Get to Know Your 2016 ASSA Committee

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1 President Darren Scragg Location: Barossa Valley S.A. Team Name: Northern Forest Siberian Huskies Dogs: Siberian Huskies 2016 will be my 22 nd year of racing and we have a small kennel of racing Siberians where we compete with the SASDC and Wild Dog Clubs in South Australia. Subject to work commitments, we also try to go to 2 4 interstate races per year. I love getting out of the office into the great outdoors and seeing the dogs to work as a cohesive team (most of the time)!! I really would like to see the sport grow and reach some of the competitor numbers it achieved in the late 90s and early 00s. Vice President David Dyer Location: Perth Hills, Western Australia Team Name: Top Shelf Dogs: 1x Siberian, 1x Alaskan, 1x Border Collie X (Who knows what), 3x Euro Hound Comments: After 13 years the two things I still get best kick out of in this sport are: 1. Nothing better than going for an early morning run on a new track that neither myself or the dogs have been on before, living in the Hills I am lucky enough to get a lot of opportunity to do this and; 2. Traveling all over the country to new races, it is great to see how others enjoy the sport. Treasurer Todd McGuire Location: Queensland I first got involved with dog sledding and NEGRC in 2010 after getting my first Alaskan Malamute pup in In early 2010 I met Maranda and she was already a member of NEGRC, running her Border Collies, so I joined the club and was keen to help out while waiting for the right time to get another dog. In 2011 a number of older members had moved on and NEGRC was on the verge of finishing up, so I decided to put up my hand for a general committee member role to help. Fortunately the club had enough support to keep going and some new people taking on committee roles, and I somehow got the treasurer role. A couple months later I added the Secretary role as well when the previous Secretary resigned, and I continued in this role for the next four years. NEGRC being a smaller club, the Secretary role allowed me to be involved in all aspects of club, including organising and running races, timing, track set up, etc. In 2010 Maranda and I drove down to the AMCV Snow weekend with her two Border Collies to see how they would go, and have been down every year since for the two snow races, making it our annual holiday

2 Secretary Michelle Matthews Location: Canning Vale, Western Australia Team Name: Hollenhunde Dogs: 4 GSP's I have been involved in Sledding since 2008 and on the committee of WASSA in different positions from I am also a Life Member of the GSP Club of WA and a Registered Breeder with Dogs West. I have competed in many dog sports over the years - Retrieving, Field Trials, Agility/Jumping and Obedience and find Sledding is certainly the most enjoyable and family friendly. Watching my daughter and all the other WASSA juniors come up through the classes and see their experience and confidence grow has been very rewarding. My current team consists of 3 Home bred Gsp's and I couldn't be prouder of them. ACT Representative Vacant (Michael Looney from NSW until ACT appointed) Queensland State Representative Claire Batchelor Team Name: Wintareign Kennels Dogs: Siberian Huskies I have been a member of NEGRC and participated in sled dog racing for 6 years and currently have 7 Siberian Huskies. My partner Ryan and my two kids Aurora and Tiaan travel all over Australia each year to participate in as many sled dog events as we can. In 2015, we raced at the ASSA National Championships in Victoria, the Siberian Husky Club of NSW pointscore races, Falls Creek and Dinner Plain Snow Races, Canberra Classic and NEGRC Northern Challenge for 3 dog and 1 dog classes. My daughters also compete in canicross and peewee classes. My greatest passion is to see this sport grow for our peewees and juniors.

3 NSW State Representative Michael Looney Location: Wollongong NSW Dogs: 2 x Alaskans, 2 x Siberian Huskies Kennel Name: No kennel yet. Since 2012, I have been competing predominantly in 1 and 2 dog classes for dryland, and when possible, snow races. Some of my favourite races in recent times have been the 2015 NVSDC Classic/ ASSA Nationals. I am keen to see more development and progress towards sledding, bikejor, and canicross events in the coming years to ensure a growing community for these dog powered sports in Australia. S.A. State Representative Craig Heard Location: Two Wells S.A. Team Name: Bordalaska I ve been involved in Sled Dog racing since My first sled dog race was in NSW at Wingello running two Alaskan Malamutes. For the first two years I raced in NSW and Canberra. In 2000 I moved to South Australia with my wife (Joanne) and all the dogs. For most of my years racing I have run Alaskan Malamutes but I have also raced Border Collies and recently Pointers. With my son s interest in the sport and his first full season about to start I would like to contribute to the further growth of the sport and the ASSA State Rep role will allow me to do this. Tasmania State Representative Prue De Vries Dogs: Siberian Huskies x 18 Team Name: Team Huskylicious We have been involved in the sport of dog sledding since 2012, during this time we have progressively built our kennel up with rescued and rehomed Siberian Huskies. With not having any official races currently being held in Tasmania, we have for the past two years travelled to the mainland to compete in both dryland and snow races. In the winter of 2015 we travelled for three months with sixteen of our dogs across Victoria and into South Australia and took part in as many races as we could. We compete where possible in 1 dog, 2 dog, 3 dog, 4 dog, and 6 dog sprint classes and are happiest when in the middle of nowhere with our dogs. It is now our goal to see the sport of dog sledding firmly established in Tasmania.

4 Victorian State Representative Steve Cartwright Location: Invergordon. Kennel Name: Malpitzky Kennels Dogs: Alaskan Malamutes (5), Siberian Huskies (4), Alaskan Huskies (2). I started in the sport when we got our first Alaskan Malamute in We got him because we were interested in the sport and wanted to have a go at it after ten years of research. Our love for the sport and the dogs grew from there, as we built our team, then the kids decided that they wanted dogs of their own to race. After that we began rescuing and rehoming Arctic breeds, and then we became founding members with a small group of friends of the Northern Victorian Sled Dog Club. Our love of the sport and the animals really has simply grown from that. Victorian State Representative Sophia Dalidakis Location: Melbourne Kennel Name: Snofall Dogs: Siberian Husky currently 2 While I was exposed to racing early on when I got my first Siberian over 15 years ago from Annie Jackson at Norstarr Siberians, it wasn t until I had added my second one that I decided to have a real go and the rest as they say, is history! 13 years later, I ve gone from running that one dog, to running 4 & 6 dog teams, mostly made up of dogs I have bred myself. I have a long history of working on both the Siberian Husky Club of Victoria & ASSA committee s and I look forward to representing the members of Victoria on the current ASSA committee. Western Australia State Representative Vanessa Joy Location: Waikiki, Western Australia Team Name: Crazy Daisy Dogs: 2x Greyhounds and 2x Greyhound crosses This is my third year in the sport of dry land sledding. All four of my hounds are rescues but only my greyhound crosses do sledding, the purebreds can do canicross. This season I will run Daisy, who is almost 2 years old, in 1 dog open class and her niece, Lily, in puppy class. Last season Daisy and I went to nationals in South Australia and ran in Novice class, which was a great experience; we stayed in Novice for all of 2014 in WA. My favourite part of sledding is being able to work with your dog in a natural environment and trusting them to get you through the tracks safely. I am also a little addicted to speed after my first year in the sport!

5 Western Australia State Representative Alex Watkins Location: Perth, Western Australia Team Name: Naughty Dog Dogs: 2x Siberian Huskies I Have been in the sport for 2 years. Had the opportunity to travel and race in Victoria and South Australia last year running in the 1 dog class. Currently Vice President of WASSA.