13th Annual Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair & Seminar October 3, 2008

The 13th Annual Northern New England Sled Dog Trade Fair & Seminar will feature not one, but two record breaking mushers! Alaskan Mitch Seavey won the 2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes, smashing, by thirteen hours, the ninety-eight year old record for the fastest finishing time. The victory also earned Seavey a record winner-take-all purse of $100,000, the richest ever offered for a sled dog race. Seavey also won the 2004 Iditarod and has finished in the top-twenty in almost 95% of races he’s entered. As the Trade Fair’s keynote speaker, Seavey will talk about his experiences racing, training and touring. Also presenting at this year’s event is Mike Ellis who will offer a slide show describing his journey from racing dogs in his native New Hampshire to an impressive 11th place finish in the 2008 Yukon Quest. Mike and his team of AKC registered Siberian Huskies completed the grueling thousand mile race ahead of twelve mixed breed Alaskan Husky (the most prevalent and successful type of racing sled dogs) team entries, setting a record for the fastest time ever for a Quest purebred dog team: 12 days, 9 hours and 58 minutes.

In addition to Seavey and Ellis, a Women’s Forum panel will discuss mushing related experiences, veteran musher Johnn Molburg will offer his popular Mushing 101 seminar and will also talk about how to start out in sprint racing, and certified canine massage therapist Anastasia Seyer will speak on “Massage and the Canine Athlete” and, at her vendor table, will make appointments for canine massage sessions ($10 for 15 minutes) to be performed on Saturday evening and Sunday after the rig race.
Speakers will be available to chat one-on-one with experienced, novice and future mushers. Raffles for mushing related items, and vendors offering sleds, harnesses, carts and other equipment, dog food and supplements, breed and club information, unique hand knit sweaters and other gifts, and fun rig races on Sunday morning (weather permitting), will round out the weekend. Great food is provided by “Fat Boys Concessions and Catering”. Everyone interested in mushing and dog powered sports is welcome.

Sponsored by Pine Tree Knits, MaineMade Dog Sleds and Mountain Ridge Equipment, this event will take place, rain or shine, at the Hopkinton Fair Grounds, 392 Kearsarge Avenue, Green Gate only, Contoocook, NH on Saturday, October 4th 9AM to 5 PM and Sunday October 5th 8:30AM to 3PM. Daily admission of $5.00/adult and $2/juniors 8-14, includes one free raffle ticket. Free parking. Friday and Saturday night on-grounds camping is $25.00/night (dry) or $40/night (with water & electricity hookups). FMI contact: Faye Krause - (207)457-3949, Amy Dugan - (207)695-3754, info@mtnridge.com, or Lucille Murphy - (207)445-5550, questions@mainemadedogsleds.com; lodging, directions, details, updates and schedule at http://mainemadedogsleds.com/trade_fair.html and http://mtnridge.com/catalog1.0.html1.0.html.

Official Website: http://mainemadedogsleds.com/trade_fair.html