CAN-AM CROWN
INTERNATIONAL SLED DOG RACES
FORT KENT, MAINE
The Can-Am Crown Corporation establishes and promotes this series of popular, competitive sled dog races with emphasis on safety, animal welfare, good sportsmanship, and accessibility to the public.
Both musher and sled dog are athletes and require similar consideration. To protect the sport of dog sledding, we must be very sensitive to issues of human safety and animal welfare. We are committed to adopting and enforcing the highest standards in each of these areas so that the sled dog may always be allowed to fulfill its instinctive drive and know true contentment, and the driver may display discipline, personal responsibility, cooperation and leadership.
The following rules apply to all Can-Am Crown races.
Each driver agrees to hold Can-Am Crown, Inc., race sponsor(s) and other contributors (sponsors and contributors of the corporation as distinguished from the sponsors of the individual driver) harmless from any claim or demand based on any alleged action or inaction by the driver, his dogs, agents, or others acting in his/her behalf. The driver also agrees to release Can-Am Crown, Inc., sponsors and agents and employees from any claim or demand resulting from injury to the driver, his/her dogs, or his/her property.
Can-Am Crown, Inc. and the race sponsors shall have the free authority to photograph and otherwise collect information about the race and all participants therein and to use such photographs and information for advertising, public relations, brochures, posters, or other publicity. Drivers shall display sponsorship banner and/or bibs at the race start and finish as requested by Can-Am Crown.
Before participating in a Can-Am Crown race, each driver must agree to the foregoing by signing all documents required by the Corporation. Documents may be signed at the time of registration.
A musher must be at least 18 years old unless a waiver is obtained by applying to Can-Am Crown Corporation. Application must include years of experience and written consent from parent or guardian.
The Can-Am Crown Directors reserve the right to waive entry requirements if in their judgment an applicant is likely to finish the race in good standing. However, all applicants must be able and willing to adhere to the rules of the race. In no case will the limit on the number of entries be exceeded. Can-Am Crown reserves the right to accept or reject any entry and may honor the censures of another sled dog racing organization.
A driver with a pre-existing medical condition may be allowed to enter the race, provided that the condition is under control and does not prevent the driver from adhering to all of the race rules.
All dogs entered in the race shall have had DHLPP [distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus 2), leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus] vaccinations within the 36 months previous to the race and at least 21 days before the race.
Can-Am Crown recommends annual DHLPP vaccinations for racing sled dogs, but proof of 3-year vaccinations will be accepted. Owners and drivers agree to accept any risks that might be associated with a 3-year DHLPP vaccine.In accordance with current Maine law, three-year rabies vaccinations are now accepted.
All required vaccinations must be administered at least 21 days before the race. (In other words, all dogs must be vaccinated against rabies and DHLPP before February 10, 2018.)
Bordetella and Coronavirus immunizations are recommended. Owners should consult with a veterinarian for proper timing of these vaccinations.
Most DHLPP vaccines provide protection from leptospirosis serovars (strains) L. canicola and L. icterohaemorrhagiae. Infection by two other serovars, L. grippotyphosa and L. pomona, is becoming more common. Can-Am Crown strongly recommends annual vaccination against all four leptospirosis serovars.
Receipt of all of the following items will confirm that the musher intends to enter the race and agrees to comply with all race rules.
Can-Am Crown will begin to accept applications after the 2018 entry forms have been posted on the internet (no sooner than November 1, 2017).
Upon proof of qualification (if required) and receipt of all required payments and documents, Can-Am Crown will accept valid, fully completed applications.
Bib numbers will be assigned by the following method:
A random drawing of bib numbers will take place on Sunday, November 19 at a meeting of Can-Am Crown Board members. All applications received and accepted before that date will be included in the drawing. If, for example, there are 20 applicants at that time, then bib numbers 1 through 20 will be randomly assigned to those applicants. If there are more than 30 applicants for a race, then numbers drawn that are greater than 30 will be put on the waiting list in the order drawn. Applications received and accepted after November 19 will be assigned the lowest remaining bib numbers in the order that the applications are received and validated.
