On the land of Sampo

The race is annual and contributes to the popularization and development of dog sled racing, as well as riding in Russia. The organizers declare the following goals of the competition:

• Promoting a healthy lifestyle .
• Identification of the strongest athletes.
• Confirmation of the working qualities of dogs.
• The development of interaction between sports and cynological organizations of the Russian Federation .
• The revival and preservation of the unique national culture and natural potential of the Russian North .

According to the organizers program, the middle distance race is held in several stages. The duration of the distance of one stage is 40 kilometers, the frequency is one stage per day. Stages can be up to three, the number of dogs in teams from six to twelve. In parallel, competitions in short-distance racing with the number of dogs from four to six, competitions in skijoring and amateur starts on teams are held. In the discipline "skijoring" there is a division into male and female classes, with at least three participants in each. Categories of dogs are divided into general and purebred. Competitions are held in accordance with the rules of the International Federation of Riding Sports (IFSS) and the World Association for thoroughbred riding sports (WSA), adapted for Russia. Monitoring compliance with the rules and making decisions is carried out by qualified international class judges. At all types of competitions, national and international animal rights are strictly observed . Animal welfare ”, in cases where the rights of animals are violated, the chief referee (or flight-marshal of the race) may disqualify the participant. All teams of the musher driving sleds give voice, dogs are forbidden to physically force to action ^[10] .

Competitions on teams "On the land of Sampo" are held in Russia in the Republic of Karelia on the territory of the Pryazhinsky national municipal region. The distance from the nearest large settlement - the capital of Karelia, the city of Petrozavodsk is 43 km along the federal highway M-18 " Kola " in the direction of St. Petersburg . The distance to St. Petersburg is 380 km. The race is a ring, so the start and finish of the race are located in one place - in the district center of the village of Pryazha in the territory of the sports complex. Marked according to international competition rules, the route passes to the village of Svyatozero and turns back to Yarn. Depending on weather conditions, the position of the track can change almost without changing the length and location of the start and finish ^[8] .

In 2014, the race was held in the city of Petrozavodsk and its environs. Starts and finishes of medium-distance teams, short-distance competitions and skijoring were carried out on the territory of the Kurgan ski-biathlon complex. According to the organizers, for the three days of the race, the event was attended by about 35 thousand spectators ^{[12] [13]} .

Geography and climate

The region in which the race is held is located in the north of Russia in the southern part of the Republic of Karelia in the immediate vicinity of its capital - the city of Petrozavodsk. The climate is mild continental with heavy rainfall. Winters are cold and snowy, but most often without severe frosts ^[14] . This climate and geographical location give Karelia advantages for winter sports and international competitions in comparison with other northern regions of Russia ^[15] .

Trails

The main requirement for tracks is safety for participants and dogs. They are wide enough for unhindered passage of teams. Highways do not cross roads at the same level as roads and railways ; in settlements at intersections with roads, traffic is blocked and reliably controlled. The start and finish corridors have sufficient width and length for the unhindered passage of two teams at once. The marking of the track is carried out in accordance with the international rules for marking racing tracks for dog teams. Directional signs and warning signs also comply with the accepted standard. The main track is prepared in the snowless season, cleared and leveled. According to the assessments of specialists, polar explorers and athletes present at the rally, the Sampo Land race tracks met the standards, were well prepared and were available to both participants and spectators ^{[1] [16] [17] [18] [19]} .

Security

Due to the international and extreme status of the competition, the large number of spectators and athletes, as well as the vast territory, the safety of the competitions is carried out by the Russian Emergencies Ministry , ambulance and veterinary personnel are on duty. The movement and parking of vehicles of competition participants and spectators is controlled by traffic police orders. Assistance in the conduct of the competition is carried out by volunteer volunteers , mostly students of secondary and higher educational institutions ^{[20] [21]} .

Race Name

In the Karelian-Finnish epos , Sampo is the only miracle object of its kind, possessing magical power, and is a source of happiness, prosperity and abundance (a kind of cornucopia ). Most often it is presented in the form of a mill, which gives flour, salt and gold in any quantities ^[22] .

In the first competitions in 2012, which lasted two days, four types of competitions were held, in which forty athletes and more than a hundred dogs took part ^[22] . The race aroused great interest, both among athletes and spectators. The race was widely discussed on the Internet, cynological organizations and in the regional media long before the first competition ^{[15] [23] [24]} . The race track is circular, so the start and finish are in one place - at the stadium of the village of Pryazha, which allowed spectators to participate in the festival, specially organized on this occasion by the municipal district administration. The holiday included an entertainment program, performances by national musical groups of the Pryazhinsky district and the Republic of Karelia, contests with prizes for the audience, free dog-sledding for children ^[2] . Famous travelers of Russia took part in the opening ceremony of the race: Fedor Konyukhov , Viktor Boyarsky , as well as representatives of the administration of the Republic of Karelia ^[25] .

Disciplines

• Skijoring - 1 dog (40 + 40 km)
• Sledding - 6 dogs (40 + 40 km)
• Sledding - 8 dogs (40 + 40 km)
• Amateur Starts (Happy Dog) at 15 km

Dogs

The dogs of the northern sledding breeds participate in the competition: Siberian huskies , Alaskan Malamutes , Samoyed dogs , Chukchi and Taimyr sledding dogs , Alaskan huskies. All dogs must have veterinary documents of the established sample, undergo mandatory veterinary control before start, for purebred races, the presence of microchips in dogs is necessary ^[10] .

On January 19-20, 2013, in the format of the race “Through the Sampo Land”, one of the stages of the World Cup in dog sled racing for middle distances was held. The competition was attended by participants from Russia, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States, and Finland. The competition was inspected by the executive director of the International Federation of Riding Sports (IFSS), Frenchman Bernard Pepin. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin ^{[9] [26]} sent a welcome letter to the race participants.

Competition Photo Gallery

• Iditarod
• Sled ride

• Official site of the RKF
• International Cynological Federation
• Official site of the Russian Federation of Riding Sports (RFES)