Darren a dog
sledding rookie who has moved from Newfloundland to the wilds of Fort McMurray
will be running Randy Mackenzies 'B' team.
However, Darren would like me to point out that B actually stands for
'Best'.
Two years ago Darren
showed up at Randy's kennel wondering if he could use any help. He showed a love for the dogs and attended to
all chores including poop duty.
Eventually Darren was able to get behind a team on the sled and
developed a flair for running dogs. He
loves anything outdoors and running Randy's dogs was a great match.
Not only does Randy
get help with the chores, but all his dogs get to run, it really was a perfect
union.
Darren is feeling
nervous about not having everything ready by the time he gets to the start
line. With his driver Greg Mersereau and
Melissa Hardy as his handler he feels a little more at ease.
He just wants to
make sure the dogs have a good run and his goal is to get to the finish line.
He is looking
forward to the experience and hopes that he will remember everything Randy has
shown him over the last two years.
Not forgetting to
put the drag mat down would be good for starters. A story was shared about one
particular training run that took place at night. After releasing the team he put his foot
down to discover that he forgot to put the drag mat down and his legs were
pulled out from under him.
Still hanging on to
the sled, and being dragged behind, Randy thought it would be a good idea to
run after them. All he could see was the
headlamp bobbing along the trail.
Darren did not lose
the team and eventually managed to get himself upright again.
Good thing, since
Randy cannot run as fast as the dogs!
Out of the 12 dogs
that Darren will be running, Blue, is his favorite. Blue is a nervous dog that wont work for just
anyone but did bond quickly with Darren.
In fact Blue will only run on his team now.
Maybe Blue will be
the first dog in Darren's own kennel?
He is very hooked on
dog sledding now and his future really depends on the outcome of this
race.
Photo Credit: Canadian Challenge Website
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