If a race has a full complement of thirty confirmed entries, then additional applicants may request to be put on a waiting list. Those on the waiting list are required to provide the same payment, documents, and proofs of qualification as the confirmed entries. However, checks will not be cashed and credit cards will not be charged until the applicant becomes a confirmed entry.
If a confirmed entry withdraws, then the first driver on the waiting list will immediately be confirmed as bib number 30, and his/her check will be cashed or credit card will be charged.
There is no charge for withdrawal from the waiting list, but a driver withdrawing from the confirmed list will be subject to the refund schedule (see individual race rules). It is the responsibility of the driver to inform Can-Am Crown immediately if he/she wishes to withdraw from the waiting list or the confirmed list.
Substitute drivers must be previously named as alternates on the original driver's entry form or by official notification to Can-Am Crown at least 30 days before the race. This will ensure that Can-Am Crown has time to assess the qualifications of possible substitutes. If an alternate, or alternates, are not named on the musher's entry form or at least 30 days before the race, then a substitute might not be allowed. However, the Race Marshall shall have the authority to allow a qualifying substitute until one hour before the race starts.
If a confirmed entrant wishes to transfer from one Can-Am Crown race to another Can-Am Crown race for which the driver is qualified, then the entrant may withdraw from the original race and enter the other race, provided that an open position is available. Transfer from a shorter race to a longer race will only require payment of the difference in the entry fees. Transfer from a longer to a shorter race does not require extra payment, but there shall be no refund unless the longer race has a waiting list.
Drivers must provide proofs of vaccination.
Owners who vaccinate their own dogs shall submit purchase invoices and organized medical records indicating that each dog has been vaccinated within the time period prescribed above.
Validated rabies certificates must be presented to prove that rabies vaccinations are current.
When all vaccinations are complete and in compliance with the requirements listed above, drivers should submit copies of proofs of vaccination and the completed Can-Am Crown Uniform Canine Vaccination Record (UCVR) as soon as possible. The fax number and mailing address for submissions can be found on the UCVR form.Please send records for any and all dogs that might be used in the race.
As insurance against lost mail or failed faxes, drivers must also bring copies of vaccination proofs to the site of the pre-race veterinary examination on Friday, March 2.
Please note: A completed UCVR is not proof of vaccination. Its purpose is to ensure that the driver organizes his/her records and checks vaccination dates to be sure that they are in compliance with race rules.
Drivers who have not submitted acceptable vaccination records before February 10 shall offer vaccination proofs at the pre-race veterinary examination, pay a $20 processing fee, and be moved to the end of the examination schedule regardless of bib number.
The following drugs are permitted:
All drivers or their representatives are required to check in at the Lonesome Pine ski lodge any time between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 2.
At check-in, CAC will provide each driver with an official bib or vest which displays his/her start number. A $20 deposit will be required.
If the driver or representative fails to check in before 4:00 p.m., then Can-Am Crown cannot guarantee that team a position in the race.
All dogs must be available for physical examinations before the start of the race.
Each dog must be identified by legibly printed names (the dog’s name and the name or initials of the driver) on or attached to the collar.
Unless other arrangements are made with the Chief Veterinarian, all teams will be examined sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 2. The examinations will be conducted in the parking lot at the Lonesome Pine Ski Lodge unless otherwise announced.
Ideally, teams should be present for the pre-race examinations according to the following schedule, but teams traveling together will be checked together.
Bib Numbers | 1-3 | 4-6 | 7-9 | 10-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 | 19-21 | 22-24 | 25-27 | 28-30 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time (EST) | 10:15 | 10:45 | 11:15 | 11:45 | 12:15 | 12:45 | 1:15 | 1:45 | 2:15 | 2:45 |
At the pre-race veterinary examination, any dog which, in the opinion of the Chief Veterinarian, should not run the race, shall not run the race. If the Chief Veterinarian believes that a dog has a contagious illness, then the dog must be removed from the area, and the Race Marshall may also reject the entire team for the safety of the other teams. In addition, if the Chief Veterinarian believes that a dog is too vicious to be examined safely, then that dog shall be rejected. Only the Chief Veterinarian, acting in agreement with the Race Marshall, can force the dropping of a dog during the race.
