Racing Sled Dogs    

Sled dogs came into my life in 1981. First I had Siberian Huskies, then when traveling in USA, I got more involved with Alaskan huskies. Now all my dogs are Alaskan huskies and Alaskan hound crossings. I have also three Border Terriers. Usually there are about 20-25 dogs in my kennel.
 

USA/THE ALPS 

I have lived in USA for a couple of times, first time in 1988. I wanted to learn about sled dogs, then I had a chance to work and train and also race dogs in some wellknown successful racing kennels, first in Zero-kennel (Harris Dunlap) in upstate New York. Then later 1992 I visited Tim White in Minnesota, USA and I learned a lot about mid distance training and racing with his help in the following years. In 1993 I raced my first big international mid distance races;  TransItalia Race in Italy and Tour de Minto Race, Alaska, USA. I was also most happy to run the last two great Alpirod Races in the European Alps in 1994 and 1995.

I had ten of my own dogs with me in Minnesota in 1997, when we raced the challenging Wyoming Stage Stop Race and the Defi Du Lac -Race in Quebec, Canada. The first La Grande Odyssee Race 2005, in the French Alps, was a real exciting adventure. All these races were about 400-700 km long stage races, some overnights outside. These races were with the dog pool system, which I like the best, especially in this kind of racing. 
 

My team in Wyoming 1997

I live in Rautavaara, North-Savo. My house is in the middle of the forest, just moose and wolves as neighbours. There are not many people around here, but the logging areas cause some traffic. I lived 20 years in south of Finland with sled dogs, then I moved to more north-east as there were no real winters left in the south. The sad thing is that the winters are getting shorter also here, as everywhere.