Birthday dogs

Happy birtday to all the puppies from G-litter who became one year old yesterday and to all puppies from E-litter who celebrate their third birthday today!

 

We hope you are all feeling great!

 

 

Polardistance 160km 2013

He did it again
At 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning Håkan and eight of our dogs left Särna to go 160km sledging.After having gone 75km they arrived at the first checkpoint, Djursvallen at 16.24. The dogs were very fit so Håkan just passed through the checkpoint without any stop. The next stage was 41km and next checkpoint was Lövåsvallen were the team arrived at 20.21. Here the team had to stay untli 20.59 to even the time.

At 20.59 the team left heading for the finish having 44km left to go, and early this morning at 02.05 they finished as winners of Polardistance 160 nome style B class 4-8 dogs. This was the second time that Håkan and our dogs won the Polardistance but last time he went only with four dog,s 300km and by ski, nordic style.

If you like to see photos and read about Polardistance you can check out their website at http://www.polardistans.com

Ryssjön open 23-24 february 2013

Håkan had signed up, with a twelve team to attend Amundsen race, but unfortunately training conditions were very bad in 2013 so the dogs were not trained for the distance 300km. Instead we went early on Saturday morning to Ryssjön to attend Ryssjön open. I would go sleging with a six team 15km (Arija, Corona, Bielka, Appa, Ergo and Corall). My hope was to clear merits of DP20 + for Appa and Bielka and of course to perform a good result in the race. Lars and Lotta also came and Lars would participate in DP20 + sledding with Lexi (Bielkersmils Ejla of Pepper) and Leika (Bielkersmils Fiery Etna of Nallo).

Saturday offered a very loose track and the temperature was around five degrees Celsius, too hot for Samoyeds. Happily, I had no clutter, just the usual about 8 poop stops and soon I caught up Christer Johansson 2 minutes and Fredrik Petri 4 minutes. My team trotted on with decent speed and when I turned around after a few hundred meters of driving, I was very surprised that none of the teams that I had passed was in sight. After the first stage of 15km it turned out that I was leading with about 7 minutes.

On the night of Sunday, it was cold and I was looking forward to harder tracks and with luck, even lower daytime temperatures.
A bit of sun and a few degrees below freezing on startup. My dogs were clearly more eager to run and their pace was acceptable the first few kilometers. Then Arija didn't want to go any further. She went in points with Corona and lost focus completely after a few kilometers and soon both Christer Johansson and Fredrik Petri caught up with me. They passed and then Arija had little more desire to run. We were just behind the two team that had passed us and I realized that if we could just keep us there I would win because our time from yesterday was so good. The track made a bend of ninety degrees to the left and Arija, who is normally quite sure of right and left, got the idea to lead the team to the right, straight into the deep snow. The rest of the team ran over the point dogs and ropes became a jam. I had to loosen both tuglines and neck lines in order to straighten it out while I in the corner of my eye saw my competitors disappear among the trees. In the end, I had sorted the mess out and we were on our way again. I could still catch a glimpse of the other two teams a few hundred yards ahead of us and realized that the race was not yet over. With excited shouts, I tried to get my dogs to increase the pace. I looked at the clock, it had been an hour since the start and could not be far from the finish. Then Arija suddenly, in the middle of a gallop, sat down. The entire team ran over the point dogs again and the lines were a mess. Arija had great limps of snow in one of the hind feet, I bit them loose, sorted out the lines and off we were. Full speed for about 1km, but then suddenly another stop. Arija had snow in the other hind paw, the lines were a mess again, I bit off the snow and then a last effort to the finish line. After all the mess we had, I had given up all thoughts of podium place so when Håkan, at the finish line, met me and happily said: "You beat them," I could not believe it was true.

Award cermony. Number one Christina N, number two Fredrik Petri, number three Christer Johansson, number four Eva Skullman

On Saturday, Håkan  went nordic style with Etna (DP10), the last test for her to be S (Polar) Ch.
It's always nervous with the test 10, I think. Will the dog run 10km alone when it is used to run along with at least 3 other Samoyeds?

Etna did not seem to have too much desire to run, but she trotted on as the start had gone. A few hundred meters from the start, strategically placed to take photos from dogs in full speed, was a photographer a few feet away from the track. Etna seemed to be totally convinced that photographer lay there and just waited for her to come and kiss. Said and done, out in powder snow with the pulka, it took a few minutes before Håkan had his the dog and the pulka back on the track again. Then they disappeared from sight, and now I could only keep my fingers crossed and wait.
After 47minutes and 15 seconds the waiting was over and Etna had made the tests to be a S(Polar)Ch.

Håkan and Etna

 On Sunday, it was Delta's turn to show what she can do, she also had only one test left to get her S (Polar) Ch. Delta needed  Håkan to persuade her.

Håkan and Delta

  -Is it really sure that I need to do this this? she seemed to ask when she repeatedly tried to turn back on the start straight. Håkan was more stubborn than Delta and once she had realized it, she worked on really well and they finished in time 46min 13 s.

Something that made us almost even happier was that Lars, Lexi (Bielkersmils Ejla of Pepper) and Leika (Bielkersmils Fiery Etna of Nallo) also passed the merits. Extra funny because it was their first qualification ever. Congratulations to you!

Lars, Leika and Lexi

Unofficial Nordic championships in Furudal 8-13/2-13

Arrived home on Wedesday night after a nice week in Furudal. Madde and Gustaf, the owners of Bielkersmils Frej of Nallo, joined us Thursday-Sunday and we had a very nice time. 

