Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race

Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race. Experience the challenge of this long distance race, supported by local and global communities. All races finish in Missinipe.

Come along and share the ride with us. The race starts in February each year. Teams start at 2 minute intervals and work their way North, stopping at several checkpoints along the way. There are four separate races - the 10 dog teams race for circa 200 miles, the 8 dog teams for circa 100 miles and the 6 dog teams race for circa 50 miles. We also run a 10 dog Iditarod qualifier. The race follows t

he highway in part, but most of the trail is through beautiful boreal forest and across the scenic northern lakes. We host an awards breakfast the Saturday following the race, where all mushers celebrate their achievements and share tales from the trail. We would love to see you throughout the race. Come along and experience the excitement of the start line, join us at the functions before and after the race, volunteer to help, there are lots of opportunities to get involved.

05/31/2026

We will introduce the 4 executive positions tomorrow.

One more new member to round out the evening Truth be told I didn’t find dog sledding, dog sledding found me compliments...
05/31/2026

One more new member to round out the evening

Truth be told I didn’t find dog sledding, dog sledding found me compliments of my Eagle ridge family and well anyone who knows once you find the sport you’re hooked! During races you can generally find me with my camera around my neck chasing the mushers around making sure they’ve ate, have everything they need or drying wet clothing clothes. So I suppose you’d say more behind the scenes as the caregiver.

Risa Walbaum

Here we go folks another new board member Derek has been living in Northern Saskatchewan for 14 years and has been invol...
05/31/2026

Here we go folks another new board member

Derek has been living in Northern Saskatchewan for 14 years and has been involved with various outdoor projects around La Ronge. Derek married into a mushing family with strong ties to the land. He started off with the challenge as a volunteer checking in mushers, has been an assistant handler and under the guidance of many mushers and handlers raced two years in the 6 dog category. This year he has jumped at the trail boss opportunity with hopes to improve the trail.

Our New Trail Boss

Here we go folks another new board member Brenden Branscombe recently relocated to La Ronge to work with Community Futur...
05/31/2026

Here we go folks another new board member

Brenden Branscombe recently relocated to La Ronge to work with Community Futures Visions North, supporting businesses and community initiatives in Northeastern Saskatchewan and across the Athabasca Basin.

Throughout his career, he has been fortunate to work in a variety of tourism and community development roles. Brenden hopes to bring these lenses to his efforts with the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race as Fundraising Lead.

La Ronge and the area have so much to be proud of, and this Challenge is certainly part of that list. Brenden looks forward to collaborating with residents and visitors to create memorable experiences for everyone involved in the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race in the years to come!

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board Garrick Schmidt is a Metis Saskatchewan-based sled dog musher, kennel own...
05/30/2026

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board

Garrick Schmidt is a Metis Saskatchewan-based sled dog musher, kennel owner, and community leader dedicated to preserving and promoting the sport of dog mushing. He serves as the 2026–2027 Musher Representative and a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race, helping support the growth, sustainability, and athlete-focused development of one of Canada’s premier sled dog racing events. Garrick is passionate about youth mentorship, outdoor education, and inspiring future generations through sled dogs, northern traditions, and community involvement. His leadership reflects a commitment to resilience, teamwork, sportsmanship, and Canada's mushing heritage.

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board In 2011 I flew to Whitehorse to watch my first dog sled race at the Yukon...
05/30/2026

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board

In 2011 I flew to Whitehorse to watch my first dog sled race at the Yukon Quest and immediately fell in love with the dogs, the sport and the adventure of it all.
I met Joshua Cadzow and Dallas Seavey who were running the race and they were the first mushers I had met.
Each year after that whenever I could I flew out to watch the Yukon Quest and sometimes helped out at the start, bringing teams up and driving a truck to the check points where I saw some very beautiful spots with northern lights and slept my first night in -40 in a truck with my dog Chief trying to keep me warm!
Soon after that experience and the excitement of the race I couldn’t resist the pull and went to Alaska to work as a dog handler where I had the privilege of meeting Lance Mackey at a race banquet who at the time I didn’t know was a mushing legend!
While in Alaska I learned to run smaller teams and to haul wood with a team of 9 dogs.
I got my first Alaskan husky from Brenda Mackey a couple years later to add to my Siberian husky team.
Later on I went to handle for Iditarod mushers Kristin Bacon and Jeff King near Denali National Park at Husky Homestead where I helped care for the dogs, run the dogs, sort many booties, prepare drop bags and help at the start of the Iditarod.
I have also participated in a few smaller fun races in the Yukon and BC, looked after a kennel in Montana, worked for Muktuk Adventures caring for the dogs there. I have a certificate in Animal Welfare and dog training and the well being and health of the dog teams is very important to me.
Running dog teams, following the races and being involved in the racing community is a passion of mine and I am planning to build my team with hopes to race in the Canadian challenge and other great races in the coming years. I am
now living in Saskatchewan and am excited for the opportunity to contribute to the growth and future of the Canadian Challenge Dog Sled Race.

Tiffany McLean

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board Colette combines her love of nature and a 27 year career as a veterinaria...
05/30/2026

Here we go folks let's Introduce our new board

Colette combines her love of nature and a 27 year career as a veterinarian into a passion for canine performance and the great outdoors. Colette has been a volunteer at the Canadian Challenge for the past few years and is hooked! She can be found exploring the Saskatchewan north with her dogs or working at her vet clinic in Warman. She looks forward to being an integral part of dog care for the Canadian challenge and helping promote the sport of dog racing in Saskatchewan.

