Dogsledders and their canine companions are off to the races today for the 64th annual Canadian Championship Dog Derby – and with the many mushers in motion comes plenty of chances for Yellowknifers to catch the action as it happens.
The three-day derby, which sees competitors from across the continent compete in the capitol, will kick off today with an eight mile, four-dog race at 9:30 a.m. on the Dettah Ice Road.
Spectators looking to follow the four-legged front-runners and their mushers can easily track the pack along the ice road, said organizers.
The first heat will be followed by an eight-mile, four-dog race at 9:45 a.m.
That length will be doubled when the third, 16 mile, six dog race gets underway at 11 a.m.
The derby's main event – the storied 10-dog, 150-mile trek over three days – will kick off at 1 p.m.
The 150-mile excursion is divided into 50-mile days and is sponsored again by Dominion Diamond Mines.
The mining corporation is joined by other supporters, including the City of Yellowknife, Beck's Kennels Aurora Wonderland, NWT Dogsledding Association, Northbest Distributors, Adam Dental Clinic, Stewart Weir MacDonald Ltd., Weaver & Devore Trading Ltd. and Northtech Drilling.
The 2018 derby marks the third consecutive year Northtech Drilling has contributed to what employee Roberta Cochrane called a “big part of our community.”
“The dog derby has always been a lifelong event that's happened here since we were kids and any way we can support the community to keep our events happening, we're more than willing to do that,” said Cochrane.
Last year, Jaden Beck – a fifth generation Yellowknifer whose last name is synonymous with success in the race – took the derby's crown with an overall time of 7:49:26.