Get to Know Your
2016 ASSA Committee
President – Darren Scragg
Location: Barossa Valley S.A.
Team Name: Northern Forest Siberian Huskies
Dogs: Siberian Huskies
2016 will be my 22nd year of racing and we have a small kennel of racing Siberians where we compete
with the SASDC and Wild Dog Clubs in South Australia. Subject to work commitments, we also try to
go to 2 – 4 interstate races per year. I love getting out of the office into the great outdoors and seeing
the dogs to work as a cohesive team (most of the time)!! I really would like to see the sport grow and
reach some of the competitor numbers it achieved in the late 90s and early 00s.
Vice President – David Dyer
Location: Perth Hills, Western Australia
Team Name: Top Shelf
Dogs: 1x Siberian, 1x Alaskan, 1x Border Collie X (Who knows what), 3x Euro Hound
Comments: After 13 years the two things I still get best kick out of in this sport are: 1. Nothing
better than going for an early morning run on a new track that neither myself or the dogs
have been on before, living in the Hills I am lucky enough to get a lot of opportunity to do this
and; 2. Traveling all over the country to new races , it is great to see how others enjoy the
sport.
Treasurer – Todd McGuire
Location: Queensland
I first got involved with dog sledding and NEGRC in 2010 after getting my first Alaskan Malamute pup
in 2009. In early 2010 I met Maranda and she was already a member of NEGRC, running her Border
Collies, so I joined the club and was keen to help out while waiting for the right time to get another
dog. In 2011 a number of older members had moved on and NEGRC was on the verge of finishing up,
so I decided to put up my hand for a general committee member role to help. Fortunately the club
had enough support to keep going and some new people taking on committee roles, and I somehow
got the treasurer role. A couple months later I added the Secretary role as well when the previous
Secretary resigned, and I continued in this role for the next four years.
NEGRC being a smaller club, the Secretary role allowed me to be involved in all aspects of club,
including organising and running races, timing, track set up, etc. In 2010 Maranda and I drove down
to the AMCV Snow weekend with her two Border Collies to see how they would go, and have been
down every year since for the two snow races, making it our annual holiday
Get to Know Your
2016 ASSA Committee
Secretary – Michelle Matthews
Location: Canning Vale, Western Australia
Team Name: Hollenhunde
Dogs: 4 GSP's
I have been involved in Sledding since 2008 and on the committee of WASSA in different positions
from 2009 -2014. I am also a Life Member of the GSP Club of WA and a Registered Breeder with Dogs
West. I have competed in many dog sports over the years - Retrieving, Field Trials, Agility/Jumping and
Obedience and find Sledding is certainly the most enjoyable and family friendly. Watching my
daughter and all the other WASSA juniors come up through the classes and see their experience and
confidence grow has been very rewarding. My current team consists of 3 Home bred Gsp's and I
couldn't be prouder of them.
ACT Representative – Vacant (Michael Looney from NSW until ACT appointed)
Queensland State Representative – Claire Batchelor
Team Name: Wintareign Kennels
Dogs: Siberian Huskies
I have been a member of NEGRC and participated in sled dog racing for 6 years and currently have 7
Siberian Huskies. My partner Ryan and my two kids Aurora and Tiaan travel all over Australia each
year to participate in as many sled dog events as we can. In 2015, we raced at the ASSA National
Championships in Victoria, the Siberian Husky Club of NSW pointscore races, Falls Creek and Dinner
Plain Snow Races, Canberra Classic and NEGRC Northern Challenge for 3 dog and 1 dog classes. My
daughters also compete in canicross and peewee classes. My greatest passion is to see this sport grow
for our peewees and juniors.
Get to Know Your
2016 ASSA Committee
NSW State Representative – Michael Looney
Location: Wollongong NSW
Dogs: 2 x Alaskans, 2 x Siberian Huskies
Kennel Name: No kennel yet.
