Kearney Dog Sled Races

Website Contact the business

Kearney Dog Sled Races An annual event every February. The dogs take over the streets of Kearney! Kearney Dog Sled Races hitrorically featured a Mid-Distance, 10 Dog Stage Race format.

Ontario's largest dog sled races come to "Ontario's biggest little town" on the 2nd weekend in February each year. Join us for two days of winter fun just a couple of hours north of Toronto, in Kearney Ontario on the western boarder of Algonquin Park. This long standing tradition has been running annually since 1994 with very few cancellations for weather in its history. This signature event features a 6 Dog Sprint Race, a 4 Dog Race Sprint Race, 1 & 2 Dog Skijoring events and the ever popular Kid & Mutt event. We also introduced a Pro, Purebred, and Notice 2 Dog Sprint Race in 2020 to help grow interest in the sport and allow even the smallest of kennels to come out and race. Mushers used a 12 dog pool with a maximum 10 dog team size for each of the two days of racing running 35 miles each day. The race committee has a goal to re-introduce larger race classes to our event in the future as we build more partnerships with sponsors and landowners in our community. For anyone that has never raced at Kearney, the event presents a downtown start, challenging hills to climb, hardwood bush, lakes and marshes to enjoy while racing through the natural beauty of the area. Racers share a small portion of the course with the public snowmobile trails. We count on a wonderful group of volunteers to ensure everyone's safety is maximized in this area. Visitors to the Kearney Dog Sled Races are treated to a variety of activities and events that they can participate in or view. This is a great event for families, couples or friends to enjoy. Winter's never been this fun before! www.kearneydogsledraces.ca

Happy Sponsorship Sunday!Today we celebrate an incredible returning sponsor. For the second year in a row we are thrille...
11/01/2026

Happy Sponsorship Sunday!

Today we celebrate an incredible returning sponsor. For the second year in a row we are thrilled to announce that Pet Valu Huntsville is sponsoring our 4 Dog Sled class!

When you come to our event this year please try and take a quick stop off the highway to shop with them. It is just a 5 minute detour from Highway 60. Stock up on some extra goodies for your dogs or pets at home. If you can't shop please go give them a 5 star review!!

Pet Valu has been helping pets live healthy, happy, and active lives for over 40 years. In their pet-friendly stores, youā€™ll find everything your furry, scaley, or feathered family members need. From holistic and science-backed nutrition, to toys, treats, and supplies for every stage of life.

What really sets PetValu apart is their heart for giving back. We are so incredibly grateful to benefit from their generous community-oriented initiatives. Over the past decade, theyā€™ve raised more than $17 million for local rescues, shelters, and charities, helped over 32,000 pets find forever homes, and supported vital programs like the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

Weā€™re so grateful for their support of our event and for everything they do to make life better for pets and the people who love them. Lets show them how much we appreciate their support by shopping local on race weekend! Because at PetValu, ā€œyour pet is part of the family ā€” and theyā€™re family too.ā€ ā¤ļø

https://www.facebook.com/petvaluhuntsville/
Huntsville PetValu: 73 King William Street Huntsville, ON P1H 1E5
petvalu.ca
[email protected]
1 (705) 789-0031

MUSHER REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!Online registration is available now to all racers.Please note that our 110 total team ent...
11/01/2026

MUSHER REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!

Online registration is available now to all racers.

Please note that our 110 total team entry cap remains in effect. The cap is not inclusive of I-Kid-Arod.

Head to www.kearneydogsledraces.ca to access the registration platform.

UPDATES AND CHANGES IN 2027.It's almost time for Mushers to start the registration process for 2027 and we are thrilled ...
10/27/2026

UPDATES AND CHANGES IN 2027.

It's almost time for Mushers to start the registration process for 2027 and we are thrilled to share several improvements and updates with you all. The race committee in partnership with staff at Town of Kearney are ready to share the happy news.

1. Out NEW online registration platform is in effect for 2027. Registration opens NOVEMBER 1ST. We are utilizing the platform Quidigo. Create an account and sign up for the race classes of your choosing. We have an FAQ document and lots of support for any issues. Please be gracious and patient with us - this is a new platform for us too.

2. Skijoring will be entirely 1-Dog Ski beginning in 2027.

3. 2 Dog Sled adults will be starting on the main start line and heading down Patton Road.

4. NEW Junior Dog Dash class for mushers 13-18 years old on Sled, Kicksled OR on Skijoring !

If you're intending to race with us, please take the time to read about the changes on our website.

https://kearneydogsledraces.ca/2026/10/22/upgrades-and-additions-to-race-classes-in-2027/

Sled Dog Rides by Abitibi Sled Dogs will be back at the Kearney Dog Sled Races in 2027!Jacob Betker and the dogs of Abit...
10/26/2026

Sled Dog Rides by Abitibi Sled Dogs will be back at the Kearney Dog Sled Races in 2027!

