Too little, too late – that is the sad conclusion organizers of the Bootleg Sled Dog Races had to draw on Wednesday. An inspection of the race course at the Bootleg Gap Golf Course in Kimberley that morning forced Race Manager Brenda Birrell and her team to pull the plug on this year’s event. The races had been scheduled for February 4 and 5.

“We are sad to say the fourth annual Bootleg Sled Dog Races are officially canceled for 2012,” Birrell states. The recent snow fall gave organizers hope, but in the end it was still not enough.

“Due to the amount of foot traffic on the golf course and the lack of snow earlier in the season, it is very icy,” Birrell explains. “The new snow is too light and not packing well, thus not bonding to the ice.” Current conditions, she and her team feel, simply cannot guarantee a safe trail for all racers, their dog teams and spectators.

The forecast of temperatures above zero during the day for the next couple of weeks did not make the situation very promising either. “Let’s hope for better conditions for the fourth annual Bootleg Sled Dog Races for 2013,” Birrell concludes. “See you the first weekend in February.”

The first Bootleg Sled Dog Races were held at the Bootleg Gap Golf Course in Kimberley in 2009 and the event has attracted a growing number of competitors and spectators each year. The races have given the mushers a chance to race on a great course in a stunning setting and spectators got the opportunity to observe the fascinating sport of sled dog racing up close and personal.

From the beginning on, the races have also been a fundraiser for the East Kootenay Friends of Children. The organization provides financial support, information and services to local families with children in medical need. Over the past three years, the races have raised over $50,000 for the charity and over 100 local families have been helped.

To learn more about East Kootenay Friends of Children, please check out www.friendsofchildren.ca. There is a button on the website where people can make a direct donation to the charity.

With the sled dog races being the major fundraiser for Friends of Children, organizers are especially disappointed they will not be able to help this winter. Birrell says they are aware the great success so far has been due to the fabulous support from both the community as well as dedicated sponsors and hopes they will come on board again in 2013.

As far as planning the future goes, Birrell says, the board of directors of the Bootleg Sled Dog Races Society will be meeting soon to determine the next steps. She adds there have been ideas to host a summer event and urges people to check for updates on the society’s website at  www.bootlegsleddograces.ca.

By Kerstin Renner

Article Share