North Wales Junior Sleddog Athletes Win Gold and Bronze

GÄVLE, SWEDEN, October 2026: Four young athletes from North Wales have finished among the top five in the DR4J class at the IFSS European Championships, with Megan winning Gold, John taking Bronze, Imy placing fourth and Xavier fifth.

Competing against athletes from across Europe, the juniors represented Great Britain alongside their sleddogs. Their results followed years of training with the Wales Sleddog Sports Junior Academy, where young people learn to work responsibly with high-energy sleddogs in dryland conditions.

Six young people travelled with the team, supported by 16 sleddogs, including dogs from Wales and Norway. The dogs worked alongside the juniors throughout the event, with each partnership relying on preparation, care and close attention to the trail.

The placings marked the culmination of early starts, long journeys and many hours of training on the hills and forest trails of North Wales. The competition also asked the young athletes to adapt when conditions and events unfolded differently from how they had planned.

Quote from Joe Swiffen, Director of Mynydd Sleddog Adventures:

“We are immensely proud of Megan, John, Imy and Xavier who represented Great Britain at the IFSS European Sleddog Sports Dryland Championships 2026. To see all four finish in the top five is an extraordinary achievement. Those results reflect years of commitment, and they belong to the dogs who ran alongside them too. The juniors had to stay calm, listen to their dogs and work out a way forward together. That is what makes this experience so special.”

The Academy’s work goes beyond racing. Its young members learn about dog welfare, preparation and responsibility, while developing confidence and practical skills through outdoor sport. At the championships, the dogs offered their own lessons in patience and resilience as the juniors responded to their needs and to the changing trail.

Founded in 2021, the Wales Sleddog Sports Junior Academy supports young people aged 11 to 16 to develop confidence, resilience and leadership while learning skills in sleddog sports. Mynydd Sleddog Adventures, based in North Wales, delivers dryland sleddog activities, with the dogs working in cool conditions in keeping with the business’s welfare-led approach.

Photo credit to Petter Hilleborg.