Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on August 29, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com

Careers

Elgin vet Bethan Fitzgerald is currently in Quebec where she is competing in the 2015 World Dryland Sled Dog championships (which take place from October 29 to November 1). It is the first time that British dogs have competed in this event in Canada. Tell us a bit about this sport.

Traditional sled dog sports consist of large teams of dogs (mainly the Nordic breeds such as husky/samoyed and malamute) harnessed up to a sled so that they can travel many miles over snow. UK sled dog racing is different. It is mainly on dry land, so we use a wheeled cart (a rig), or even a bike or scooter. The racing also consists of fast (up to 30 mph) short runs, usually three to four miles long. This kind of racing has encouraged the development of a new breed of sled dog, the Scandinavian hound.

How/why did you get involved?

My husband’s first dog was a malamute and we met a couple who raced huskies at puppy classes. They introduced us to the sport. I raced my pointer and the dogs did really well. It’s addictive.

What breed of dogs do you race?

Scandinavian sled dogs, bred mainly from Norwegian pointers (aka vorsthers) and Alaskan huskies with a hint of greyhound.

What makes them special?

They are gentle giants who put 100 per cent effort into every run. They’re also perfect pets – they are great with other dogs, great in the house and they want to please.

How many dogs do you have?

Twelve. We still have our first dogs, the malamute, now 12 years old, and my first dogs – German wirehaired pointers (11 and nine years old). In addition, I have nine Scandinavian hounds and, ii | Vet Record Careers | October 31, 2015

just at the moment, nine, four-week-old puppies, which all have homes to go to.

Vet, sportswoman, mother – how do you fit it all in?

Photograph: Paulina Soltysiak

Ten-minute chat

We don’t sit down! My husband and I both work full time and I still do on-call Bethan won a gold medal in the scooter event at the European and weekends. We Canicross Championships that were held in Blairgowrie, have an amazing Perthshire, in October nanny (she has 30 huskies herself) who looks after the kids and the house together. It’s fun and makes exercising a dogs. We don’t have family near by as lot easier. Another friend is the ultimate we moved from North Wales three years coach for the sport. She started a ago to get better trails and weather, but business in Glasgow called Canifit. She we are grateful as they do come up a lot teaches the sport at all levels and holds to help. The kids love the dogs and the amazing races, attracting hundreds of sport, which is a huge bonus. We have just competitors. In the next two weeks, bought a caravan to fit us all in when we’re Scotland is hosting the European at events as our van is a bit small. Having Canicross Championships. I will be young babies never stopped us camping competing on the scooter and my and competing. We wrap them up and husband on the bike. they enjoy the fresh air. It’s amazing how they can sleep through dogs barking but, if What was your proudest moment? someone coughs, they wake up. Standing on the top of the podium after winning my first national championship, What about the logistics of getting with my three-month-old baby strapped the dogs to Canada? to me. Easy! Drive to Paris (picking up other team members and their dogs on . . . and your most embarrassing? the way) in our van, stick the dogs in We fall off a lot, but in one race I giant crates and get on a plane direct was on my bike and it had snowed to Montreal. Canada recognises the overnight so I had no grip. It didn’t European pet passport so the usual rabies stop me pedalling my heart out but vaccination, microchip and passport is just 50 metres from the finish line I all that is needed. We are hiring a lorry managed to tumble, getting tangled to transport them once we are in Canada in the bike. I could hear my friends and an RV for us. shouting to encourage me and the dog was keen to go, so I jumped back on You also started Canirun; what is it? and pedalled hard – I crossed the finish Canicross is a sport where you harness line still in first place but, to everyone’s the dog and attach it to a special belt amusement, my handlebars were worn low on the hips – then you just run, facing backwards and I hadn’t even cross country. noticed. Canirun is a club that I started with a friend and we meet weekly and run doi: 10.1136/vr.h5767

Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on August 29, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com

Ten-minute chat Bethan Fitzgerald Veterinary Record 2015 177: ii

doi: 10.1136/vr.h5767 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/17/ii

These include:

Email alerting service

Topic Collections

Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.

Articles on similar topics can be found in the following collections Ten Minute chats (132)

Notes

To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/

Ten-minute chat.

Ten-minute chat. - PDF Download Free
1MB Sizes 2 Downloads 3 Views