I had the great and good fortune to
be invited to join this team on one of their
training excursions down here on Lake Chapala.
You can imagine what fun I had!
Meet Cris and Cintia. . .
Since 1993 Captain Cristobal de Obeso Aguilar, 47,
has been breeding, training, and racing a team of
16 Siberian Husky sled dogs —
out of Guadalajara, Mexico!
His team is the first Mexican team to be a member of the
prestigious International Sled Dog Racing Association
and they have raced in Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin,
and even on an Indian reservation in Arizona.
How about those credits, pretty impressive, huh?
In his real life, Cris is a corporate private jet pilot
who looks forward to
doing much more sled dog racing in the near future.
After spending a few hours with Cris and Cintia and the team,
it is very apparent that for Cris it really is ALL about the dogs.
The dogs are trained 3 times a week in Guadalajara
pulling a cart on a track, and here at Lake Chapala
swimming behind a boat for 60 minutes.
Let's meet the dogs!
Today, there were 13.
One by one they were loaded into the boat
and attached to the gang-line that had
already been rigged.
Meet Francisco, the unofficial Chapala Harbor Master
and the man to know regarding all-things boat
and all-things Lake Chapala.
Francisco manned the boat and helped tend the dogs,
keeping them safely away from the propeller at all times.
No easy feat!
Ready?
Off we go.
One by one they were tossed overboard.
We slowly motored off - and they followed.
Well, all except for Canelo.
Just not much of a follower, this guy.
Canelo thought Scorpion Island looked
like a better place to swim for.
See that little dot?
There were a couple of 'arguments' in the water as one
perceived some grave injustice had been committed but Cris was
able to break them up just by yelling at them.
Of the 13 dogs, only 2 were female.
And of the 13 dogs, 2 had to stay in the boat for most of
the time as they were inclined to only swim back to shore
rather than join the pack and follow the boat.
They could only be released on the way back.
In the 6 years that Cris has been doing this,
they have only suffered one fatality, a drowning.
Cris, Cintia, and Francisco never took their eyes off the dogs
or off the clock.
After an hour, it was time to bring the dogs in.
One by one they were hauled back in the boat.
Thirteen wet dogs means lots of water in the boat.
Heading back.
One by one they're loaded back in the truck.
That's all folks!
Cris can be reached at:
cristobal_de_obeso@hotmail.com
