The Southern Regions Sled Dog Club will host the Wanaka Sled Dog Festival at the Snow Farm, on the Pisa Range near Wanaka, from August 29 to 31.
A ''real mixture'' of breeds would be racing, not just the Huskies people normally associated with sled dog racing, race organiser Sarah Campbell, of Dunedin, said. Expect to see ''general, everyday pets'' - Labradors, cross-breeds and pointers - hitched up to sleds, she said.
The event is the only opportunity mushers (race entrants) in New Zealand have to get out on the snow with their sleds and skis.
Racing is usually done on dry land in forests where wheeled rigs and scooters are used.
Participants from throughout New Zealand compete in the racing, which ranges from six-dog sled teams right down to single, ski-joring (skiers towed by dogs) teams.
The one to two-dog teams race over distances up to 4.5km and the bigger teams race over distances of up to 12km.
Mrs Campbell said there were a record number of North Island entries this year but for the first time no Wanaka or Queenstown-based teams had entered.
''In total, over 100 people are involved in this race - approximately 30 entrants, plus support crew and officials and about 150 dogs.''
A special guest would also be arriving for the 22nd running of the event.
''We are extremely fortunate to have Andrew Gersbach from Idigadog Kennels in Australia attending as the event race marshall.''
Mr Gersbach is the president of the Australian Sled dog Sports Association (ASSA) and has been racing in Australia since 1996. He owns a kennel of 12 Siberian Huskies, which gain many top placings in Australian races, and he has judged at the Eagle Cap Sled Dog Race in the US.
The racing is open to the public on August 29 (4.30pm start), August 30 (7.30am start), and August 31 (7.30am start).
Mrs Campbell said spectators had a good view of the start and finish but earplugs might be advisable because ''it gets rather noisy'' given the excitable nature of the racers.
