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CNN Live Sunday

Australia Has Lust For Sled Dog Racing Despite Lack Of Snow

Aired September 21, 2003 - 16:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, these next faces are a lot more adorable. The Australian sled dogs you're about to see love to run and race despite, as Dan Noland explains, the absence of snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN NOLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the world of sled dog racing, Australian style. Here in the subtropics it's 25 degrees in the middle of winter and about 1500 kilometers from the nearest snow. But that doesn't stop diehards from around the country gathering for the northern exposure classic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just have to get up early, and we run during the winter months to accommodate for the dogs to keep them nice and cool.

NOLAND: The early starts take their toll on some competitors, but once the harness goes on it's all business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I see an animal, then there's no getting your dog back. It's gone.

NOLAND: Some mushers only wish an animal would appear to give their charge some focus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Harley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on.

NOLAND: Over the three-kilometer course it can sometimes become a question of who is dragging who. But most of the dogs hang off their master's every word.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Generally, we use words. Gee is left and ha is right. And that's the proper musher terms that they use over in Alaska.

NOLAND: It's unclear what the musher term is for stop licking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The Australian races are not as long as Alaska's Iditarod. They last about 10 to 15 minutes not days.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com



Snow>


Aired September 21, 2003 - 16:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, these next faces are a lot more adorable. The Australian sled dogs you're about to see love to run and race despite, as Dan Noland explains, the absence of snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN NOLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the world of sled dog racing, Australian style. Here in the subtropics it's 25 degrees in the middle of winter and about 1500 kilometers from the nearest snow. But that doesn't stop diehards from around the country gathering for the northern exposure classic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just have to get up early, and we run during the winter months to accommodate for the dogs to keep them nice and cool.

NOLAND: The early starts take their toll on some competitors, but once the harness goes on it's all business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I see an animal, then there's no getting your dog back. It's gone.

NOLAND: Some mushers only wish an animal would appear to give their charge some focus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Harley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on.

NOLAND: Over the three-kilometer course it can sometimes become a question of who is dragging who. But most of the dogs hang off their master's every word.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Generally, we use words. Gee is left and ha is right. And that's the proper musher terms that they use over in Alaska.

NOLAND: It's unclear what the musher term is for stop licking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The Australian races are not as long as Alaska's Iditarod. They last about 10 to 15 minutes not days.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com



Snow>