Racing Sled Dog Handlers

"My dogs are my world and my life - they deserve the best and nothing less!"

My passion for huskies started when I lived in Canada over 14 years ago. This took me to Alaska where I worked with big teams doing commercial tours. At the time I was a professional snowboarder and returned to the UK to compete in Europe in Team GBR. Retiring from snowboarding due to financial reasons pushed me into a real job - and what better time to get my first dog. It felt like I had a stable job and the time was right. 

'Arctic Quest' is my Kennel and 'Pullin Power' is my Race Team 

Well, the job lasted a year and the dog became 4 dogs, and then Arctic Quest was born (Sleddog Experience in the UK). I have run Arctic Quest for 7 years and over that time I have built up my family of dogs and now race. I have a mixed kennels from Sibs, long distance race dogs, mid distance and sprint. I race sprint only due to temps and training in the UK and we now race all over the world. 

I have 26 dogs which include Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies, Euro Hounds, Greysters and Marley my Collie. 

My biggest/most memorable success?

Getting into racing has been life changing for me, and a steep learning curve: I believe a dog doesn't know if you come first or last in a race so I was not worried about racing my dogs - every run is great and my dogs are always winners.  

However 4 years ago I felt I needed to go to a race to learn more and also I wanted to see if I trained my dogs as well as I could... Well we haven't looked back from that first race.. From the first race I learned that my dogs get the buzz I get from racing and that you can only win races with your dogs being the best they can, so fitness training diet, nutrition etc. are so important to have a healthy, happy and fast dog! 

After 4 years I raced my first race at club level, taking home a 4th and 1st place scooter and bike class.

Proud didn't come close, I was over the moon and it was a life changing day because now I want to race all the time. So I enter the National Championships in Scotland and as a qualifier for Team GB, I take Willow my Sib on the scooter where we won. That's it now I want to take over the world and dream of been World Champion.... I like to have something to aim for.

So Race dogs come next, and I start with Alaskan Huskies, at this point not really understanding or knowing about Greysters. I have the 4 cutest Alaskan puppies in my kennel, meanwhile I head out to Paris to race my first international race and wow I learned a lot...

My Alaskan huskies are like 4 Mo Farahs with everyone else racing Bolts!

Makes sense really, I have long distance dogs, but everyone else was racing sprint dogs, because we raced only for 3 - 5 miles (long distance racing is more like 1000 miles).

Weighing in a 16kg, the Alaskans are half the weight of the Greysters, so what do we do? We train hard, learn as much as possible and work super hard and achieve 2 European bronze medals and 11th in the world in Canada. These dogs should be last against the hounds, but sometimes all you need is a great heart and drive, which these 4 have... 

Amazing dogs, racing on the snow and dry and also running for Arctic Quest

Then along come my Euro Hounds, racing Siberians and Gresysters - Sprint Sleddogs breed for racing, so the first season we had racing last winter we achieved:

British Champion in 3 classes:

• Bike open Female Scooter 
• 2 dog NB 
• 4 Dog open Team

Dutch champion on Snow 4 Dog Sprint Sled

WSA and IFSS European bronze medals in 3 classes: 

•  NB 2 dog Scooter x 2 medals
• Open Relay

Every day is a school day, we learn all the time, I strive to always do better for my dogs. My heart, my soul, my life is my dogs. We are working towards the World Championships in Poland and Italy for the 2017/18 season. If we win or lose, I already know I have the best dogs in the world. Every dog in my kennel works in harness and I wouldn't be without a single one of them, they are my family.  

An update by CSJ in March 2022:

At the WSA World championships in Sweden on the 10^th of March CSJ were delighted to see that Vickie gained a brilliant 10^th place in the 2-dogs-1 race with a time of 10.32.3 … and  then went on to an amazing 3^rd place in the 4-dogs-1 race with a time of 19.06.3!!

Vickie was quoted as saying, “Today we stand with the best in the world - I am so proud”

On 23^rd March 2022 Vickie posted on Facebook:

Pullin Power Junior Camp

July28th - 2nd Aug 2022

Please email vickie@arcticquest.co.uk for moreinfo. Working with the next generation #loveyourdogs #pullinpower #arcticquest #kidscamp

http://www.arcticquest.co.uk/products/kids-camp-6-18-years

Licensed to keep or train animals as per The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 - No18/05916/ANIACT