Saturday, September 13th
Eitzen Event
Our very first Dog-Powered Sports Club event may have been small in numbers, but it was big on variety. Only three people officially showed up — but between dogs, the stories, and a few surprise visitors, it turned into a lively afternoon.
Everyone got a chance to try out the slatmill (an unpowered dog treadmill), from Aida the overly-energetic Malamute who needed to burn off some steam before she could sit through an hour of talking, to the 10-year-old double-hip-replacement dog, Lena, who couldn’t join the run but still got to walk and be part of the action, and everyone in between. One participant’s dog, Suri, got to run thanks to my husband stepping in as the handler, and even though the slatmill wasn’t her favorite, she still got a taste of what the sport was about. Aida stole the spotlight again once she was harnessed up, running strong and showing off just how much a dog can love pulling once they get the hang of it.
Then three local kids wandered over, curious about what we were doing. With Casey’s small, kid-friendly dog, Motts, each of them got a turn to run, and their excitement was contagious. By the end, they were already asking when we’d be back.
Even though it was a hot day, 85 degrees, and we kept the canicross runs short, every dog and person found their own way to participate. It wasn’t about perfect performances — it was about adapting, learning, and having fun together. A great first step into dog-powered sports for our club!
Saturday, October 18th
Winona Event
Our Winona Event got off to an unexpectedly eventful start. We had planned to arrive an hour early to put up trail signs and make sure everyone knew the cues to guide their dogs, but things got delayed. Shortly after we arrived the police showed up to do a welfare check on a local park visitor. The signs went up but we were about 20 minutes late to our own event! Luckily everyone was patient and cheerful while we scrambled to get things ready.
Once we got rolling, we dove right into the education portion. We were excited to welcome several new faces, including some adventurous attendees who drove all the way from North Liberty Iowa (Liberty, Belle, Moose and their handlers) — a solid four-hour trip! In total, eleven teams showed up and ran the one-mile loop (give or take) at the Prairie Island Nature Trail.
All the dogs got a turn on the slatmill. Reactions were split: about half of them seemed to really enjoy it, while the other half looked at us like, “what the heck are you making me do?” But everyone participated, from our seasoned participants to our spicy members who needed a muzzle at first. By the second half, the dogs were showing off their skills — Motts impressed us with her bikejoring, and Ranger demonstrated what motivated drive looks like versus “I’m just doing what I’m told.”
Only two teams got slightly turned around at the end as we needed more signs than we expected, but they found their way out without any issues. It was a gorgeous day in the 60’s — perfect for running — and we captured plenty of great pictures and videos of the action.
Even our 10-year-old Lena got her second chance at the slatmill, after which she walked herself back to the car ready to call it a day. Everyone seemed to have a fun time, and interest in voting for the next event shows that people were excited to join again. It wasn’t about perfect runs or flawless performances; it was about learning, adapting, and enjoying time with our dogs together.