Jacob Betker and the dogs of Abitibi Sled Dogs are joining us once again to provide our spectators with their very own experience of dog sledding right here in Kearney. They are travelling down to provide rides during the race weekend all the way from Timmins, Ontario!

Rides will be provided between 11am and 3pm on race weekend. Jacob is a wealth of knowledge about sled dog history and husbandry. Jacob and his family take exceptional pride in their dogs and their involvement in the sled dog community. We highly recommend checking out the dogs and having a chat with Jacob about any dog sledding questions you may have!

If you love the small taste of dog sledding that we provide at the race, you can reach out to to book your very own tour experience.

We can't wait to welcome Abitibi Sled Dog back once again! See you in February.

Welcome back to the 2026/2027 season of SPONSORSHIP SUNDAYS!!It's hard to believe that we've already circled all the way...
10/25/2026

Welcome back to the 2026/2027 season of SPONSORSHIP SUNDAYS!!

It's hard to believe that we've already circled all the way back around the sun to announce our newest lineup of sponsors. To kick things off we are celebrating a local staple - Fetterley's Garage/Gas & Convenience as our returning 6 Dog Sled Race sponsor. Heather Pateman has been supporting our event for decades, and that support has truly been unwavering.

Fetterley's is our local 'jack of all trades' one-stop shop. If you need fluids for your car or small motors, they have you covered. If you have to ship a package, they're your Purolator depot. If you had a big party and have a car load of empties, they can accept them. If you're fishing or hunting and need some last minute gear or snacks, you can find it all at Fetterley's.

We shop Fetterley's and we hope you will too! Thank you so much to all of the employees and leadership who support our race time and time again. We are forever grateful to share our race's success with great partnerships like this.

Please thank the whole crew at Fetterley's Garage/Gas and Convenience for supporting the Kearney Dog Sled Races!

Merch and Souvenirs - We want to hear from YOU!Every year we do our best to refresh our stock of awesome KDSR souvenirs ...
10/23/2026

Merch and Souvenirs - We want to hear from YOU!

Every year we do our best to refresh our stock of awesome KDSR souvenirs for mushers and spectators alike. This year, we want to know from YOU what you'd like to see us offer. This will be a very special year as we honor the loss of our dear Walter Grohman and there will be a special twist added to our memorabilia. We always order fresh t-shirts and sweaters. Of course we also have our classic paw patches already on order, but what else would you like to see?

Mugs? Buffs? Hats? Something new?

Give us your ideas below!

Sponsorship Sundays are COMING!It is with great pleasure and awesome gratitude that, very shortly, we will start up this...
10/21/2026

Sponsorship Sundays are COMING!

It is with great pleasure and awesome gratitude that, very shortly, we will start up this season of Sponsorship Sundays. Beginning this coming weekend we will share happy news about our sponsors all the way up to February's race. We already have several pending announcements about returning sponsors. We also have our fingers and paws crossed for some new partnerships as well!

It can be a difficult task to appropriately honor all of the generosity this community has shown us for 34 seasons of sled dog racing in Kearney. We hope that you, our followers, will help us in thanking them by following our sponsors social media, giving them a 5 Star google review, and inquiring into using their services where you can.

Stay tuned and get ready to say 'thank you' to all the incredible businesses supporting our event once again!

A Decade of Timing - Celebrating Lesley and Marcel.Please join us in thanking Lesley and Marcel for timing our races for...
10/20/2026

A Decade of Timing - Celebrating Lesley and Marcel.

Please join us in thanking Lesley and Marcel for timing our races for the last decade. They are moving into retirement from supporting races as timers. We love them dearly and hope everyone will join us thanking them for a decade of hard work.

https://kearneydogsledraces.ca/2026/10/20/celebrating-our-timers-2027/

An update for our followers.The 2027 race year is has already got the committee hard at work. Many announcements on chan...
10/19/2026

An update for our followers.

The 2027 race year is has already got the committee hard at work. Many announcements on changes and upgrades are coming your way. The coming weeks will include many announcements pertaining to our trails, race categories, and overall operations. We hope this will be an exciting time of growth and new beginnings for us as Ontario's largest sled dog race.

With that, we ask for mushers planning to register to give some grace and have patience while we are navigating lots of change behind the scenes. These are exciting times for us, but with change there can be hiccups along the way. This could mean race registrations opening up slightly later than usual while we finalize details. We are hopeful that registrations will open up on November 1st as planned but will confirm that as soon as we can.

Stay tuned and enjoy the crisp fall air. Winter is just around the corner!

Time for the next round of "This or That"!Mushers !!! Get in on the discussion.If you had to pick one, would you rather ...
10/13/2026

Time for the next round of "This or That"!

Mushers !!! Get in on the discussion.

If you had to pick one, would you rather choose:
A skijor race with LOTS of hills šŸ¤­šŸ¤... or... a bikejor race with LOTS of mud?

Address

8 Main Street
Emsdale, ON
P0A1M0

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kearney Dog Sled Races posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Kearney Dog Sled Races:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Nearby events/venues

Other Sports Events in Emsdale

Show All