Welcome to the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby!
We hope you enjoy seeing the canine athletes of the Klondike. Our race provides an opportunity to watch amazing canine athletes do what they love: run! The excitement of the dogs getting ready to run will have you cheering each team as they leave the start. Those of us associated with the Klondike Dog Derby appreciate how our dog-loving community has embraced this event. Seeing how mushers and their dogs work together as a team will give you a new appreciation of man’s best friend. You may even decide to try skijoring with your dog after this weekend! Getting out into the fresh air enjoying the company of your dog and doing something fun together is one of the joys of having a dog.
We love dogs. Many of us who have dogs know how strong the bond and trust can be between our dogs and ourselves. I dare say this trust and loyalty is amplified between mushers and their dog team as they count on each other to pull together as a team. Our race is 40 miles. Many of the dogs you will see have raced over 100 miles in a mid-distance race while other marathon dogs have participated in races that approach 1,000 miles. Mushers know the strength of each dog. This may be their intelligence, intuitiveness, or perhaps their physical strength. These characteristics will determine where they are placed in the team.
Our Klondike Dog Derby celebrates dogs and their ability to work together as a team. The musher is the leader of the pack. Each dog has their job to do. The lead dogs are at the front of the team and they are listening to their musher’s verbal commands to direct them. “Gee” means go to the right and “Haw” means go to the left. The point dogs and team dogs are next in line followed by the wheel dogs that are right in front of the sled. “Hike-Hike” lets the dogs know it is time to go! There is no doubt that the dogs like to run. Their power and excitement in the starting chute can hardly be contained as they vocalize, jump up and down, and begin tugging on the gangline in anticipation.
The sled dogs of the Klondike Dog Derby have been conditioning for months in preparation for this race. Before the snow arrived, they were trained by pulling a cart. When the snow arrived, they transitioned to pulling a sled. This year’s weather has prepared them for temperatures from -20 below to 20 degrees above zero.
All participating dogs will meet the criteria of an arctic breed and will have passed their pre-race veterinary exam. As the Chief Veterinarian of this race, I have had the privilege of putting together an outstanding team of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary students from the University of Minnesota’s chapter of the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association (ISDVMA) and pre-veterinary students. We and the Klondike Dog Derby are dedicated to the health and well-being of our canine athletes. As a sled dog veterinarian for nearly 30 years, I am still amazed every time I see them run. I hope you fall in love with our furry friends as I have.
Enjoy the race, and happy trails to you!
Dr. Jackie Piepkorn
Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby Chief Veterinarian
Photo by: Kate Evans