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ANSWERING THE CALL OF THE WILD, MINUS THE SNOW
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New York Times - ESCAPES
By STEPHEN REGENOLD
December 1, 2006
SIDE by side at the starting line, 2 men and 16 yipping dogs wait for the signal to run. “O.K., 10 seconds,” the announcer yells.
Harness straps pull tight on fur. Anxious cries echo off. “Five, four, three, two ... let ’em go!” Dust explodes in a cloud of sunbeams and silt. Lines jerk tight.
Legs kick, eyes craze, paws dig in. Humans hang on. Dogs bred to run and pull dash ahead, and rigs rocket down the track.
This is dryland dog racing. There is no snow on the ground, but some of the nation’s top dog sledders — and their dozens of dogs — have come to the East Meets West Dryland Challenge in Brainerd, Minn., to run a 3.7-mile dirt track. They use wheeled carts made to mimic a sleigh on snow, some cranking along at speeds of 20 miles an hour or more.....
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