The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-13

grilling of all sports.
 Such Is dogsled racing, which will get under way with the run ming of the International Dogsled Derby at Quebec, Feb 23-24-25, and the Pas classic which follows in March.
 Sled drivers assert this type of racing taxes tho human body to it's drivers who will take part in the Quebec race have been in training for months
 Heading the list of entrants this year is Emil St Goddard, 27-year-old Manitoba boy who swept out of the north in 1925 and, at the age of 1S, breezed past veteran racers to win the eastern international derby. Then he rushed back west to cop the 200-mile classic at the Pas.
 A true champion of this winter sport is young Goddard. He has won the eastern meet five times and the Pas an equal number of times, de- feating the pick of Canadian and IT. s. team drivers, including Shorty Russick, Leonhard Seppali, Earl Brydges and Frank Dupls.
 The story of St Godards rise to leadership among the mushers is a gripping talelof the northumberland of a mission he set for himself to fill
 Walter Goyne, an Alaskan racer, brought his dog team to the Pas and settled down in 1919. There he Introduced a new hitch, harneasing dogs tandem style, in place of the old single file style. He became the inspiration of St Goddard after he had won big race wlth his new hitch. The youngster copied his style.
 One day Goyne started off on training trip with his dogs. When he failed to return for days searching party set out 10 find him. They discovered he had crashed into lake with dog team and had become frozen soljdly in the ice.
 After his death St Goddard vowed he'd some day sit on the throne of North America--and there he Is.
 Condition
 A dogsled racer not only must look to his own condition but that of his dogs. Huskies, the result of breeding the North Greenland Es- kipo dog, which is not more than a. tame wolf, with Danes New foundlands or Shepherds, grow fat and lazy when not working ,and they must exercise constantly.
 Young Goddard has been training his dogs by hitching them to a light automobile chassis With this to pull around. they train down to good running weight and there they are kept until the race.
 Most races are three laps, 40I miles each. Elapsed time. of course, in making these laps is the basis on which the winner is determined. The driver rides on the sled-run- ners on level ground, Ticking his long whip to break up any squab- | bles among his cver-argulng dogs. | He runs when tn" sled goes uphill. |
 Nine Beet
 The number Of dogs in 4 team varies from seven to twelve. The average is nine dogs. Too many huskles often are a disadvantage. While they pull a bit faster th;h smaller team, they also are harder to handle.
 One of the rules of dogsled rac- ing is that if any dog is incapaci. tated, the driver must put him on the sled and bring him in at the finish of the race. With a large team. the likelihood of accident to the dogs Is greater. and the handi- cap of carrying one or two dogs back on the sled is too much.
 So far the only Yankee entered in the race is Moseley Taylor of Bos- ton, who will drive q team of Siber- ians. But St Goddard will add addi- tional United States color to the race when he drives a team owned by Maj A. Erland Goyette of Peter boro, N. IT.