OLNEY - Northwest Montana has a long history of sled dog racing, a fun activity enjoyed during the cold winter months.
That history will be celebrated this weekend as organizers in the small community of Olney host the Flathead Classic.
On Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, close to 200 dogs and 40 teams will be competing in this year’s event which includes sled dog racing, skijoring, bikejoring and more.
“What we have kind of turned into now is more of a short distance and kind of sprint style racing,” said Flathead Classic spokesman Brett Svetlik.
Teams will race anywhere from 2.5 to 18 miles depending on the race, attracting competitors from as far south as Arizona, and north into Canada.
“Yeah, a lot of teams from throughout the northwest, southern Canada, and a lot of people just getting into the recreational kind of skijoring and bikejoring with their dogs locally,” added Svetlik.
The races run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and are hosted at Dog Creek Lodge and Nordic Center in Olney.
Svetlik said dogs of all shapes and sizes compete in the event, not just huskies.
“You know hounds, lab mixes, pointers, and those are more geared towards the sprint and the shorter distance races.”
Svetlik said the event is free for spectators, with a portion of proceeds raised from sponsors and donations going back to nonprofits that support working dogs.
“We do like to give back to other working dogs, whether it’s service animals or you know military or you know just dogs with more of a purpose, more of a job,” added Svetlik.
Svetlik said that special feeling racers get when they’re out on the trail with their dogs, keeps them coming back year after year.
“The dogs are crazy, they’re barking like nuts, but once you take off and you’re running out there on the trail systems it’s just you and the dog team and it’s really quiet, really peaceful and you get into a lot of cool areas without any kind of fumes or noise or whatever," said Svetlick.
Race officials ask visitors to leave dogs at home so ski dogs can keep their focus.
More information on the event can be found here.
