Last weekend, nearly 600 competitors from 30 countries around the world came to Koźle near Poznań. They brought more than 1,500 dogs to compete in the largest event of its kind, the IFSS World Sled Dog Racing Championships.
Polish competitors were also among them. Our country was represented, among others, by Rafał Śmiałkowski from Bolesławiec. Together with his four-legged companions, sprint sled dogs of the greyster breed, Rafał competed in one of the largest categories – scooter with two dogs.
After two days of fierce competition on a very technically demanding, muddy course, the trio won the bronze medal! The competitors’ times demonstrate the event’s sporting level – after covering 10 km, the differences at the front were only a few seconds. The speeds reached by these teams were as high as 40 km/h. In addition to Rafał, Polish representatives won five more medals, including three gold and two bronze.
Rafał has been “infected” with this passion for four years now. He devoted most of his professional life to military service, but, as he says, he “went to the dogs” and currently trains these animals under the name Centrum Kynoloigcznego CANID.pl. He has also partnered with HUSSE, a producer of Swedish dog and cat food. (In our region, he operates as a HUSSE distributor, delivering high-quality Swedish products to customers’ homes).
Rafał’s nearest sporting plans involve preparing the team to participate in the European Sled Dog Championships on snow, which will be held in Italy in three months. Rafał will represent our country in cross-country skiing events. Of course, together with his dogs.
Rafał and his four-legged companions can be met at recreational running-with-dogs competitions, which will take place in Bolesławiec in just two weeks – on 9 December. (It will be a side event during the Bieg Między Mostami organized by our MOSiR.)
A short report by Poznań TVP: https://poznan.tvp.pl/34948139/mistrzostwa-swiata-psich-zaprzegow.