By Rebecca Feldhaus
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-939512.mp3
Grand Rivers, KY – The majestic sight of dogs pulling a wooden sled over the pristine mounds of Alaskan snow might be the first thing one conjures at the mention of "mushing." But, Jeff Blewett doesn't let Kentucky's sometimes snow-less winters stop him from achieving that feeling. Along with his two lead dogs, Tahoe and Ebony, Blewett speeds through the roads in the Murray Calloway County park.
Blewett says the first spark of competition came when he received a husky puppy for Christmas. Then, he saw a picture of a peculiar looking cart with wheels rather than skis. His interest led him to research the sport, already popular in other parts of the world.
"I thought, I could do that, so I found a manufacturer up north, and I ordered a cart, and I started working with that one dog, and then I got another dog, and then - for lack of a better term - kind of snowballed into what I have today."
Blewett now has numerous carts and 16 dogs. Because he hosts rescue and foster huskies, the number fluctuates.
There are certain considerations mushers must take to protect their dogs in dry land racing. Blewett says they focus on hydration and feet. Because dogs regulate temperature only through their mouths and pads on their feet, the higher average temperature in southern states can pose a threat. Other than that, keeping rough gravel from between dogs' toes can be as easy as putting on dog booties, small colorful pouches that Velcro around feet for protection.
Mushers harness dogs to their "rig" of choice. One or two dog teams usually pull scooters. They look like traditional scooters, with larger wheels, and a skateboard-like platform for a base. Larger rigs have a wider standing base, and allow more dogs to pull. Tennessean Rodney Whaley's mushing experience spans from the 1150 mile Alaskan Iditarod to the 5 mile trails of the lower-48. He explains one important distinction between sleds and rigs.
"On the sled, you don't have much steering capacity. You have to ski the sled much like a skier does, and you're totally at the mercy of the lead dog taking your command. Where on a cart, I have a little steering capacity on that."
The carts, however, have no additional power source. Whaley holds, there's no need.
"You don't have to make them run, you have to make them stop running. It's just the way they've been bred, the way God made them."
At the park, Jeff Blewett's lead dogs Tahoe and Ebony exhibit that point. Once out of their carrier, the cream-colored male husky Tahoe, and brown and white colored female Ebony howl in excitement for the run their about to take.
When loaded on to the harnesses, they must be held in place as not to run without Blewett loaded on the scooter.
A race this weekend in Grand Rivers is the first dry land dog race in Kentucky. The event Web site holds to a strict mantra, "Mush the dust - because snow just melts." Many organizations internationally and regionally adhere to that sentiment. Within the U.S., Southern Mushers have made quite a network. Drivers come from North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. Jeff Blewett says no matter where mushers come from, they share similar ideas to any other doting pet owner. It's a unique sport, with a simple basis.