JAMAICA TRIES IT'S HAND AT DOG SLED

Cool Runnings II:
after bobsleigh,
Jamaica tries its hand at
dog-sled
By Paul Kelbie, Scotland Correspondent
Published: 21 January 2006
As he lines up in Europe's biggest dog-sled race today,
Devon Anderson has more reason than most of his rivals
to be nervous.
Not only does he have just seven months' experience of
a sport usually associated with Siberia or Alaska
- he has never seen snow.
As the world's first Jamaican dog-sled racer, Anderson,
who usually organises adventure holidays, is far more at
ease with the climate of his Caribbean home than with the
chill of Aviemore.
What's more, comparisons with Jamaica's bob-sleigh team
- which came to prominence at the Calgary Olympics in
1988 and inspired the film Cool Runnings - are inevitable.
Looking at the snow on the top of the Cairngorms the
novice "musher", 42, admits the pressure is on.
"I want to be an inspiration for other young Jamaicans,"
he said.
"There is a lot of talent in Jamaica and a lot of interest in
what I am doing. If I can put up a good show I'm sure
other guys will want to have a go."
Inspiration for a Jamaican dog sled team came from an
entrepreneur, Danny Melville, who owns a travel company
called Chukka Adventure Tours on the island.
While he was in America looking to buy dune buggies
for a resort he owns he had the idea of dogsled tours
through the cane fields and sand dunes of Jamaica.
Mushers train their dogs all year round and, in the
absence of snow, compete using a tricycle in place of a
sled.
Realising that the absence of snow was no bar Mr Melville
imported the rigs and the know-how to run the tours
- and set up a national team.
Under the guidance of a Scottish champion sledder,
Alan Stewart, the first Caribbean dog-sled team was
formed.
It was sponsored by the country music singer
Jimmy Buffet, who also owns a chain of restaurants on
the island.
Instead of importing pedigree huskies
used to operating in temperatures of
minus 40C and unlikely to cope with
the heat, the team searched closer to
home for their dogs.
They found them roaming the streets of
Kingston and now have nine strays in
training.
"They're all mongrels, not a single pure breed among
them. As Jimmy Buffet said,
'They look just like what a Jamaican sled dog should
look like'," said Mr Melville.
With plans to take part in more international races,
Mr Melville claims the team is taking the sport seriously
and wants to encourage other Jamaicans to take it up.
They have been accepted into the World Sled Dog
Federation.
Mr Stewart, the coach, has no doubt the Jamaicans
could do well and has tipped Anderson to finish in
the top 15 this weekend.
"I think Devon could do very well considering it is his
first ever competition and he is up against some
very fast boys who do this every weekend,"
he said.
"He has a lot of pressure on him but he is very cool.
He's a top polo player in Jamaica and very competitive,
so I'm sure that will kick in as soon as he gets going
with the dogs."
Fortunately for the Jamaicans, snow on
the ground is unlikely this weekend at the
Siberian Husky Club's Aviemore Sled Dog Rally.
The biggest event of its kind in Europe, the two-day
race runs over a four-mile course around
Loch Morlich with teams of between two and
eight dogs running at speeds
of up to 20 miles an hour.
Sets of huskies, malamutes, samoyeds and Eskimo
dogs compete against the clock.
"When we started 23 years ago we had just eight
teams competing but this year we have 222 teams with
around 1,500 dogs," said Penny Evans, the organiser.
Almost every competitor has spent the past few weeks
praying for snow as, along with three-wheelers, each
team also has a traditional sled.
However, in the history of the event, there has only been
snow once.
"I'd have liked the chance to experience a sled on snow
but I'm relieved there isn't any," said Mr Anderson.
"The dogs are so powerful I don't know how I would
handle them."
He has set his sights on the 2010
Winter Olympics.

I HAVE GOT TO SUPPORT MY JAMAICAN TEAM.
I MUST ADMIT ON A JAMAICAN WOULD HAVE
THENERVE TO DO THIS!

WORRIED ABOUT THOSE HAIRLESS MONGRELS
THOUGH!