GORHAM, Maine — Dozens of pups hit the trails in Gorham Saturday for an energetic day of sled dog racing.
Hosted by the New England Sled Dog Club, trails along the Shaw Cherry Hill Farm turned into a racetrack for the day.
"It's going good so far! Weather is cooperating, so usually we like to make sure the temperature is below 50 or so for the dogs," race organizer Jenna Lane said.
With more than 2 miles of track, she said a low temperature is crucial to keeping the dogs comfortable without overheating.
It was a muddy start to the day, but dogs and their handlers were able to enjoy the day, with some racing for fun and others racing for speed.
"We actually did a lap before the start. Pilot likes to know what's coming," musher Maggie Stokes said, referring to her dog and race partner of three years.
Stokes first started getting into dog sledding after spending time abroad in Norway. She adopted Pilot after returning home, and the two have been racing for years.
"I went from caring for a kennel of five dogs to just one living in my house," Stokes added. "I've mostly learned. There's a lot I don't know, and there's a lot that she knows, and we're teaching each other."
Participants shared that getting into a sport like this often times is happenstance. However, Lane said she has seen more diverse breeds enter races than the quintessential breeds such as hounds or huskies.
"That's kind of the beauty of the sport is you don't have to have, you know, a special breed dog for it. If your dog likes to run, and your dog likes to pull, then you can do it alongside all of the other breeds," Lane said.