Sled dog racing is one of North America’s oldest winter sports originating out of necessity from native cultures, such as the Inuit. People depended on teams of sled dogs for faithful companionship, assistance in hunting and as a sole means of transportation during the long winter months.  

In 1908, the first formal racing event, the “All Alaskan Sweepstakes”, was run from Nome, Alaska to Candle, Alaska and back. In January 1925, Nome again became the site of another historic race due to a Diphtheria outbreak. In efforts to avoid an epidemic due to an inadequate supply of antitoxin 22 native Alaskans and mail teams forged through the rough interior of Alaska across the frozen Bering Sea to deliver the serum.  Sled dogs are athletes Arctic breeds such as Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds and Siberian Huskies are frequently used in sled dog racing. Other breeds and crossbreeds are common, such as the Alaskan Husky, a type of dog developed based on athletic ability, and the Eurohound, which is a mix of German Shorthaired Pointer, English Pointer and even Greyhound. 

The dogs of today’s racing teams are true athletes and share an incredible bond with their driver. Most dogs range in size from 40 to 60 pounds and are kept at an optimal, healthy weight. Drivers favor dogs that are even-tempered, gentle and able to stand the pressures of a rigorous training and schedule.  A sled dog may put in hundreds of miles in a training season and will be transported in vehicles to races for many thousands of miles over the course of a three-month period. The dogs, and mushers, relish their active lifestyle!

Bill Raabe, of Battle Creek, Michigan, along with a handful of fellow drivers, scheduled a meeting at Bill’s house for interested drivers to discuss an amateur club of mushers. Notices of the meeting were distributed, and over 30 people from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana attended the first meeting. The group decided to form an amateur sled dog club, which has come to be known as Mid-Union Sled Haulers. The club’s first President and chief organizer Vic Rowell, Vice President Bill Raabe, Treasure Lillian Bowan and Secretary Matt Woudenberg were elected in August 1980.

Interest in long distance racing had declined as focus on sprint racing emerged. During the winter of 1980, M.U.S.H. plunged into its first race season with the first race hosted at Johnson Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the years that followed, races 

have been held throughout Michigan. Sponsors include pet food companies, local and state parks and civic organizations.

Membership has grown to nearly 200 with the majority of that number representing family memberships. Most MUSH members are located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Minnesota. All races and training sessions are held in various locations throughout the State of Michigan.

Several of the club’s members participate in local parades, sled dog exhibitions and demonstrations throughout Michigan, helping to educate the community about this exciting sport and the canine athletes who make it happen.

The most easily-identifiable form of the sport is regular dog sledding. “Mushing”, as it’s termed, requires a team of well-behaved, social athletes who relish performing with like-minded canines. Anywhere from two to 16 dogs, or more, generally comprise most teams. Why do the dogs run and pull? Because they love it!

This sport can also be traced back to early Alaskan history, when dogs were used to haul freight, mail and other heavy loads in the Last Frontier. Similar to the team racing, as teams met in local villages friendly rivalries developed into challenges to determine the best pulling dog.  MidUnion Sled Haulers is currently not offering this sport. 

Originating on the other side of the world, where skis and pulks had developed as a common method of travel across the frozen landscapes of Scandinavia, skijoring is another popular dog-powered sport available at M.U.S.H. events. The desire to test dogs’ abilities against others led to impromptu competitions

The 100-yard dash is a race specifically for our up-and-coming generation of mushers. This is a supervised race, with a length of 100-yards, designed to bolster the confidence of our young members and provide them with real-life experience on a race trail. These kids are the future of our sport!

Spectators are welcome at all MUSH events. To help ensure you have a positive experience we suggest the following guidelines: 

• do not bring your pets to the race 

• dress warm 

• ask questions and take pictures 

• keep small children in hand to avoid any accident that is neither the fault of the dog nor the child 

• ALWAYS get permission before approaching or petting the dogs. (These dogs can get really excited at these events because they LOVE to run and may not be thinking about you) 

• ask a driver for instructions first before trying to help 

• remain in the designated spectator areas during the start and finish of the race for the safety of you and the dog teams

 • do not stand or block the trail when a team is approaching  

• do not ask a driver questions while they are busy preparing for a race. They will be more than happy to answer your questions when they are done 

• please don’t feed the dogs – they are on special diets 

Attend an event near you! Find our current membership chairperson, and schedule of events, at midunionsledhaulers.com. See you on the trail!

Request to join Mid Union Sled Haulers member Facebook GROUP.    Request here. 

For current race information:   click here

You also can call our "cold" line at:

517-554-8465