While the cream of the mushing world competes in the Yukon Quest over the weekend, on the other side of America other sled dogs will be taking part in an event geared more towards fun.

The Pennridge Kiwanis Winter Festival and Dog Sled Challenge (PKWFDSC) gets underway tomorrow (February 6th 2010).

Quoted in a report published on a number of the Journal Register Property’s news sites, organisers said the meeting will be a good chance for mushers to let their hair down and show interested members of the public what the sport entails.

Chuck Weiss, a local man taking part, explained that many mushers are not able to expend the time, money and effort for long distance races such as the Iditarod or Yukon Quest.

For this reason, many sled dog racers choose to compete in small-scale short-distance events, he explained.

"They generally run as many miles as dogs on a team, so if you have a three-dog racing class, you go three miles," Mr Weiss remarked.

Tomorrow also sees the Yukon Quest begin in Alaska, which will see 24 teams tackle a 1,000-mile course across the freezing wastes of the state.