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Before the sleds move an inch, there’s a moment when the noise and crowd fade into the background.
What’s left is the simplest version of the sport — a musher, a team of dogs and a winter trail that has carried people through the North for generations.
That’s the heart of the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race, the largest of its kind in Saskatchewan, now based out of La Ronge.
Eleven teams took off in biting cold on Tuesday morning for the 10-dog, 322-kilometre (200-mile) qualifier — a long push that stretches over multiple days.
By the evening, however, conditions on the trail had deteriorated. Visibility dropped in blowing snow, prompting organizers to shorten the race by 80 kilometres (50 miles) for safety.
For reigning champion Garrick Schmidt, the focus of the story isn’t the distance or the placement, it’s the dogs.
“The relationship that we have with the dogs, they’re not just a working animal,” he said, holding back tears. “They’re our family.”
Schmidt is Métis, from Indian Head, and rides with the dogs from his own kennel, Eagle Ridge Sled Dog Kennel.
Garrick Schmidt, from Indian Head, Sask., says his love of dog sledding is grounded in traditional and spiritual connections to animals and the land.
He says he got into mushing about seven years ago, and this year marks his fifth time racing the Canadian Challenge.
He’s a firm believer that the sport requires a deep understanding of your team, he said.
“This sport, what we do, it’s all about the dogs. Our care and everything that we do, our own needs as mushers are second.”
Before the race, Schmidt went through a routine that included smudging his dogs and gear — a ceremonial Indigenous practice he described as part of how he and his community carry tradition into daily life.
That connection to tradition is also tied to the land itself, to running trails that feel bigger than the sport, he said.
That’s where the Canadian Challenge carries its deeper meaning, said Dexter Mondor, a Métis dog handler with Schmidt’s kennel.
“It’s a traditional way of travel, right?” he said.
“Some of these trails are the original freight routes, the original trap lines that our Métis ancestors travelled, our Cree relatives travelled. So it’s kind of cool that they get to be on those trails and connect with nature in the land.”
Mondor was also in La Ronge to support his 17-year-old daughter, Monroe Mondor, who raced in this year’s competition.
This is her fourth year racing. In the first year, she served as a handler for Schmidt, then decided she wanted to try the trail herself.
Mondor remembers sending her out at 13 years old on the 80-km race, alone with a team of dogs.
“The first few times, it’s tough when they leave because I got no control,” he said.
She’s come a long way since then.
Monroe finished fifth out of 11 teams this year, a strong showing in a race where conditions can change quickly and finishing is never guaranteed.
Mondor said that’s also why the mushing community can feel like family, with people checking in on each other and offering gear or help when someone needs it.
Race marshal Sid Robinson said the “dog first” mindset is exactly what officials are watching for.
Robinson is in his first year as marshal. He told CBC he ran the Canadian Challenge about 20 times himself — including the inaugural race in 1998 — and joked that he’s best known for bringing up the rear.
“I’m a little bit famous for coming in last most of the time,” he said. “I’ve got a whole collection.”
Robinson said his priority now is keeping the dogs healthy and the teams safe, especially when weather turns and visibility drops.
Despite the weather this year, the finish still came early Thursday morning, not long after the clock struck midnight.
Ontario’s Jesse Terry crossed first at 12:20 a.m. CST, followed minutes later by his wife, Mary England at 12:32 a.m.
Schmidt — last year’s champion — claimed third place at 1:06 a.m., despite racing with a younger team of dogs this year.
As of publication time, three mushers were still out on the trail. They have until 7 p.m. to pass the finish line.
This article is a part of CBC Saskatchewan’s Land of Living Stories. CBC will be back in La Ronge from March 3 to 7 to hear and share more of your stories.
