FEBRUARY 8th & 9th, 2025
Ontario's Largest Sprint Sled Dog Race est. 1994
Registration
Live Registration and Results
Visitor Information
IFSS Accredited World Cup Event
We are pleased to announce that the Kearney Dog Sled Races are IFSS accredited. Each year our race committee applies for IFSS accreditation for mushers to earn world cup points. Qualifying racers and their teams are eligible for invitation to world championship races all around the globe. The IFSS World Masters is set to take place in Norway in February 2025. The first IFSS North American Championship and North American Masters Dryland race will be organized in Minocqua Winter Park, Wisconsin, USA October 25-27 2024.
Welcome to the Kearney Dog Sled Races!
Ontario’s largest dog sled racing event comes to “Ontario’s biggest little town” every year. Kearney is a quaint community of 800 people, located just north of Huntsville, Ontario. We are located within the Robinson-Huron and Williams Treaty lands inhabited by indigenous peoples since the beginning, and acknowledge the legacy of stewardship over these lands that indigenous peoples have had. We encourage all our visitors and competitors to review our land acknowledgement statement.
The races are held annually in February, drawing teams and mushers from Alaska, Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and the North Eastern and Central States. Kearney hosts more than 70 competitive mushers along with novice and future mushers. This long-standing tradition has been running annually since 1994. We are grateful for our close-knit community that has been consistently supportive of the race for the past 30+ years. We encourage our spectators and visitors to use the services this great little town has to offer.
We host 5 race classes of different distances for the professional or beginner musher to trek through the beautiful northern wilderness. We also host a race specifically for the up-and-coming young mushers.
Our unique event is committed to offering race classes for professional and beginner mushers of all ages and classes. We offer a 2 Dog Sled class with Pro Open, Pro Registered Northern Breed (RNB), and Sportsman divisions. Our top priority is introducing new mushers to the sport in a controlled, fun, and exciting manner!
Our event attracts fans from all over the world and we keep them all updated through online postings throughout the weekend.
The Kearney Dog Sled Race Committee has the mission to preserve the heritage of this exciting dog sport and to continue to support international enthusiasm for sports competition, education and awareness of this very special style of dog.
For more information on our community please visit the Town of Kearney website – www.townofkearney.com
Join us for two days of winter fun just 2.5 hours north of Toronto in Kearney Ontario on the western border of Algonquin Park.
For anyone that has never raced at Kearney, the race courses feature challenging hills to climb, hardwood bush, lakes and marshes to enjoy while racing through the natural beauty of the Almaguin Highlands. The trail poses many challenges in it's technical, yet exhilarating sections for our racers and their dogs to enjoy.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Kearney Dog Sled Races prides itself on having exceptional race officials and a fantastic team of volunteers that help ensure the safety of both dogs, mushers and spectators. We have a veterinarian on site for the entire duration of the race weekend for consultation on canine wellness, dog checks, and emergency services. We also collaborate extensively with local law enforcement and public officials for public safety and enjoyment of the event.
If this will be your first year attending the Kearney Dog Sled Races, please reach out if you have any questions! Visit our official Facebook page or our Instagram for lots of up to date information.
"One of the 2023 Kearney Dog Sled Races 4 dog teams out of Keipawatchin Kennels. Luke's team is based out of Blyth, Ontario. His team ran the FASTEST time in the 4 dog sled class of the weekend at 14:43."
Video by Luke Siertsema