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Hamsterley huskies have nowhere to run
Mar 2, 2010
HUSKY owners living in Hamsterley Forest say they are frustrated that despite the recent snowfall providing perfect conditions they have to make a four-hour round journey to train their dogs.
Steven and Nicola Grinham own 12 Siberian huskies and moved to their bungalow two years ago, but after making enquiries about running their dogs in the forest, they were told no facilities exist.
The couple said the Forestry Commission told them husky racing was a ‘minority sport’ and the track that did run in Hamsterley was now closed.
Mr Grinham, who used to arrange the Keilder Sled Dog Race when he lived in Northumberland, said: “There was a trail here, I’ve got a Forestry Commission map and they just came out with a string of excuses.
“They told me different reasons – they were going to put a visitor centre on it, that they had had complaints about people using it. Then that nobody used it. They were just contradicting themselves.”
To train their dogs, the couple have to trek to Dalby Forest in Yorkshire but because of the recent bad weather, they have been unable to make the trip.
“People have been saying to us that we must have enjoyed it being snowy and asked if we had been over in Carlisle where other owners went but we couldn’t go because the dogs hadn’t raced all season, they just weren’t fit enough,” said Mr Grinham.
The couple, who have loaned their dogs for a variety of public occasions, including bringing Father Christmas into Barnard Castle and the Duke of Northumberland’s driving event at Alnwick Castle, said they are disappointed by the Forestry Commission’s response.
Mr Grinham said: “We have tried to go through the right channels, we have tried to compromise, all we would need is a two-mile stretch.
“You think you are getting near and they just move the goalposts and you cannot get them to deviate.”
But Graham Gill, forest manager for the Forestry Commission, said: “We do provide tracks for huskies in other forests such as Harwood and Kielder but because Hamsterley is such a busy area with walkers, horse riders and cyclists, there just isn’t the space.
“We used to have quite a small track at Hamsterley but because it was so small we didn’t think it was fulfilling its purpose.”
Mrs Grinham said: “When people come across us doing the trails they stop and chat and are always interested and we’ll take time out to chat to them.
“We’re not just having a dig at the Forestry Commission, we just want to be able to run our dogs.”