Since 2012, I have been competing predominantly in 1 and 2 dog classes for dryland, and when
possible, snow races. Some of my favourite races in recent times have been the 2015 NVSDC Classic/
ASSA Nationals. I am keen to see more development and progress towards sledding, bikejor, and
canicross events in the coming years to ensure a growing community for these dog powered sports in
Australia.
S.A. State Representative – Craig Heard
Location: Two Wells S.A.
Team Name: Bordalaska
I’ve been involved in Sled Dog racing since 1998. My first sled dog race was in NSW at Wingello running
two Alaskan Malamutes. For the first two years I raced in NSW and Canberra . In 2000 I moved to
South Australia with my wife (Joanne) and all the dogs. For most of my years racing I have run Alaskan
Malamutes but I have also raced Border Collies and recently Pointers. With my son’s interest in the
sport and his first full season about to start I would like to contribute to the further growth of the
sport and the ASSA State Rep role will allow me to do this.
Tasmania State Representative – Prue De Vries
Dogs: Siberian Huskies x 18
Team Name: Team Huskylicious
We have been involved in the sport of dog sledding since 2012, during this time we have progressively
built our kennel up with rescued and rehomed Siberian Huskies. With not having any official races
currently being held in Tasmania, we have for the past two years travelled to the mainland to compete
in both dryland and snow races. In the winter of 2015 we travelled for three months with sixteen of
our dogs across Victoria and into South Australia and took part in as many races as we could. We
compete where possible in 1 dog, 2 dog, 3 dog, 4 dog, and 6 dog sprint classes and are happiest when
in the middle of nowhere with our dogs. It is now our goal to see the sport of dog sledding firmly
established in Tasmania.
Get to Know Your
2016 ASSA Committee
Victorian State Representative – Steve Cartwright
Location: Invergordon.
Kennel Name: Malpitzky Kennels
Dogs: Alaskan Malamutes (5), Siberian Huskies (4), Alaskan Huskies (2).
I started in the sport when we got our first Alaskan Malamute in 2008. We got him because we were
interested in the sport and wanted to have a go at it after ten years of research. Our love for the
sport and the dogs grew from there, as we built our team, then the kids decided that they wanted
dogs of their own to race. After that we began rescuing and rehoming Arctic breeds, and then we
became founding members with a small group of friends of the Northern Victorian Sled Dog Club. Our
love of the sport and the animals really has simply grown from that.
Victorian State Representative – Sophia Dalidakis
Location: Melbourne
Kennel Name: Snofall
Dogs: Siberian Husky – currently 2
While I was exposed to racing early on when I got my first Siberian over 15 years ago from Annie
Jackson at Norstarr Siberians, it wasn’t until I had added my second one that I decided to have a real
go – and the rest as they say, is history!
13 years later, I’ve gone from running that one dog, to running 4 & 6 dog teams, mostly made up of
dogs I have bred myself. I have a long history of working on both the Siberian Husky Club of Victoria
& ASSA committee’s and I look forward to representing the members of Victoria on the current ASSA
committee.
Western Australia State Representative – Vanessa Joy
Location: Waikiki, Western Australia
Team Name: Crazy Daisy
Dogs: 2x Greyhounds and 2x Greyhound crosses
This is my third year in the sport of dry land sledding. All four of my hounds are rescues but only my
greyhound crosses do sledding, the purebreds can do canicross. This season I will run Daisy, who is
almost 2 years old, in 1 dog open class and her niece, Lily, in puppy class. Last season Daisy and I went
to nationals in South Australia and ran in Novice class, which was a great experience; we stayed in
Novice for all of 2014 in WA. My favourite part of sledding is being able to work with your dog in a
natural environment and trusting them to get you through the tracks safely. I am also a little addicted
to speed after my first year in the sport!
Get to Know Your
2016 ASSA Committee
Western Australia State Representative – Alex Watkins
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Team Name: Naughty Dog
Dogs: 2x Siberian Huskies
I Have been in the sport for 2 years. Had the opportunity to travel and race in Victoria and South
Australia last year running in the 1 dog class. Currently Vice President of WASSA.