The third running of the White Oak Sled Dog Classic was completed over the weekend.

The 8-dog pro race finished in Northome with teams coming into the community starting at about 6 p.m. Saturday to a lit area and a bonfire.

Amanda Vogel, Ray, took seventh among 13 8-dog pro teams. She and the other teams started the race at Deer River earlier in the day. Temperatures hovered around 15 degrees above zero as she entered the start gate just after 12:30 p.m.

Vogel’s team consisted of a large number of puppies, a rarity in sled dog racing. Typically a few puppies are added to a team, she wrote to The Journal. She said her goal for the race was to expose the puppies to the race atmosphere, teach them how to race, and to give them a positive first experience at a race.

“The young dogs faced many challenges, including 18 road crossings, running along highways, crowds of people, vet checks, other teams, flocks of snowmobiles running the race trail, and all the excitement of a starting line, a checkpoint and a finish line,” she wrote, pointing out that the dogs were accustomed to the quiet and solitary trails near the Ray kennel before the race.

Prior to the race, she took the team out on 60-mile training runs and Vogel said she knew the dogs could perform physically. The race was instead a mental test for her team and she spent a lot of time changing the team’s lead dogs, she said. By doing so, it gave the puppies a chance to prove themselves as confident lead dogs, she said. With the help of her 9-year-old leader “Buz,” shy puppy “Ernie” proved to be an “amazing and confident leader on the trail” Vogel said, adding that it was “fun to watch him develop even within the distance of the race.”

“With this experience, I have learned as much about each individual dog as they did about racing,” Vogel wrote. “Most importantly, all the dogs finished strong with puppy smiles and wagging tails...mission accomplished!”

Rebekah Chapman, of Angora, took first place in the 8-dog pro race while Matt Rossi, of Herbster, Wisc., won the 10-dog pro race. Troy Groeneveld, of Two Harbors, took first in the trophy class race and Jason Jones, of Walker, took first in the recreational class.

Kallie Kantos-Fritz, International Falls, took photos during the race. As each team pulled up to the start line, the MC announced each team, where they were from and then told the team it had 30 seconds to prepare, Kantos-Fritz said. The last 10 seconds were counted down over the loud speaker and then the onlookers cheered on each team as they ran out of the starting chute, up the hill and onto the race trail, she said.

“When we arrived in Deer River, the sound of dogs talking and yipping was unlike anything we had ever heard. There was excitement in their voices and they were ready to work,” Kantos-Fritz wrote to The Journal. “As we watched each team pull up to the starting gate, you could see the dog’s excitement, they were jumping and talking.”

Don Lukenbill, Northome, said the finish in Northome went well.

“We had quite a crowd,” he said.

Many of the 10-dog pro teams took their mandatory 6-hour layover in Northome, he reported. Sounding sleepy this morning, Lukenbill said he and other volunteers used four-wheel all-terrain vehicles until 2:45 Sunday morning to escort the 10-dog teams out of town and back onto the trail.

“It’s not something I would want to do every day, but it sure was fun” Lukenbill said this morning.

Sled dog rides were offered from about noon until 3:30 p.m. Saturday, he said.

Many of the teams have competed in the event each year and say they enjoy it. “They say it’s a really nice set-up,” he said. “Many said they’re coming back next year.”

And already, members of the community say they’re thinking about how to improve the event for next year, he said. “Nothing big, but I think we’ll make some changes next year,” he said.

Northland Progressive, a community enhancement and economic development organization, sponsored the 8-dog pro race. Nine area businesses and several charitable groups contributed to the $600 purse in the 8-dog pro competition.