3 x 18 km.
Dogs on the team: Barney, Libby (lead), Isa (lead day 3), Ulva, Myggen, Streken, Spot (all 16 months old) & Tug (2 yrs old).
Number of entrants in 8 dog class sprint: 17

Photos by: Schlittenhund Magazin, Hélène Moubis, Niklas Andersson and
Linda & Paul Robertson (WSA Champ.) and Frans & Angela Dijkman (Polar Distans). Thank you! See more photos of the WSA Championships here.


The mainstring out on a trainingrun mars 2008 Photo by Nicolette Bazuin

7- 9 March
We had no particular expectations when we spontanously and in the last moment signed up for the WSA sleddog sprint racing championships after we had seen our long distance racing season been destroyed by a throat inflammation issue. The dogs had been resting all through December and it was not until the middle of January that training got going again. It meant no Femundlöpet 600 and no Amundsenrace either. Even the original plan of running the middle distance at the WSA championships of 3 x 52 km. had to be abandoned as the dogs had not sufficient condition for running this distance at full speed over 3 days. Instead, we decided to enter in sprint 8-dog class because the dogs had only been trained over 16 km all through February.

Our compagnon Kjell Dannevall drove the 8 fastest dogs from Karsten's mainstring being: Noa, Putin, Grubian, Glimmer, Robert, Dante, Peikon and Goofy. On the first day Noa and Glimmer were in lead. They both set a good pace, but the team lost quite some time when they got into a tangle passing an open class team which blocked the trail due to a overheated dog. Later on, the team lost more valuable seconds when Glimmer, a young dog in his first season of racing, got scared of the crowd while going into the finish chute. The next days more experienced Putin and Noa went in lead and the finish went smoothly. Kjell's time of 46.14,0 on the first day, 45.59,3 on the second day and 45.56,4 on the third day was good enough for a third place out of 17 teams starting, thereby winning the bronze. It proves that long distance dogs can even perform well in sprint. On the team were three dogs which have finished the Finnmarkslöpet 1000 km. in 2006 as well as multiple Femundlöpets; Grubian, Putin and Goofy.

While Kjell had 8 dogs from Karsten's mainstring, Eveline entered with a team consisting of five yearlings of 16 months old (Ulva, Isa, Streken, Myggen and Spot), one two year old male (Tug), one small female (Libby) and Finnmarkslöpet veteran Barney. Barney is a wonderful, reliable and hard working dog but he is not a speed monster. However, his powerful attitude on the uphills is compensating for his lack of speed. All three runs went without any complications. On day three Tug was dropped from the team due to diarrhea the day before, and I started out with the 5 females and 2 males. Luckily, we were able to maintain our position and even improved one place, ending on 5th place out of 17. It was very rewarding to see the dogs perform so well after such a troublesome season and for me personally to place in the top five in my first sprint race and fourth race ever. (2 x NSHK Vintersamling 50 km., 1 x Polar Distans 180 km.)

12 March
The day after the WSA championships we took the dogs from Karsten's main string out on a trip of 30 km. as preparation for the 160 km. Polar Distans we were entered for. Mireille la Barre from Switzerland and me were both entered for the 6 dog class, starting on Wednesday 12th March. It was nice to see that this year the smallest class had the most entries with 15 teams starting!
My team existed of the same dogs who had been winning bronze at the WSA sprint championships being Putin, Noa, Grubian, Peikon and Dante and Barney as leaddog. Mireille had Glimmer, Libby, Exxon, Sujoz and Vikerkollen's First Earl as well as Alaskan's Chanel of Anadyr on the team. Hereby thanks to Frode Bakke of Isslottet kennel of loaning Earl to us.

Polar Distans started in warm temperatures and rain weather. On the first leg of 80 km. I tried to keep the speed down as to not exhaust the dogs who were now used to 'sprint mode'. It took us 6 hours and 17 minutes to the first and only checkpoint in the race where the dogs got a 6 hours mandatory rest. We were on third place when coming into the checkpoint. Karsten told me I could let the dogs determine the speed for the rest of the race, which meant that we went full speed out from the checkpoint. The dogs kept good speed for the entire leg of 60 km. and we made the distance in 3 hours and 47 minutes which was good to win the race. We finished the race in 10 hours and 4 minutes.

Goofy who was on loan on the team of Nina Filander helped Nina's team to a beautiful 3rd place in the same class. Nina's leaddogs Nymånens Ixius and Curry (by Ewok) have been formerly staying at our kennel and are doing a great job now on the Arktisk Storm team. Nina won only two days earlier bronze at the WSA middle distance championships in limited class with these two lovely males in lead. Birgitta and Mikael Sandin of Kennel Nymånen are breeders of Ixius and Curry.

Mireille la Barre from Switzerland was driving our second team. Sujoz and Alaskan's Chanel of Anadyr went in lead for the entire race. Polar Distans was Mireille's first race ever and it was also first time for her to drive in darkness. All dogs and Mireille did a great job and finished at 5th place in 11 hours and 14 minutes.

