Keeping yourself and your dog fit
Clare Ainsworth discovers the cross-country sport which keeps both her and her pet Nell in shape
THE special bond between man and dog is taken to a whole new level in a pastime which is soaring in popularity in the UK.
Canicross is the sport of crosscountry running with dogs, and the hardest and hilliest course in the UK is right here in Plymouth.
Champion competitors from all over the UK descend on Newnham Park in Plympton to join local racers and their dogs at Devon Howlers’ annual Newnham Bark race season.
As well as straightforward canicross, there are races where humans can ride a mountain bike or threewheeled rig, as long as they are jointly powered by one or more dogs. These events are known as bikejor, scooter or rig races.
Canicross was imported to the UK from Europe, where most competitions are held on mountainous courses.
Newnham is said to be the only course in the UK which comes anywhere near challenging them – and that makes the Newnham Bark series hugely popular with the UK’s elite canicrossers, who complete the course at break-neck speeds with the help of their eager dogs.
Devon Howlers was formed three years ago as canicross, bike and rig racing started growing in popularity in Plymouth and, because it can be held in a Covid-safe way, this year’s series has been able to go ahead.
Peter Howse and his wife Mandy are the driving force behind Devon Howlers, putting in huge amounts of time to organise the events with a small team of volunteers.
Peter got involved after using his love of mountain biking as a way to exercise his dog. He said: “My German Shepherd, Kona, pulled like a train, so I started teaching her voice commands and, as I was into mountain bikes, I started bikejoring with her when she was 18 months old.
“Then I discovered this was actually a sport that had been popular in Europe for some time and I went along to my first event.”
Peter explained how the Newn
‘It’s the perfect training ground for them as no other course has the same amount of climb as Newnham’
ham Bark event had become popular with competitors from across the UK. He added: “It’s a really relaxed and friendly event and we get a lot of local racers who want to have a go with their dogs, but we also get a lot of pedigree racers who have described it as the hilliest and hardest but the best course in the UK. It’s the perfect training ground for them as no other course has the same amount of climb as Newnham.”
The first event of this season saw the highest number of competitors yet, while numbers are strictly limited. They included several taking part in the ‘have a go’ section for novice racers.
The next event in the Newnham Bark series is due to take place on October 24-25. Entry details will be on the Newnham Bark Facebook page.
Further events are planned for November, January and March, Covid-19 permitting. The series has a number of sponsors for its bespoke eco-friendly wooden medals, made from trees from the Newnham Estate.
The October event is sponsored by Lucy D photography, who took the stunning pictures on these pages.
The other sponsors are www.K9trailtime.com, Nordikiota, Paws at the Junction and Skye’s Raw Food Pantry.
Competitors will need to wear face masks when signing in and must scan in on the NHS track and trace app.