WNYers head to sled dog championships

SINCLAIREVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - A couple from the southern tier is embarking on the journey of a lifetime.

Jay and Sherla Olmstead's pets may not look like the typical sled dogs, but they can really mush, pulling a person on a sled one mile in just three minutes.

Jay said, "Because they got more speed and they're fun to be around. I've had the Siberians, but these ones here, you can let them loose when they're done and they stay around because they got the pointer in them and that's what everybody's using."

The Olmsteads' dogs are part German Shorthair and English pointer. The couple from Sinclaireville have put together this four-dog team that is ranked number one in the United States and is heading to Alaska for the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports World Championship in a few weeks.

"Teams from all around the world are going to be there," Jay said. "Hopefully [we will do well], but it's hard to tell until we get up there and run the dogs"

These dogs are capable of running up to 20 miles an hour for 15 minutes at a time.

Jay said, "But you know we don;t try to do that every run, we try to save that for the races."

The Olmsteads began training in the fall by having the dogs pull an ATV, and when the snow comes, the Cherry Creek Snowmobile Club allows them to use a well-groomed trail.

Sherla said, "It's been a pleasure sharing this trail with them. We don't feel that we would ever want to do any kind of sport activity other than sled dogging because we love the dogs like our children. We have no children ourselves, so the dogs are our children."

For more information about the team and learn how you can help, follow this link.