Kearney to host Jamaica Dogsled Team at 14th annual Dog Sled Race

Kearney, Ontario, January 7th, 2008 – Dog sled teams from Ontario, Quebec, the United States and even Jamaica will compete for $8,000 in prize money as they mush along the snowy trails around Kearney, Ontario this February, 8th, 9th and 10th at the 14th Annual Kearney Dog Sled races.

Kearney, a town of 800 people, lies nestled in the beautiful Almaguin Highlands, about
2 ½ hours north of Toronto, and a half hour north of Huntsville, east of highway 11 near the western edge of Algonquin Park. This year’s races will include:

• a 40-mile race on both Saturday and Sunday
• six-mile sprints on both Saturday and Sunday
• four-mile sprints on both Saturday and Sunday
• a “kid and mutt” race

“We’re delighted to welcome the Jamaican team this year; they’ll make the competition hotter than ever in the 4-mile race” says race organizer Lisa Houliston.

The Jamaica Dogsled Team was started by Jamaican Danny Melville in 2005. The chairman and CEO of Chukka Caribbean Adventures saw a unique sled that was designed for dry-land sled dog racing and thought it would be a great idea for Jamaica. Melville’s team of dogs, many of them strays, came from the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The annual Kearney dog sled race gets bigger and more popular every year, drawing competitors and fans from across North America. There’s no charge to come and cheer on the competitors, as well as lots of free activities for all members of the family, including a bonfire and family skate, an antique snowmobile show, wood carving demonstrations, an appearance by rare Inuit Sled dogs and their breeder, and a Kearney Volunteer Fire Department water rescue demonstration. There will also be a BBQ and live entertainment.

Further details are available at www.kearneydogsled.com.