Musher Says Hike

Christchurch dog sledder Curt Perano made the list of top mushers for the John Beargrease 150-mile mid-distance sled dog race from Minnesota towns Duluth to Tofte. Perano and his wife, Fleur, began dog sledding with a pair of Alaskan Malamutes in Christchurch eight years ago before taking up coaching with American dog-sledding master Jamie Nelson – a four-time Beargrease marathon winner. With only a few 4-12 mile races in New Zealand on his resume, Curt’s first distance race, the White Oak Sled Dog Classic two weeks ago in Deer River, went better than anticipated. With 10 Alaskan Huskies, he finished seventh out of 19 teams after covering 130 miles. “That was more than I had done in any training event,” Perano said. “A lot of the dogs are young, and, with my experience, where I finished was a bonus.”