The race season was rather short this year. The dogs did two major races in the same week, separated by only 2 days. I think we can feel priviliged to have such great athletes in the kennel.

 		  Photo by Kjell O.Brun


Photo by Richard Ryderstedt


Photo by Kjell O.Brun

Photo by Richard Ryderstedt




Photo by Kjell O.Brun
 
 
         

The team out from Femundtunet

Karsten getting a bottle of whisky, for best purebred team

Femundlöpet 2007
* italic = Sib. Husky team
   
Time used:  
Tolga - Röros, 85 km.
1. R. Sörlie 7.16 hrs.
10 Karsten 7.40 hrs.
18. Nisse 8.38 hrs.
23. Pierre 14.46 hrs.
24. Isabel 11.41 hrs.
27. Frode 13.42 hrs.
   
Tynset - Tolga, 30 km.
1. R. Sörlie 3.28 hrs.
10. Karsten 3.22 hrs.
19. Nisse 3.37 hrs.
20. Pierre 9.13 hrs.
25. Isabel 4.21 hrs.
28. Frode 4.57 hrs.
   
Grimsbu - Tynset, 120 km.
1. Inger Mari 6.18 hrs.
3. R. Sörlie 6.10 hrs.
13. Karsten 6.23 hrs.
19. Nisse 6.46 hrs.
21. Pierre 7.23 hrs.
25. Isabel 8.53 hrs.
28. Frode 9.32 hrs.
   
Tynset - Grimsbu, 130 km
1. Bente J. 11.08 hrs.
3. R. Sörlie 10.50 hrs.
12. Karsten 11.58 hrs.
19. Nisse 11.40 hrs.
21. Pierre 16.43 hrs.
25. Isabel 13.10 hrs.
29. Frode 14.12 hrs.
   
Sövollen - Tynset, 70 km.
1. Bente J. 6.56 hrs.
12. Karsten 7.48 hrs.
14. Nisse 7.43 hrs.
20. Pierre 8.29 hrs.
26. Isabel 12.44 hrs.
27. Frode 10.25 hrs.
   
Femund - Sövollen, 70 km.
1. Bente J. 5.38 hrs.
12. Karsten 5.02 hrs.
16. Nisse 4.59 hrs.
20. Pierre 5.16 hrs.
26. Isabel 5.27 hrs.
30. Frode 5.55 hrs.
   
Tufsindalen - Femundtunet
72 km. Time used :
1. Bente J. 4.29 hrs.
14.Karsten 4.46 hrs.
17.Nisse 5.12 hrs.
19.Pierre 5.22 hrs.
26.Isabel 5.49 hrs.
31.Frode 6.53 hrs.

Nisse Uppstrom's team, Evita and Lasse in lead

The team after 15 km. from start, photo by S. Enochsson

Trainingstrip around home

The team coming into the finish, photo by. S. Enochsson

'Tractor' Nathan, leaddog 		  Racing season 2006/2007

Polar Distans 14-15 March 2007
The Swedish Polardog Club organized its traditional longdistance race for the sixth running. This year saw a record of 46 entries divided over Nordisk style class and Nome style class and distances over 150 km. and 300 km.
Karsten entered the 300 km. Open Class in which 8 Siberian Husky teams were signed up, of which 6 actually started and only 2 finished.
The team finished in a time of 24 hours and 13 minutes and won the race.
The dogs on the team were: Nathan and Noa in lead, Grubian, Barney, Eddie, Putin, Sujoz, Exxon, Eddie, Libby, Desmond and Goofy.
Thanks to all the volunteers who made this race possible.
 Photos by: Nadja Kristoffersen and Susanne Enochsson



FEMUNDLÖPET 2007 IS OVER

Monday 5 Feb. 02.17 hrs
Hurra! Karsten and the team finished Femund600 in a beautiful 10th place! The team crossed the finishline at 2.17 am and used 7hours and 40 min. on the last tough 85 km. Even with 8 dogs, they were faster than the closest competitor Tor Martinsen who made it in 7.56 hours and ended in 11th place with 11 dogs on the team. What a great ending of a great race! Well done Karsten!

Thanks to the kennel's great athletes: Nathan, Barney, Desmond, Noa, Sujoz, Grubian, Exxon and Bayly as well as Eddie, Putin, Goofy and Peikon!

Another big Thank You to Fredrik Filander for supporting, handling and sponsoring of the team and Sven & son Dick Elfström and Annica & Nisse Uppström for their great support.

Before the race
Karsten will be starting in the 600 km. class. The other Siberian Husky teams are Isabelle Travadon from France, Nisse Uppström from Sweden, Pierre Antoine Heritier from Switzerland and Frode Bakke from Norway. A total of 5 Siberian Husky teams. It hasn't been so many ever as far as we know.
Way to go! Best of luck and happy trails to all!

see http://www.femundlopet.no 		 
 


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