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April 03, 2005
Live From The Reindeer Racing!
Reindeer racing is back on - after the grey sleety rain of yesterday, today's clear blue sky and warm sunshine was most welcome - but so was the frost of last night. The racing surface had hardened up - good ski weather, and perfect for reindeer racing. A bigger crowd had gathered today - all generations were out - socialising and watching the races, where several reindeer racing world records were broken. More people were wearing traditional Sámi clothing today - the crowd was a mass of red and blue. I've noticed that even people who don't wear the traditional clothing, often still opt for blue or red clothes.
When I arrived, the lasso competition was over - but I did get to see some youngsters trying out their skills, tossing lariats into the area, over wooden 'antlers. Other, smaller kids were having fun on toy snowmobiles - sliding down little hills, then pushing themselves back up again.
Out the ice, the sprint finals were on - with drivers pitting themselves against each other on a straight of 210 metres - in the finals, the record was broken. After this was the longer distance - 1km or so in a huge circle around the lake, with four riders lined up side by side, in short, high-tech skis and bright skintight clothes. There were a few upsets - drivers on the ice, reindeer running ahead alone. But spectacular to watch, especially as they hurtle through the photo finish.
There's just time to run off and get a couple of sausages, dolloped with senap (mustard), into me before the biggest competition of the weekend - the 2km 'time trial - One reindeer & rider at a time, racing against the clock over a 2km loop around Lake Inari. As the enter the home straight, the can here the announcer tell their time, and whether they're going to make it or not - one of several world records was set in this race - 2:26 for 2000m - that's (if my calculations are correct) about 50kmph. For a reindeer, pulling a human - not bad at all.
But what makes a good racing reindeer? I was several things - some contradictory - about how what makes a good racer, but it seems that the owners trying out different animals, and then 'groom' the more talented ones for competition. The reindeer should have a competitive spirit, and dislike following other reindeer - it must want to be out in front! A poster to yesterday blog (Ann) asked about doping - there seems to be a system of doping control in place at these races - the announcer mentioned it several times over the PA system.
© Greenpeace/Dave Walsh
That winning reindeer's name, by the way, is Eurokas, and is owned by Eero Lánsman from Kaldoaivi, and driven by Mika Lánsman. I attended the prize-giving, where they took home a fine pot of prize money, and a massive trophy. But there was something for everyone - lots of younger participants in the lasso and other events took home some sort of memory of the day, from a prize-table jammed with silverware and other prizes.
- Dave
Posted by Dave at April 3, 2005 10:47 PM
Comments
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the report straight from the racetrack!
I grew up with racehorses and just want to say that the racing reindeers are amazingly fast. They are as fast as an Arabian thoroughbred( but not as fast as an English thoroughbred, that run 2000 metres in about 2,10 secunds on a good track.
So if a racehorse meets a racing reindeer on a racetrack, the reindeer would finnish about 30 horselenght after the horse.
Ann
Posted by: Ann Novek at April 4, 2005 02:20 PM
Is that grin on his face a cheer of victory then? :-)
Posted by: Jen at April 7, 2005 11:56 PM
