Husky News

Those sled dogs might seem like they’re putting on a show. But, on Jan. 16, racing down the Virginia Creeper Trail, for two dozen Siberian Huskies, is actually part of a benefit for a dog-lovers group in Bristol, Va.
“It’s a fundraiser for our rescue, and we have people coming from out of state to make this re-enactment work,” said Marcia Horne, the president of the non-profit Siberian Husky Assist Rescue.

The rescue group assists shelters from Roanoke, Va., to Knoxville, Tenn.

Marcia Horne, front, and Beverly Smeltzer, back, are shown during last year’s reenactment of the historic 1925 Alaska Serum Run. This year, Siberian Husky Rescue Assist will host the fourth annual event on Jan. 16 in Abingdon.

Horne, 53, helped create the 16-mile-long annual run, with dogs pulling sleds on the Virginia Creeper Trail. It’s all part of a mission to teach people more about the Siberian Husky “because of what they do,” Horne said.

“It started as an educational event.”

‘ENERGY AND ENDURANCE’
Saturday’s event – the Fourth Annual 1925 Alaska Serum Run – re-enacts an actual rescue mission, Horne said.
It’s also a lot of fun, Horne promised.

“I want people to see what the breed has – the energy and endurance that they have,” Horne said. “I don’t think people understand what they’re getting … They get [the dogs] because of what they look like. Huskies have blue eyes. But I want people to understand what this dog is capable of and its history.”

A Bristol, Va.,  resident,  Horne owns seven dogs – mostly Siberian Huskies.

This breed has been a sled dog, Horne said, and was used to run serum, or medicine, as a lifesaving measure in Alaska.
In Abingdon’s re-enactment of a 1925 rescue run, demonstrators teach lessons on health, safety and pet care, Horne said. “Everything’s that good comes out of the serum run.”

HUFFING AND PUFFING
Starting on Saturday at 10 a.m., Abingdon Mayor Ed Morgan is slated to relay the serum to the first “musher” – the person who drives the dogsled team.

The teams then leave the Abingdon trailhead, huffing and puffing, Horne said, and the dogs run about 25 mph for the first mile – until they reach the I-81 underpass.

“The dogs take off pretty fast, because they’re excited.”

The dogs, with four to six on each team, continue at a slower pace – maybe 9 mph, Horne said – as they race to Watauga, pulling sleds on wheels.

“What we’re doing is putting on an event that is hopefully exciting,” Horne said. “It’s a demonstration, not a contest.”

PARTY AT THE PARK
In all, Horne said, four teams – with a total of about two dozen dogs – will relay serum for a total of 16 miles.
Stopping at Watauga, about four miles from the trailhead, the serum is transferred for the second leg of the journey. The trail then follows the Holston River to Alvarado. Then it’s on to the third leg, reaching the Iron Horse Campground at Roetown.

From there, all the sled dog teams will line up and take off the final 2.2 miles to the park in Damascus. Around 12:30 p.m., the final leg of the race ends at Damascus Community Park, where Damascus Mayor Creed Jones will receive the serum.

Expect a party at the park: An Alaska lumberjack competition is being hosted by the Virginia Tech Forestry Club at 11:30 a.m.

Other entertainment includes a magician and a self-defense demonstration.

Members of the dog rescue group, meanwhile, plan to sell T-shirts and hot chocolate “to raise money to help save the dogs – for the medical and, gosh, whatever else we need – food and all that other stuff,” Horne said.

Following the event, a small dog race is being held at the Damascus Community Park. Starting at 1:30 p.m., it’s being sponsored by Pet Partners. All dogs in the race, Horne said, must weight less than 25 pounds.

The day concludes at 4 p.m. with a “Meet the Mushers” pasta dinner and presentation by Iditarod musher Bill Borden, who will serve as auctioneer for a fundraiser after the meal.

YOU SHOULD KNOW
What: Fourth Annual 1925 Alaska Serum Run
Where: Abingdon trailhead for the Virginia Creeper Trail; afternoon events will be held at the Damascus Community Park
When: Jan. 16, 10 a.m.
Info: (276) 494-3153
E-mail: siberianhuskyrescue@yahoo.com
Web: www.siberianhuskyassist.com