Willow Dog Mushers Association hosting Sled Dog Sports Symposium

The Willow Dog Mushers Association (WDMA) will be hosting a Sled Dog Sports Symposium on October 11 at the Willow Community Center. The all-day event will feature a keynote speaker, a 5k canicross fun run, panel discussions and more.

While the symposium is geared towards mushing, members of the community are welcome to attend to learn more about the sport, hear from veteran and up-and-coming mushers and how to safely recreate during the winter with their four-legged friends.

“It’s a fun, educational event and we hope to see people out there and just come and join us,” WDMA Treasurer and Head of the Symposium Committee Michelle Reinholt said.

The symposium will start with a gear swap where attendees can exchange winter gear like sleds, skis and snowshoes. The gear swap will be followed by a 5k canicross fun run. Racers are invited to run with their dogs and take their time to enjoy the course. Racers and their dogs are encouraged to wear costumes.

The keynote speaker will be four-time Junior Iditarod Champion Emily Robinson from Nenana. Breinholt said the association invited Robinson to speak because they wanted to emphasize and encourage up-and-coming mushers.

“I’m looking forward to hearing what she has to say. Her theme of her talk is going to be exceeding expectations,” Breinholt said. “I’m sure she is going to have a lot of good advice for young mushers and people that are wanting to get into the sport in some way, shape or form.”

Vendors will be present at the symposium and door prizes will be given out at the end of the day. There will be a promotion for the Su Dog 300 this winter. Members of the WDMA will be selling coffee and refreshments to raise money for the August Fund, a rescue that places retired sled dogs with families.

The afternoon will consist of breakout sessions that include veterinarian speakers, a presentation by the Alaska Trappers Association on safely recreating with dogs in active trapping areas and a presentation by the rangers from Denali National Park Kennels.

There will be several panel discussions. The first is on Iditarod finishers that raced with different perspectives and backgrounds. Another panel will be a group of veteran mushers and historians sharing stories from the trail. A third will be from junior mushers and their experiences.

A vaccine clinic will follow the symposium on Sunday October 12 hosted by Paws on the Move, a mobile veterinarian service.

“I’m hoping to see a lot of people from the community,” Breinholt said. “You know they’re out there because you see them when you go to the start of the Iditarod, you see them lining the trails. I’m told over and over again about people who sit out on their decks and watch the mushers go by… I’m hoping they come. I’m hoping it won’t just be a big group of mushers, it’ll be people from the community as well.”

The purpose of the WDMA is to protect and preserve the dog mushers' historical way of life today, tomorrow and for future generations. The group promotes the sport through education, communication with other organizations, responsible recreation and by maintaining local trails during the winter.