The mention of the Jamaica Bobsled Team brings back memories of the winsome foursome who slid their way into everyone’s hearts during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Many have enjoyed Cool Runnings, the 1993 Disney movie loosely based on the Jamaica Bobsled Team’s debut.
But now Jamaica is competing in another sport that, according to its founder, they shouldn’t even be entered in: dogsled racing. Already the team’s mushers (sled dog racers) have achieved some pretty impressive successes.
History of the Jamaica Dogsled Team
In 2005 Danny Melville, owner of Jamaica’s Chukka Caribbean Adventures, was shopping for dune buggies in Edmonton, Alberta, when he spotted a dryland cart for training sled dogs. Intrigued, he contacted Alan Stewart, the Scottish sled dog trainer who was having the cart made. In July of that year Chukka Cove manager Devon Anderson trained with Stewart at the Cairngorm Adventure Center in Scotland, and the Jamaica Dogsled Team was born.
“I could have called it the Jamaica Sled Dog Team, but why?” Melville said. “The Bobsled team captured the hearts of people the world over; it was a natural to call it Dogsled.”
The Team Starts Dog Sledding
With the help of Stewart and Minnesotan Rick Johnson, the staff at Chukka Cove began training dogs rescued from the street or through the Jamaican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) In 2006 Devon Anderson began competing in dryland races, using a team provided by Ken and Donna Davis of Elfstone Kennels in Twig, Minnesota.
Damion Robb joined the team in 2007 and concentrates on sprint racing, working with Ken Davis, a competitive musher from Twig, Minnesota. He has competed in numerous sled dog races in North America. In February of 2010, he took first place in the four-dog race at the Cannington Dog Sled Races and Winter Festival in Cannington, Ontario.
Newton Marshall and Distance Racing, Including the Iditarod
Oswald “Newton” Marshall also joined the team in 2007 and focuses on distance racing. Mentored by four-time Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt, Newton competed in the Percy De Wolfe Memorial Mail Race, the Sheep Mountain 150, and the Copper Basin 300.
In 2009, Newton competed in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks, Alaska, thought by many to be more difficult than the Iditarod. He finished 13th in the Yukon Quest and won the Challenge of the North Award for best exemplifying the spirit of the Yukon Quest. He encouraged the dog team (which was leased from Hans Gatt) by singing reggae music to them on the trail, and won the hearts of North Americans with his sense of humor and cheerful attitude.
In 2009 Marshall began training with three-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey. This year Marshall ran the prestigious Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Willow, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska, using a team from Mackey’s kennel, including the legendary lead dog, Larry. He finished the 1100-mile race in 47th place. More people have climbed Mount Everest than have finished the Iditarod, which is known as “The Last Great Race on Earth.”
The Future of the Jamaica Dogsled Team
The response to the Jamaica Dogsled Team has been unbelievable, Melville said. “Everywhere we go, we’re the crowd pleaser. The last thing one would expect to see is a sled dog team from Jamaica.”
Although the most obvious successes are completing the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, their less obvious successes are just as important, Melville said, such as giving young Jamaicans an opportunity to see the world, rescuing dogs, supporting the Jamaican SPCA and promoting the ethical and humane treatment of animals in Jamaica. The team also showcases the Jamaican “can do” spirit and promotes Jamaican tourism, Melville said.
The Jamaica Dogsled Team is supported by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, WestJet Airlines and Yukon Harley-Davidson.
For information on two other interesting Iditarod Rookies see Two 2010 Iditarod Rookies to Watch.
Join the Conversation