Who is Richard (and why is he running with Pretty Sled Dogs)? - The Cartoonist

So, who is this "Richard" that sleeps in flower pots and cares for the curly tails that is now going to be running in competition with the Pretty Sled Dogs?

For long time followers of the blog and North Wapiti adventures, Richard was last year's handler who took care of North Wapiti while Karen and Mark were at the Iditarod.  Richard hails from Lincolnshire, England and actually has been very active in sled dog competition for the past 10 years "across the pond".

Here is a picture of Richard in action at the Old Fineshades Race

(photograph courtesy of Louise Cooke)

Richard has competed and won in numerous Dry Land and Sled competitions to include (but not limited to):

• Sled Dog Association of Scotland’s  CSJ Championships
• Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Aviemore Sled Dog Rally
• Quantock Quest Sled Dog Rally
• Affiliated British Sleddog Activities Championships

So you can see, he's certainly not a "novice" when it comes to the sport of sled dog racing, but there are some challenges going from Dry Land or even sledding as he knows it from the UK to the arctic climates of Canada and other colder areas that he'll have to learn about... plus the tricky transition of driving on the proper side of the trail