On Friday there was a show and Frej was Best in breed junior and was awarded excellent. Congrats to Madde, Gustaf and Frej!

Bielkersmils Frej of Nallo

Lars Jämtsved also came with Bielkersmils Hero of Ergo and participated in the show. Hero was Best in breed puppy and awarded excellent. 

Bielkersmils Hero of Ergo

Our Bielkersmils Deimos of Ilya and Bielkersmils Etna of Pepper also participated in the show. Both dogs were excellent, Deimos was third best working male.

Bielkersmils Deimos of Ilya

On Saturday and Sunday there was a two-day competition. Gustaf Hammarkrantz participated in the six-team sledge 10km with Frej, Bielkersmils Birk of Kartman, Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper, Bielkersmils Bielka of Kartman, Bielkersmils Avatara of Kartman and Bielkersmils Corall of Allsvinn. They finished as number three and Frej had his first award as a working dog. Well done Gustaf and all six dogs! 

Gustaf and the six team

Bielkersmils Birk of Kartman and Bielkersmils Avatara of Kartman both had their last award to become S(polar) Champions during the weekend.

Bielkersmils Birk of Kartman

I participated in the four-team sledge with Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn, Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman, Bielkersmils Deimos of Ilya and Bielkersmils Etna of Pepper  and ended up as number two.

Christina and the four team, photo:Ole Jensen

On Tuesday and Wednesday there was a two day competition 2x30km with sledge in which Håkan participated with:Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn, Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman, Bielkersmils Deimos of Ilya, Bielkersmils Etna of Pepper, Bielkersmils Birk of Kartman, Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper, Bielkersmils Bielka of Kartman, and Bielkersmils Corall of Allsvinn. The team ended up as winners.

Håkan and the eight team

Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn was awarded the Samoyed dog of year 2012 for her results in racing and shows and Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper was number two. 

Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn Samoyed of year 2012

Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper

Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman was awarded the Working samoyed dog of 2013 for her results in racing and the following five dogs all were dogs from Bielkersmils kennel.  

Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman Working samoyed of year 2012

We were especially happy that Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman was awarded Working Samoyed of 2012 since we believe she is the most successful working Samoyed in long distance. She went mostly alone in the lead as Håkan participated and completed Femundrace 400km(248,6miles) in year 2010 and in the lead a couple of weeks later as Håkan won the Polardistance 300km(186,4miles) Nordic style against Alaskan Malamutes, Greenland dogs and Siberian Huskies. She was in the lead for about 1800km ( 1118miles) as Håkan and I went for our expedition from Särna to Treriksröset and as Håkan and a sledge team finished a 32km (18,64miles) race in less than 2 hours (which is probably the shortest time for a Samoyed team ever in this distance).  

Samoyed dog of 2012 (for best results in show and racing):

Placement 1: Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn

Placement 2: Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper

Working Samoyed of 2012 (for best racing results):

Placement 1: Bielkersmils Artemisia of Kartman

Placement 2: Bielkersmils Deimos of Ilya

Placement 3: Bielkersmils Corona of Allsvinn

Placement 4: Bielkersmils Delta of Ilya

Placement 5: Bielkersmils Ergo of Pepper

Placement 6. Bielkersmils Corall of Allsvinn

Håkan with Bielkersmils Chinook of Allsvinn test 10km –approved.

Håkan with Bielkersmils Birk of Kartman test 10km – approved. (this was the last test for Birk to be a S(Polar)Champion).

Vildmarksrace 19-20 january 2013

Two weeks ago Håkan participated in the Vildmarksrace 2X60km with twelve of our dogs. He was quite satisfied with the dogs since even though there were five females in heat in the team, the dogs worked well. Now we are hoping for the weather to be cooler and for some more snow. This weekend we will go to Lekvattnet for some tests and races and in the following weekend we will go to Furudal for the annual samoyed meeting to participate in the show, some tests and one race.

I believe the dogs were more interested in the photographer than passing the finish line

Håkan is taking care of the dogs

Arriving to checkpoint

Delta liked the straw

Bielka at checkpoint

All team resting at checkpoint

Busy time on the kennel

Now all puppies sold. Hero has moved to Lotta, Lars and the samoyedgirls Lexi and Leika where we think he will thrive just fine.
During All Saints and the days before we had a visit from France. Jerome his wife Caroline, their daughter Clelia and their samoyed dogs and the weekend before Beat and his father from Schweiz were here and picked up Flinka. We trained the dogs and went for a long trip which we ended by a lake where we grilled some sausages.
Two weeks ago we had a puppy meeting. Unfortunately, only Lotta and Lars could come. We had a very nice time and went training with the dogs with both kickbike, ATV and our threewheeled bike both long and shor distances. On Saturday, we went for a long ride of about 45km with the the dogs. We stopped and grilled before Håkan took over the dogs and drove home while Lotta, Lars and I took our cars.

Many thanks to all visitors for the great company!

Hero has moved to Lotta and Lars

Izor and his new family

Beat and our twelve team

Beat and his father Herrmann

Jerome and the twelve team

Jerome, Caroline, Clelia and six of our dogs

Jerome had his birthday and was offered some birthday cake

Caroline and Clelia

Family Bruneau

We visited Utpostens Cafe

Caroline is trying to spin some yarn out of dogs wool

Lras, Lexi and Leika

Lars and the twelve team

Lotta and the twelve team

Christina on kickbike with Spira and Delta

Famous Etna, called Etna (from F-litter) who visited us together with her owner Beat

Grilling

Leika from F-litter

Lexi from E-litter