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: • . / 8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, January 29,1992 Dog Sledding Becomes a Winning Obsession for Local Racer by Brad Kelly The trek to the heart of this story began in a snow- covered field where a truck couldn't navigate and eventually eventually became stuck. In the field, just north of Bowmanvillc, the wind blows across and a light rain falls. Endless miles of woods pro vide a scenic backdrop. It's a peaceful, quiet setting. That is about to change as we make our way over a slight grade. There, a chain-link fence encircles numerous wooden dog houses. Membership to the compound is exclusive. As we approach the door to the compound, a slcck- looking Siberian Husky emerges from the cozy shelter shelter of his home and issues an alert to the others. As if a bugle had begun to play Reveille to alert the troops in a barracks, all of the dogs in the compound emerge from their homes. A chorus of barks and whines echoes throughout the fields. A serenade to their leader. The younger ones do their best impression of a small- mouth bass hooked while fishing, as they jump feverishly feverishly with excitement. Dad has just shown up. Dad, to lire dogs,'is Dennis Dennis Moore, a competitive sled dog racer. He witnessed his first sled dog race in Marmora. Intrigued Intrigued with the sport, lie returned returned home, bought a sled, and hooked up his dog for a trial run. The dog he used for his first adventure wasn't one of the many purebred Siberian Huskies lie owns today. It was his family pet, a Bouvier. "Next tiling I knew, somebody.said they had a Siberian Siberian they were giving away," lie recalled. In a short period of time, he bought some good dogs and began a breeding program. That was seven years ago. "It's worse than drugs once you gel started. It's addictive," addictive," he said. "From Weekend Scoreboard. 9 in M IMM M IM t I I M II I I I 1 U Phone Brad Kelly at 623-3303 Eagles Overpowered in 7-4 Loss September to March it's almost almost a full-time commitment at my level because I'm racing racing for first place." Last year was his best, by his standards. He was a competitor competitor in a seven-race circuit through Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Marmora Marmora and Bancroft. His worst finish was a fourth. The highlight of the past season came in Marmora, in a race that is die equivalent to the Kentucky Derby or Super Bowl of his circuit. He crossed the finish line in first place, ahead, of 39 other entries. entries. "My ultimate was to win Marmora,'and I did it," he said of his first place finish in the 60 mile race. "The Marmora Marmora race is the most prestigious prestigious in my eyes to be able to win." The fact that Moore is able to stay competitive is quite an accomplishment. . Bowmanvillc, after all, doesn't provide die winter haven.for training that other mushers enjoy. Training here can be an inconvenience. Amassing 1,000 miles of training and racing on the dogs during the course of a season that extends from September September to March can be difficult difficult in this area. "Every time 1 want to train, I have to go out, load the dogs in, load the sleigh into the ' trailer and haul cvcrydiing." But, as in any sport, effective effective training is one of die key ingredients to enjoying success. success. Training for sled dog racing provides the mustier the opportunity to learn to work with the dogs, to understand understand what motivates them, an, as crazy as it may sound, to think like the dog. The equation for success is a real package. Add feeding feeding and proper equipment to the combination and you begin begin to realize that it isn't any one factor that dictates success. success. "You've got to start off and have die best of each thing and then be fully devoted devoted to what you're doing and have some sort of plan in mind," said Moore. "You don't jump into it one day and all of a sudden become successful. "It's very much a team sport. In a 60 mile race dicrc arc six dogs, but I'm basically basically the seventh dog," he continued. continued. "When we're out there working together and I start to push, my dogs look back,' realize I'm working, and they'll start to work. They strive on the fact that I'm working." Moore and his team are working together towards a spot on the starting line of a 400 mile race in Labrador scheduled for March 14. The race will take three to four days to complete. STILL COUNTING -- It has been four weeks since we started counting -- and that number could be higher -- how long the