-Colette The Vet-

05/27/2026

As the new board is settling in we will introduce them over the next few days. Please stay tuned

*** DRUM ROLL PLEASE *** Delighted to introduce you to the new 2026/2027 Canadian Challenge Board. Your President is Dex...
05/26/2026

*** DRUM ROLL PLEASE ***

Delighted to introduce you to the new 2026/2027 Canadian Challenge Board.

Your President is Dexter Mondor (feature picture)
Vice President - Elliot Clarke
Erin Gardiner - Treasurer
Brittany North - Secretary
Derek Konga - Trail Boss
Brenden Branscombe - Fundraising Lead
Garrick Schmidt
Risa Walbaum
Tiffany McLean
Colette Neudorf

After many years of campaigning, it's fabulous to see so much local La Ronge support stepping onto the Board, exactly what the race deserves and needs.

It's also brilliant to see 10 people committed to taking this race forward. (Goes without saying that our much smaller Boards of only 6 Directors over recent years created a very big burden of responsibility on fewer people) I am sure that the new Board will introduce themselves in the coming weeks and you'll get to know them all.

It's also lovely to be able to reveal that your new Challenge social media team will be Dexter, Brittany and Risa. This will be my last post to this wonderful mushing community, and I am very sad to sign off. I know that you will extend a very warm welcome to your new social media hosts and I look forward to becoming a 'fellow follower'.

Thanks for your warmth, support, engagement, insight, suggestions and commitment to the race over the years. I can't wait to see where the new Board take the Challenge - exciting times to come.


fans
Town of La Ronge
Dexter Mondor

**** SOME SPECIAL THANK YOU'S **** We held our AGM yesterday and were delighted to welcome our new members to the Challe...
05/25/2026

**** SOME SPECIAL THANK YOU'S ****

We held our AGM yesterday and were delighted to welcome our new members to the Challenge community. We'll have lots more to share with you in the coming days about the exciting plans being made for the 2027 race season.

Before then we have some very special people to thank as four of our Board Members are stepping away from their Challenge commitments and onto new and exciting plans of their own.

Each of these Board Members deserves a mention all of their own....please join me in saying a HUGE thank you and in sending very best wishes to Dan Kirkup, Jim Williams, Dana Robertson and Sarah de Brion for their contribution and commitment to the Canadian Challenge.

⭐️ Dan has worn many hats in his time on the Board, including serving as President, Vice President, Trail Boss, CCTALES Podcaster, Sponsor Liaison, Community Liaison, Checkpoint cook, Chief volunteer and many, many more. He secured the sponsorship to take the race to Missinipe between 2022 and 2024, and has been instrumental in helping the race find efficiencies and workarounds to keep going. 🐕 Alongside all of this he has nurtured and built his own sled dog team, successfully competing in the Challenge at our 100 and 200 mile distances. 👏👏👏It has been a privilege to serve along side Dan over the last few years, and we wish him every success in his future racing ambitions. Thank you for everything you have done for the race. 😊

⭐️ Jim has probably given more volunteer hours to the Challenge than anyone ever, ever ! ✈️ For the last 20 years he has been flying over from the UK to take photos and look after social media contact during race week, and in 2017 he joined the Board. He (self taught) built our race website, has been instrumental in moving the race forward tech wise by (amongst many many things) overseeing the design and launch of our own race GPS tracker system, launching our online donations and payment options, designing our race posters and being the King of no sleep 💤 to capture the race action for our arm chair mushing community 24/7 and still retaining a sense of humour. 👏👏👏Thank you for everything you have given to this race Jim, and to the wider Challenge community. 🤗

⭐️ Dana has served on the Board for 6 years, and is our Queen of the Checkpoint, as well as Treasurer. ❤️‍🔥 She brought with her a wealth of knowledge and passion from other races that she had volunteered for (and continued to volunteer for, including the Iditarod and the YQ 1000 miler), and was instrumental in spreading the Challenge welcome amongst her wide circle of musher friends, broadening the reach of the race. ☕️ And IYKYK....she is also the 'Queen of the kettle'....ensuring we could make tea (and coffee) and extend warm Challenge hospitality at our vet checks, checkpoints and race awards. 👏👏👏 Dana, we thank you for all your hard work, and hope that you can maybe take a rest in February 2027, and possibly even visit warmer climes! 🌞

It's odd and awkward to write much about myself and my own contribution to this race...and I am happier being out of the limelight! 🫣

🤝 Over the last 20 years I've made so many lifelong friends and shared so many wonderful Challenge experiences that instead I want to thank each of you....I've absolutely loved looking after the socials all year round, being the person responding to all your messages and emails, running the fundraising raffles, hosting a few Podcasts with Dan, and being a part of an awesome global community who genuinely love their dogs, their health and wellbeing and racing through stunning scenery. I wish you all continued joy and look forward to seeing the Challenge grow, evolve and thrive. 🚀🌟

I've got one more post to come....looking forward to introducing the new 2026/2027 Challenge Board.... and sharing who will be looking after you all on the socials going forward.

Watch this space


Town of La Ronge
fans

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Gateway North Sled Dog Race Association, Box 52
Prince Albert, SK
S6V4V7

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