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ABOUT US
The Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club (RMSDC) promotes the art and joy of mushing through racing events and camaraderie. We host sprint races ranging from four to fifteen miles in length as well as fun runs. There are two participation levels- seasoned mushers and newer recreational mushers. We also have youth races for those under 14 years old. Depending on the season, events include bikejor, canicross, rigs, skijoring, fat bike bikjor, and sleds. Sledding uses 2, 4, 6, 8 or more dogs and the length of the race is usually equal to the number of dogs used. For instance 4 dog teams run 4 miles and 8 dog teams run 8 miles. Skijorers usually race for 4 miles with one dog and 6 miles when using 2 dogs.
So how do you get started? Explore our website for race schedules, fun runs, and come to an event to talk to the mushers. We have members with over 25 years of experience who love to talk about their dogs and help beginners.
2023-2024
executive board
President-
Lynn Whipple (Montrose, CO)
Job Description: Oversees club operations.
Lynn has been training sled dogs for almost 40 years! She started with 3 malamute/husky dogs with a mushing club in Flagstaff, AZ in the mid 80s. She started racing in Colorado in the late 1990’s and made the move to Montrose in 2005. She has been on the board of RMSDC since and was president from 2009-2011 and has been president of the club again since 2022. She races the Xena Sled Dogs and has been awarded Musher of the Year 7 times since 2007. She has seen sled dog sports evolve dramatically since the early 2000s and is very passionate about the positives of dog sports whether your focus is recreational or competitive- it is a lot of fun and a win-win for you and your dogs.
Vice President-
Leslie Fields (Fairplay, CO)
Job Description: In the absence of the president, assumes the office.
Once upon a time there was a little girl that read all of Jack London's books. After that, all she wanted to do was have sled dogs. Her parents were not enthused and told her to wait until she grew up- thinking she would outgrow the infatuation. Flash forward 55 years, and she never outgrew her love for sled dogs. For over 40 years she has competed in sprint, mid distance, stage races, conformation, obedience, and agility. She feels like it it really important for registered nordic breeds to stay true to their working heritage. It is equally important for the mushing community to focus on educating and promoting premium dog care to the public.
Race Coordinator-
Brad Kassing (Flagstaff, AZ)
Job Description: Deals with venues, permits, and trail logistics.
Brad races bikejor, scooter, rig, skijor, 4/6 dog sled, and participates in many other adventure sports with his dogs. He will be representing Team USA in Spain this November at the IFSS Dryland World Championships.
Membership & Fundraising Director-
Gregg Dubit (Hesperus, CO)
Job Description: Promote the club and recruit new club members.
Gregg and his wife, Gretchen, are parents to Lydia and Hayden. They have owned and operated the Durango dog Ranch since 1996- offering sled dog adventures in Southwest, CO. It is a family operation and some days it feels like he handles more crap before sunrise and more than most people in their lifetime. In addition to living, working, and playing with dogs, he works in the solar industry. He has completed in multiple distance sled dog races but focuses on skijoring and sprint racing now.
Recording Secretary-
Laurie Brandt (Montrose, CO)
Job Description: Keeps minutes during monthly board meetings.
Laurie has been training & racing since 2011. She races skijor, bikejor, & scooterjoring on the Xena Racing Sled Dogs team with Lynn Whipple. Laurie competed in the 2015 Dryland World Championships in Bristol, Quebec & placed in the top 10 in the 2-dog scooter & top 20 in the 1-dog scooter & 1-dog bike. She has won the RMSDC Skijorer of the year award in 2014-2017 & 2020-2023. Laurie was a pro mountain bike racer in the 1990s and is a 3-time Master's National Cross Country Mountain Bike Champion for women 55-64; but finds the thrill of riding with dog power unparalleled. She is a professional geologist in Montrose to help support her passion with her dog companions.
Marketing Director-
Hanna Hurt (CO)
Job Description: Creates quarterly newsletters, event flyers, and markets races.
Hanna was bitten by the mushing bug during a season spent as a tour guide in 2013. What was intended to be a 5-month gig became a lifestyle she and her partner, Whiskey, share today. In subsequent years she has worked at several touring companies here in CO, Alaska, and Montana, however CO has always been the "home base" for her, Whiskey, and their 12 Alaskan huskies (and border collie cheerleader/part-time sled dog). Summers are spent packing mules for the USFS Paonia Ranger District and the rest of the year is dedicated to running and training dogs from her remote homestead in Gunnison National Forest.
Race Committee Director-
Whiskey Miller (CO)
Job Description: Pending
Whiskey began learning about sled dogs in 2009 at age 17 when he went to visit some friends at a touring kennel. He was instantly hooked and working there within the week. Over the next decade he worked at several touring kennels throughout the country. In 2013 he met his partner, Hanna, while mushing, and in 2019 after many years of having fun with other people's dogs they decided to expand their own pack. They have 12 Alaskans and 1 LGD who likes to act like a husky. They have spent the last few years enjoying the sprint race circuit in CO and look forward to branching into the mid distance circuit in the northwest.
Website Coordinator-
Jessica Wegner (Boulder, CO)
Job Description: Manages website operations.
Jessica has been taking part in dog powered sports since she was in middle school when she had to find a way to exercise her family’s GSPs. Since then, she has regularly competed in bikejoring, dabbled in skijor, and now competes in both 2 and 4 dog sled. It’s a family affair and her partner Aaron serves as the team’s manager, personal chef, and mechanic and their late dog Bernie is the team mascot.
Social Media Director-
Hannah Trullaz (Durango, CO)
Job Description: Posts content and club updates such as event schedules and race coverage on FB & IG.
Hannah is a vet tech assistant and an aspiring musher. She’s been in love with dogs her whole life, but grew up in Chicago and thought that mushing wasn’t an option for a city gal. Since moving out west for school, she’s worked for Dallas Seavey’s kennel in AK, and become an avid volunteer, both for the RMSDC and the Iditarod. So far, she’s adopted two herding dogs into her pack, with hopes for more wagging tails and slobber in the near future.
Treasurer-
Janet Saxon (CO)
Job Description: Prepares financial reports, reconciles bank accounts, and crunches numbers.
Janet has served on the RMSDC board for many years. Dogs have always been an important part of her life, and in order for her to bring three of her passions together- dogs, skiing, and mountain biking- she started skijoring and bikejoring with her sweet Alaskan in 2006. She now has 3 GSP mixes that make up her team and are her family. She is also involved with Mile High GSP rescue and two of her dogs are wonderful "foster failures." She traveled to Norway in the winter of 2011 with Team USA to compete in the IFSS World Championships and to Canada in 2015 to compete in the Dryland World Championships in bikejor and scooter.
Corresponding Secretary-
Sierra Hawksley (Telluride, CO)
Job Description: Keeps record of current members, handles correspondent, reports event schedules/results to outside organizations, & keeps club records organized.
Sierra is an applied canine ethologist who loves spending her days teaching dogs in a pack and nature-based setting. She began to include bikejoring into her program a few years ago and has since fallen in love with mushing. She has a pack of 5 misfit husky and shepherd mixes. On the side she volunteers on her local SAR team and is a wilderness EMT.