light above the goal net at the south end of the Recreation Complex has been burnt out. It has been three weeks -- it to could be higher -- since the one beside it last worked. Surely somebody other than me has noticed. GYM DANDY -- Hampton resident, Lee-Ann Simon, a member of the Gemini Gymnastics club, placed fifth 6n the vault and sixth on the floor in the Provincial 'A' category of a recent meet. Lee-Ann was in tough, as 27 competitors from throughout Ontario were entered in her division. HIGH FLYING -- At the Ontario Ski Jumping Championships held at the Kirby Ski Hill this past Sunday, Jeremy Blackburn, of Orono, placed third with a total of 176.5 points. He finished less than 27 points out of first place. EAGLES' GAMES -- The Bowmanvillc Eagles played their final home game of the regular season last Sunday against Litde Britain, and will be on the road for a pair of games this weekend. On Saturday they will play a return match in Little Britain, and on Sunday will conclude their season in Lakefield. We hope to be able to publish the dates of games for the opening round of the playoffs in next Wednesday's edition. ANYONE FOR SOCCER? -- The Oshawa Kicks will be entering two teams, one under 16 and the other under 17, in the highly competitive National Soccer League this season. The league operates out of Toronto, and a number of the players in the league have qualified for the Ontario and Canadian rep. teams. Oshawa is hoping that by entering the league, players from the area will get the exposure they need to help them get a scholarship or represent Ontario or Canadian teams. Players wishing to try out can contact John Novak (under 16 team) at 436-3363, or Jim Brickncll (under 17 team) at 579-5850. TORO PLAYOFFS -- The majority of Toro teams will be getting the first round of their playoffs underway this week, but a couple of the older teams are already underway. The juvenile CC team swept their series with Brighton in three straight, while the Toro juveniles are lied at a game apiece in their best-of-five series with Aurora. The Toros won the opening game, but lost on home ice Monday night, 4-1. The third game of the series will be at the Darlington Sports Centre on Saturday night. TRIVIA -- Who is the only player in NFL history to be selected as the MVP of the Super Bowl, but was a member of the losing team? ANSWER -- Chuck Howley, LB of the Dallas Cowboys. In Super Bowl V, Baltimore beat Dallas, 16-13. Hollingsworth Tigers Beat Geranium Team by Brad Kelly The Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills weren't the only teams compiling; touchdowns on Super Bowl Sunday. The Little Britain Merchants Merchants were doing the same, Canadian style. The visiting Merchants collected a converted touchdown touchdown on Sunday night, handing handing the Eagles a 7-4 setback. 'Britain? Eagles4 On Saturday, January 25, the Hollingsworth Family Trust Tigers faced Geranium Homes in a BRHL league game. The last time these teams met, the final score ended ended in a tic. The Geranium team lit up the scoreboard twice in the first period on goals by Mark Hodgins and Brian Fowler. Mike McCrory scored an unassisted unassisted goal for the Tigers to cut the lead in half. Mark then scored again for the builders to give them a two-goal lead. The Tigers started to come alive in the third period. Andy Griffin scored from the point on a setup setup from Jeff Ross. James Beck then tied up the score on a goalmouth scramble, with Greg Patterson and Jeff Lee obtaining the assist. McCrory then let a shot go from the , point that beat the Geranium goalie and gave the Tigers a hard-fought 4-3 victory. Later on Saturday, the Tigers Tigers headed to Little Britain to play Christ Church of the OCHL. The Tigers came out hard and fast' as they skated to a 19-4 victory. The point- getters for the Tigers were MeCrorÿ (7g, 2a), Patterson (6g, 3a), Griffin (2g,. 2a), Beck (lg, 2a), Powell (lg, la), Kok (lg, la), Cowan (lg), Ross (2a). Adam Powell played a very strong game on defence and the Tigers received some good goaltcnding from Luxton and Lambert. [OUR vou PROMISE TO FOR 1992! TO BE THE MOST COMPETITIVELY PRICED CHRYSLER DEALER IN DURHAM REGION THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL Stk. 1748 1992 DODGE SPIRIT Including air, aulo cruise, till, am/fm/cassette and much, much , more! 3yr./75000km lull Maintenance Lease, All you pay lor is fuel and washer *$1000, Down or equivalent trade, 1 st, security, lie. Call us for details, ggg DURHAM DODGE CHRYSLER (FORMERLY WHITBY DODGE) Bf 799 BLOOR ST. W., OSHAWA 404-0525 11WY.2 \ 401 .... 