Most race-related veterinary expenses are paid by Can-Am Crown. However, drivers are expected to pay extraordinary veterinary expenses they might incur during the race. Can-Am Crown may, at its discretion, charge a driver for any medical supplies administered to a team before the start of the race. Prize moneys will be awarded minus any unpaid veterinary expenses charged to the driver. Drivers with unpaid Can-Am veterinary bills will not be allowed to register for Can-Am events.
When Can-Am Central closes, soon after the last 250-mile team crosses the finish line, services will no longer be provided by the Can-Am Crown veterinary team. During the running of the 250-mile race, services for 30-mile and 100-mile teams may still be provided if a veterinarian is present at Can-Am Central. The drivers of the 30-mile and 100-mile teams should be prepared to contact one of the local veterinary practices if a Can-Am veterinarian is not available after these two races finish.
After the races, drivers/owners may contact private services, such as Fort Kent Animal Hospital (207-834-5077), North Country Animal Hospital (Caribou: 207-492-4651), Presque Isle Animal Hospital (207-764-6392), or Hopital Veterinaire du Madawaska (St-Jacques, NB: 506-739-7634).
All drivers must attend the drivers' meetings on Friday, March 2 at the Fort Kent Municipal Building. The meeting for the 30-mile and 100-mile drivers will begin at 4:30 pm. The meeting for the 250-mile drivers will begin at 5:30 pm. Attendance will be promptly checked by roll-call. Any driver who misses roll-call will risk losing his/her place in the race.
The Race Marshal shall resolve disputes among drivers and interpret the race rules in regard to infractions and penalties. He/she shall also have the authority to establish rules to cover special or unforseen situations.
Failure of a driver to comply with the race rules and cooperate with officials may result in disqualification or a monetary or time penalty as assessed by the Race Marshal.
Dogs shall be dropped at a designated checkpoint at any time during the race that both the Race Marshal and the Chief Veterinarian determine is necessary after consulting with the musher and the examining veterinarian. The Race Marshal will have ultimate authority in all other disputes from the start of the race to the finish.
Race judges will act as deputies of the Race Marshal.
The Can-Am Crown races are distance races. There are no permanently established trails. The race organizers rely on the good will of major and minor landowners who allow the use of portions of their land for the yearly development of race trails. Trail conditions and locations will vary from year to year according to weather conditions and logging operations. There will be hills and there may be other challenges.
Can-Am Crown relies on private landowners for the use of trails and checkpoint facilities. Please respect their property.
Trails will be broken, groomed, and marked before the races, and trails will be broken again on the morning of the races. However, due to weather, there is no guarantee of broken trails during the races.
Can-Am Crown race trails are designed to minimize road crossings. The race course may be re-routed by the race organization as conditions require.
Each race will start as scheduled unless a majority of the Can-Am Crown Board of Directors agrees that conditions warrant a delay. In no case will a race start be delayed more than 24 hours. If a Can-Am Crown race is canceled, then the entry fees for that race will be refunded in full.
All dogs will be marked before leaving the starting line.
Any driver who is not prepared to start as scheduled at the starting line, or who fails to arrive at the staging area before the deadline stated in the individual race rules, will be rotated to the end of the starting lineup, but the driver's official start time shall remain unchanged.
The driver starting the race shall drive the team throughout the race.
The spirit of this race dictates that drivers be self-sufficient. Therefore, drivers should not help each other except to ensure safety and animal welfare. A driver will not be penalized for helping another driver whose life is endangered or for helping to recover a lost team.
No assistance which would result in a competitive advantage may be solicited or accepted.
Between checkpoints, drivers may not accept assistance from any type of motorized vehicle, except to recover a lost team. Drivers are encouraged to solicit or accept any available help recovering a lost team. (However, if the Race Marshal determines that a musher has thereby gained a competitive advantage, then the Marshal may impose an appropriate time penalty.)
A handler is anyone who helps a team. Handlers may only help control and restrain an unmanageable team. No other help is allowed during the race. Personal handlers may help a driver and team before the team starts and after the team finishes. During the race, personal handlers may transport and care for dropped dogs which have been released by the veterinary staff. If personal handlers appear on the race course or at any prohibited checkpoint location, then the team shall be disqualified.
