By Graham Thomas
We’ve all heard about the matches that are watched by one man and his dog, but what about the sport that is played by them?
One man and his dog will be bidding for Welsh glory this weekend when Ron Mason and Agnes try to become world champions in Italy.
Mason is ranked No.2 in the UK in the sport of bikejoring and the Chepstow-based athlete – along with Agnes, his trusty four-year-old greyster – will be carrying the hopes of a nation when they compete at the world championships in Bardonecchia, high in the mountains near Turin.
Bikejoring is a sport that involves racing a mountain bike, with the added benefit of dog-power.
The dog is harnessed and runs ahead of the bike, pulling it by means of a bungee cord.
“Basically, bikejoring is the dry land version of being pulled by huskies across the snow,” says Mason.
“It’s a joint effort between the rider and the dog. The only way you can really try and mirror that feeling is to be on an e-bike with a battery. But you have to develop a relationship with the dog and it can be very technical.”
Vikki Mason
Mason – originally from Cumbria – moved to Wales three years to become head groundsman and estates manager at Chepstow Racecourse.
He brought his passion for bikejoring with him and regularly gets up before 6am to go training with Agnes – or sometimes, his other dog, Reggie – with his bike lights illuminating through the early morning dark on the cycle tracks in the hillsides near his Chepstow home.
The 37-year-old reckons not only is it an adrenalin rush and a great way to keep fit, but it also fits perfectly with his day job that involves being around racehorses.
“There are a lot of similarities between bikejoring and horse racing in terms of the relationship between the rider and the animal, the routine of hard work multiple times a week, the high energy diets, the recovery time and welfare – there’s a lot of crossover.”
A pupil @MonSchBoys has qualified to run for GB at the IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) European Dryland Championship in Germany.
Matt and Top Dogz Nigra triumphed at the British National #Canicross Championships run by BSSF (British Sleddog Sports Federation). pic.twitter.com/mFSMth7pLK— Haberdashers' Monmouth School (@Habsmonmouth) March 30, 2022
Equine welfare has become a top priority in recent years and the canine considerations are equally vital.
“When it’s too warm for the dogs, which can be quite often, we simply don’t race. It’s as simple as that,” says Mason.
“Dog welfare is the number one priority and they are all very well monitored and looked after.”
“We have very good relationship with the dogs. They’re our family, they’re our pets, they’re with us all the time and we train them from very young in terms of understanding communications, directional commands and so on.”
That has to be the case as dog, rider and bike are hurtling at top speeds of around 20mph across tracks, for a distance of 5k, often at high altitude.
Each dog and rider will only race once in a day, in Mason and Agnes’s case it will be on Saturday and Sunday this weekend and they pursue their dream of a world title.
But the bikejoring title will not be the only one up for grabs. The doggy world of canine-related sports is a three-legged animal.
As well as bikejoring, there is canicross – running attached to a dog – as well as dog-powered scooters.
🎉 Introducing New Ambassador Paula 🎉
My name is Paula & I discovered canicross 4.5 years ago. I hated running until that point!
We’re all about the fun now.
I am a qualified canicross coach & teach group courses, 1-2-1’s & taster sessions. #k9trailtimeambassador pic.twitter.com/Aene0fFZDz
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It’s all overseen by the FIFA of pooch-power sport, the International Canicross Federation, organisers of this weekend’s world championships.
Mason has done UK Championships and European events, but the Worlds are the biggie, the dog’s testicles, if you’ll excuse, of canine competitiveness.
“I’m going in as the current number two at elite level in Great Britain at the moment, which isn’t bad,” adds Mason.
“I did my first competition back in 2018 and I’ve just got more into it over the years.”
Luckily for Mason, his wife Vikki also has the dog habit and will be competing in the same championships, in the running (canicross) discipline.
The pair have driven their van to northern Italy with their three dogs in the back.
It might sound barking mad to anyone who would rather leave their dog in its basket when they go out for a run or cycle, but there are plenty of other converts.
“It’s a growing sport,” adds Mason, who has a taste for the exotic as he also used to play American football.
“We started training one day, running along with our rescue dog. I’m not much of a runner, so I realised you could also train a dog to go out with a bike, and our interest just grew from there.
“In the summer, we go out at 4 or 5am to train to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and quieter times.
“It’s just an enjoyable thing to do. You don’t have to be competitive, although I’ve gone down that route and really enjoy it.
“This weekend will be great – dogs and athletes from all over the world. I can’t wait.”
Been manifesting this moment all summer
Working on bike repairs
Trailer repairs
Gang line repairs
X back harness repairs#bikeJoring#harnessSports#eurohound#labHusky pic.twitter.com/NZlcd6mV5g— Jenn Anderson (@ascension2030) August 26, 2024