Spring is round the corner together with extreme dog races. What can we look forward to this year? And what is this dog sport all about?
Extreme Dog Race, Hard Dog Race Base, Dirty Dog Challenge... These are only a few of the many dog sports events that are relatively popular in the Czech Republic and that - as their names suggest - are characterised by their physical demands on both the dog and his handler. They take place in a challenging terrain full of natural as well as artificial obstacles. Sweat, mud and especially adrenalin are their inseparable part and weather has no say on the day.
OCR, which in the community of extreme sports fans stands for obstacle course racing, is about overcoming obstacles on a set route. Based on the world-renowned Spartan Race, dog OCR races often combine obstacle run with overcoming difficult terrain - hills, water as well as mud. Even though the competitors are often professional mushers, participation is open to anyone. The main idea is to enjoy the free time and fun with your dog companion without injuries and trouble.
Overview of this year's events
The Dirty Dog Challenge offers several races both for individuals and teams. The first one has already taken place this February. You can put your strength to a test together with around a hundred competitors and their dog companions in May (14 May in Sokolov) and then every subsequent month until September 2022. Participation in the entire obstacle race series is not compulsory, you can challenge yourself in the mountainous and water terrain with just a single race. However, it is definitely good not to underestimate the training and start as soon as possible.
The Extreme Dog Race is proud to be labeled "the first dog race" under the auspices of the Czech Obstacle Racing Association here in the Czech Republic. This year's race is organised for 19 November 2022 and will take place at the legendary Velká Pardubická steeplechase racetrack. The EDR, as well as the Dirty Dog Challenge, offers a series of races that precede the climax of the steeplechase. The first challenge takes place in May at the premises of the former military complex in Milovice. The event is called Military Tankodrom Milovice on 21 May.
Hard Dog Race Base with their motto "Six legs, two hearts, one victory" will traditionally take place towards the end of the year in Hynčice pod Sušinou on a 6 km-long track featuring 16 obstacles. Although this year's race hasn't been officially announced by the organisers yet, it is more than probable that you can look forward to it this November. But Hard Dog Race also offers other events - from cross-country running to mud race, to the proper wilderness on a 22 km-long track. The HDR races take place not only in the Czech Republic but also in Hungary or Poland.
There is no better way to strengthen the relationship with your furry friend than in a proper challenge. :)
Doing yoga with a dog, or doga in other words (the combination of “dog” and “yoga”), has become popular in the United States of America, but it has not become so popular in the Czech Republic yet. What is it about and what benefits does this sport have...
Earlier, this heart disease was attributed only to certain pure-blood breeds. Nowadays, it can even occur in cross-breeds. Another disease which reminds us of how important regular preventive check-ups at the vet are.
Days are getting colder and it is time again to prepare our furry friends who live outdoors for winter. All cats (whether they live outdoors or only go outside occasionally) need our greater attention in this season.
A Somali cat is a long-haired version of Abyssinian cat, one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. But it does not have an interesting or long history itself. Even though it is named after an African country, first Somali cats were born in the United...
Until recently, Cairn terriers were the most popular terriers in Great Britain (until they were overtaken by Westies). It comes from Scottish island Skye and it used to hunt foxes and otters here already in the times of Mary, Queen of Scots. That’s...
A team of Swedish athletes one of whom is Mikael Lindord regularly attends one of the most difficult races in the world to challenge other teams – the Adventure Racing World Championship. When Mikael and his friends stopped in the middle of an...
Each dog is an individual and has different needs. When it comes to diet, it depends on its health condition or physically demanding activities. However, we can generalize these needs to a certain degree according to a breed, age and mainly the size of...
Adopting a dog senior might save his life. They also need stable home and love which unfortunately can never be fully provided in the shelter. Nevertheless, most people who are considering adoption as an option automatically look for a puppy or at...
The International Rabbit Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday or Sunday in September. This year, it was 22 September. This annual celebration of a cute mammal with long ears, short tail and a velvet coat is not only meant for the million of rabbits...
Do you also follow the recent trend which encourages us to come back to our roots and mind our planet more? I am personally very happy about that. More and more households live according to zero-waste and non-toxic principles and we don’t forget about...
Cats enjoying themselves in a doll house are a hit on Iceland. Their creators probably didn’t expect so much fame and first of all, they didn’t create the whole project for money, fame and for a short-time amusement. There is a much more noble purpose...
Your furry friend might get poisoned in a minute, only a few seconds of carelessness or a slow reaction is enough, especially if your dog is similar to mine and “eats everything he finds on the way”. Fortunately, my dog hasn’t been poisoned yet but I’m...