All teams must follow the trail as marked or as redirected by trail officials.
An overtaken team must yield the trail at the request of a driver who wishes to pass. The overtaken team must move to the side of the trail as far as possible and slow down or stop until the overtaking team has completely passed. To avoid “leapfrogging”, a passed team must remain behind at least 5 minutes before requesting to re-pass. Within one mile of the finish line, drivers are not required to yield the trail, and the 5-minute rule does not apply.
Any driver who uses ski poles must stop poling and place the poles in or on the sled whenever his/her team is within 100 feet (30 meters) of another team or whenever an approaching driver calls “Poles” or “Trail”.
Pacing with snowmobiles is prohibited.
Drivers resting, setting up camp, or untangling dogs must clear the trail of their dogs and gear, making passage safe for other teams.
Any fires must be built a minimum of 15 feet off the trail edge.
Drivers who litter the trail shall be penalized.
Dogs may be fed at checkpoints, safety stations, or a minimum of 15 feet from the race trail. If dogs are fed in the trail, the driver must clear all leftover food off the trail before continuing. The driver may be disqualified and censured if food or litter on the trail harms or delays a following team.
Whips of any kind or the use of brush, branches or any object as a whip or to create a frightening noise will be cause for disqualification.
Cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs will result in the immediate expulsion of the driver. The race committee, Race Marshal or judges in consultation with a veterinarian will have absolute determination regarding the cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs.
If the Chief Medic or the Race Marshal believes that a driver’s physical or mental condition may endanger the welfare of the team, then the Race Marshal may demand that the team be dropped from the race.
From the pre-race veterinary examination until the finish of the race, any dog receiving a prohibited medication or any injection will be removed from further competition.
A veterinarian may randomly collect blood and urine samples at any time during the race to test for the presence of prohibited drugs. It will be the driver's responsibility to assist the veterinarian in collection of these samples. Any driver refusing to allow the collection of such samples shall be disqualified.
Two or more teams may not be tied together in any way, except to assist a driver in trouble at some immediate location. The drivers of any teams so involved must notify race officials at the next checkpoint.
There shall be no loose dogs. All dogs shall be either on the gangline or in the sled. Dogs hauled in the sled must be hauled in a protected, humane manner. A driver must make immediate efforts to secure a dog which becomes loose.
A lost team will not be disqualified if the driver regains control, provided that the entire race course is covered by both team and driver. A driver may accept help from another driver in recovering his/her team without penalty.
Dogs shall not be switched between teams after they have officially left the start line.
A driver may drop a dog or dogs for any reason or no reason. To drop a dog, the driver and a veterinarian must sign a dropped dog form, at which time the dog is officially and irrevocably dropped from the race.
Dogs may be dropped only at designated checkpoints or near the start, where Village Road crosses the Heritage Trail. If a driver returns to the start to drop a dog, the number of dogs remaining in the team must still equal or exceed the minimum required at the race start.
Dogs shall not be dropped at safety stations.Any dog that expires for any reason during the race shall be completely covered in a sled bag and delivered as soon as possible to a race official. The Chief Veterinarian will examine the body to determine the cause of death. If needed, a full necropsy shall be performed at the driver's expense.
The rigors of this race and the history of the sport require that each competitor be courteous, helpful and honorable to a degree that will inspire similar behavior in all participants and volunteers.
Rude or inappropriate behavior by a driver or his/her handler may result in a penalty being applied to the driver.
If a driver or his/her agent tampers with another’s dogs, food or gear, then the driver will be disqualified.
Possession or consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs by drivers is strictly prohibited from the day of the race start until the finish.
To quit a Can-Am Crown race, a driver must sign an official resignation form and present it to a Can-Am Crown official. Any driver who quits a race without properly notifying officials may be barred from future races. Exception may be made if a driver leaves the trail to protect the health or life of a dog or person, but a race official or Can-Am Central (834-5626) must be notified as soon as possible.
Drivers who scratch are not eligible for prize money or refunds.
Scratched or disqualified teams must stay off the race trails. Can-Am Crown officials will take responsibility for evacuation of scratched or disqualified teams and drivers.