1 h n ■ 8 S l & v: The loss by the Eagles dashes any designs they may have had dn finishing in second second spot in the overall standings. standings. .The Merchants sit second second with 42 points -- three ahead of the Eagles -- and maintain a game in hand. With the loss, the Eagles must now'shift their attention on trying to secure third spot over Cobourg. The two teams appear destined for a meeting in the opening round of the playoffs. Home ice advantage in that series could be the deciding deciding factor. The final two games in the schedule favour Cobourg, who were at home to Uxbridge Uxbridge on Monday, and wrap up their'season in Lakefield on Friday. The Eagles have a return date in Little Britain on Saturday, Saturday, and finish in Lakefield on Sunday. If the Eagles lose either those two games, it's conceivable conceivable they could find themselves in fourth spot. It was a poor team effort on Sunday night that cost the Eagles. Sporting a 2-0 lead in the second period after a scoreless first, they began to break down. Once the Merchants got ahead and added to their lead in the third, the life went out of the Eagles. It's a trail that hadn't been evident all season. season. - One that coach Mike Noonan Noonan was emphatic about afterwards. afterwards. "We played Uxbridge on Friday night (a 13-2 win for the Eagles) and.there was no body contact and we looked good. As soofi as we get body contact, we're pulling the chute. "Guys arc getting intimidated intimidated by it being physical hockey and if we don't get used to it, we won't be around long in the playoffs." Shane Armstrong, Gary Adams, Nick Dennis and Steve DeSmedt all had singles singles for the Eagles. Tom Devine, Steve Trum- bcll and Steve Black each had a pair for die Merchants. Mark Taylor had die oUtcr. After scoring three times in die last seven minutes of the second period to erase a 2-0 deficit, die Merchants wasted litde dine widening 5 h <1 PÈL ■ : rv r/HO . "V r.v This was one of the few battles the Eagles presented to the Little Britain Merchants on Sunday night, as the visitors skated to an easy 7-4 victory. The Eagles wrap up their regular season with a pair of away games this weekend. the gap in the dtird. Trumbell scored the first of his two 49 seconds into the period, and his second of the game was the result of poor defensive coverage by the Eagles -- something they were guilty of throughout the final period. Dennis restored some life into die Eagles when lie deflected deflected Dean Baumhauer's slapshot from the point, pulling pulling the Eagles to within two at 5-3. Less than a minute later, Taylor was left alone off to the side of goallcndcr Chris Massey, and 58 seconds after that, Black was left untouched untouched in front and scored on his own rebound. DeSmcdl's Üiird of the season on a backhand with 2:29 remaining closed out the scoring. Brad Robinson had a goal with 24 seconds remaining disallowed after he re directed the puck with a high stick. Earlier in the period he rang one off the post that prompted a discussion by the officials after, the goal light came on. Armstrong fired a shot off the crossbar during a short-handed situation. THE SCOOP - The La- ball's three stars were Tom Devine and Steve Black of Little Britain, and Gary Adams Adams of the Eagles. Shane Armstrong won die competition competition with 70 points...There was a possibility that Armstrong Armstrong would sign a player's card with the Oshawa Lc- gionaircs on Monday night, and appear in their lineup for a game Friday. If Noonan has his say, it's unlikely Armstrong Armstrong will suit up. The Eagles Eagles play Saturday and Sunday Sunday nighl...A want ad may appear in die near future for a team doctor. Jeremie Pate, pulled groin (1 week); Jeff Flintoff, dislocated shoulder (5 weeks); Doug Lever, dislocated dislocated shoulder (4 weeks); Chris Massey, pulled neck muscle, (1 week); Rob Real, Charley horse (day-to-day) will be missing from the lineup,..Clint lineup,..Clint Nowak has left the team. p» * j g SÊÊ Si. Dennis Moore poses with one of his top Siberian Husky dogs, Luke, at his home just north of Bowmanvillc. Dennis has been a sled dog racer for the past seven years, and has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in that time. 328 RITSON RD. N., OSHAWA 725-4744 if busy call 725-2831 WHOLESALE & RET AIL DURHAM REGION'S WOOD SPECIALISTS IN Hardwood & softwood lumber dry kilns & dressing facilities including custom made trim; hardwood & marine plywoods as well as a complete stock of building materials. 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