Sled Dog Race in Winterberg Cancelled

Bad news for fans of sled dog racing: the International Sled Dog Race in Winterberg, scheduled for 12 and 13 February, has had to be cancelled due to the weather. The mild temperatures and strong winds last weekend reduced the snow cover in the forests around Winterberg—the snow simply isn’t deep enough for a sled dog race. With this cancellation, Winterberg joins a series of sled dog race cancellations this season. A total of nine sled dog races have been unable to take place for similar reasons.

Winterberg and sled dog racing

Winterberg is usually the venue for Germany’s longest-running sled dog race. This year, the International Sled Dog Race in Winterberg was also set to serve as the German Championship for mushers. Around 200 mushers and their teams of sled dogs had entered—a remarkably high number even for a German Championship. Several thousand visitors had been expected at the race. The sled dog races in Winterberg are traditionally a major attraction for visitors. However, a sled dog race can only be held in ideal weather conditions, explained Rolf Karwecki of the Association of German Sled Dog Sport Clubs (VDSV). The sled dog race scheduled for this weekend in Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the Harz Mountains has also had to be cancelled due to a lack of snow. More than 50 teams from Germany and abroad had entered the Clausthal-Zellerfeld race.