It is the duty of each driver to report trail safety problems and violations of these race rules. Official report forms shall be included in each driver’s race manual/veterinary diary. Reports shall include the time, date, nature of the rule violation or safety problem, approximate location on the trail, name or bib number of the violator (if known), and names of witnesses (if any). Such reports must be presented to the Race Marshal or a race judge at the nearest checkpoint. The race judge will gather information and relay it to the Race Marshal for action.
Protests and reports of rule violations shall not be discussed with any other persons, including spectators or media. Only the Race Marshal may issue statements to the media regarding protests and violations.
Complaints will be kept on file and reviewed by the CAC board. If the evidence indicates a pattern of unsportsmanlike behavior, the board may censure a driver.
Any driver who makes a false complaint may be fined $20 per incident.
Failure of a driver to comply with the race rules and cooperate with officials may result in disqualification or a monetary or time penalty as assessed by the Race Marshal.
The Race Marshal shall resolve disputes among drivers and interpret the race rules in regard to infractions and penalties.
The Race Marshal also has the authority to establish rules to cover special or unforseen situations.
The following penalties have been suggested by the Can-Am Crown rules committee. The Race Marshal has the authority to modify these penalties based on the circumstances of the violations.
The following are criteria the ISDVMA uses to evaluate the health and welfare of dogs and teams in competition and to determine the fitness of any dog or team to continue:
A. Evaluation of overall body condition:
1. Obese, heavy layer of fat covering ribs and all boney protuberances, making palpation difficult.
2. A layer of fat covering the ribs and boney protuberances, but can palpate without difficulty.
3. A thin layer of body fat, but all areas are easily palpated.
4. No obvious body fat, no intercostal concavity. Boney protuberances seen.
5. No body fat, intercostal concavity and boney protuberances very prominent.
6. A change in 2 positions may result in a dog being held or dropped from the event. Any dog in category 5 will be dropped from competition unless sufficient layover time is used to upgrade the animal’s condition.
B. Vital signs which may render a dog subject to disqualification:
1. Dehydration
a. 10-12% - Severe loss of skin elasticity, capillary refill time >3 seconds, markedly sunken eyeballs, shock in debilitated animals, involuntary muscle twitching, cold extremities.
b. 7-8% - Definite inelasticity of skin, capillary refill time 2-3 seconds, slight depression of eye into orbit, cooling of extremities.
c. 5% - Slightly doughy inelasticity of skin, dry mucous membranes. Drop or rehydrate before continuing.
2. Abnormal heart rate - irregular and/or a heart rate that does not decrease below 120 bpm after 1 hour and capillary refill time remains elevated.
3. Body temperature greater than 103°F after one hour.
4. Hypothermia as indicated by a rectal temperature of less than 99°F
5. Lung sounds with evidence of edema, rales or cough.
6. Non-responsive diarrhea with blood.
6. Red or brown urine
7. Frostbite injuries that cannot be protected from refreezing or are accompanied by substantial swelling
8. Illnesses/injuries requiring treatment with pharmaceuticals not available at a checkpoint or which would result in a positive drug test
C. Lameness:
Any non-weight bearing lameness renders a dog subject to disqualification. Pain and/or swelling, accompanied by lameness also can render a dog subject to disqualification. Any loss of range of motion or symmetry will be considered in evaluating lameness and ability to continue. Shoulder injuries should be considered the most serious in evaluating the ability to continue.
D. Mental attitude:
There is to be no dragging of teams or dogs out of check points. A sled dog's desire should be to continue the event; when that desire is sufficiently diminished and repeated attempts to leave end in failure, that team or dog is then discouraged from leaving.
E. Drug policy:
No dog participating in a race shall carry in its body any drug substance, its metabolites or analogs which are foreign to the natural dog as excepted by race veterinarians and race committee.
F. Dropped dog policy:
It is expected that race animals dropped from competition during an event are cared for as directed by a veterinarian. All efforts will be made on the part of the total race organization and participants to provide adequate care, assuring that all dropped dogs will regain normal function as soon as possible.
Any of the criteria in this guideline, plus anorexia and exhaustion, will lead to a deterioration in the dog’s desire to continue and will further render the dog subject to disqualification.