General Assembly 2025
Dear Members,
Yesterday's 30th anniversary WSA General Assembly in Dorfgastein was well attended. For everybody who wasn't able to attend yesterday's GA, please find following a brief summary of what was decided. The full minutes will be published in due course.
Key takeaways of the 2025 WSA General Assembly:
- Arno Steichler has been re-elected as Chairman for a further term of 3 years. Also elected were Arnold Petutschnig (Vice-Chairman), Irene Valenkamp (Secretary), Cindy van den Brink (Treasurer), Rudiger de Pauw (Director Sport & Director Distance), Andi Bordiga (Director Dryland), Christof Diehl (Director Sprint), Anca Cotu (Veterinay/ Animal Welfare/ Anti-Doping), Rüdiger Rink (Director Sponsoring).
- Ellie Camacho (UK) was appointed WSA Race Marshal. Anna-Maria Prast & Andi Bordiga (both Italy) were approved as WSA Aspriant Race Judges.
- The proposed changes to the General Race Rules, the Dryland Race Rules and the WSA World Trophy Rules were accepted.
The key changes are:- At WSA Championships, at least one ATV/ Snowmobile must be equipped with a dog transport box to support dog related emergencies on the trail.
- Mushers are only allowed to tie themselves to a rig or sled in classes with up to two dogs. Emergency lines must be fitted with a panic snap.
- Discrediting a WSA Championship, the WSA or a WSA event organiser online can be sanctioned with a disqualification.
- Sled bags may not be folded down.
- In Junior classes, three teams are required at the first start for the class to be a championship class. If fewer than three juniors compete in a class, there will not be a separate championship in this class, but they will be scored together with the other juniors.
- In Category 2 (freighting breeds) classes, classes can be combined to achieve the required minimum number of 5 teams on the first day of racing. In this instance, the trail of the lower class will be used (e.g., 6 dogs-2 and 4 dogs-2 = 4-dog trail). In Category 2 classes, a starting interval of at least 2 minutes should be maintained.
- Going forward, WSA Dryland Championships can be held over two or three heats.
- The preparations for the WSA Dryland Championship 2025 in Maserada sul Piave are well underway. A website with all the details will go live later this summer.
- The WSA Board is still working on finding a venue and an organiser for the WSA on-snow Championships 2026. Romania and Slovakia are options that are being worked on. We will inform as soon as we have a final decision.
We wish you all a relaxing summer and look forward to seeing you in Maserada in November.
The WSA Board
General Assembly 2024
General Assembly 2023
General Assembly
Date/ Time: 25 June 2022 @ 10:00 hrs
Please send any proposals that you would like the WSA GA to consider to
The hotels Prinz Carl (www.prinz-carl.de), Reichsadler (www.reichsadler.de/en/) and Ringpark (www.ringpark.de) are within walking distance of the town hall.
Lastly, in the evening after the GA there will be a BBQ at a nearby forest hut (15-minute walk from the town hall). More information about the BBQ will be provided nearer the time.
We look forward to seeing many of you next month in Buchen!
The WSA Board
THANK YOU & DATES FOR THE DIARY
Keeping up the momentum, we would like to share the WSA calendar for the coming 12 months with you:
- WSA General Assembly (GA): 25 June 2022 near Frankfurt/ Germany
- Dryland Championship: 12 - 13 November 2022 in Pampa/ Belgium
- Sprint & Mid-Distance Championships: 10 - 12 February 2023 in Vermiglio/ Italy (alternative date to be confirmed)
- Long-Distance Championship: to be confirmed
- Original pedigrees, vaccination cards and insurance certificates were not available for inspection at all or only electronically/ as photocopies. In the Prologue to the WSA Race Rules we state that only original documents are acceptable. Disregard of this rule normally leads to a warning and/or a disqualification.
- Carrying emergency equipment in Mid-Distance races (WSA Race Rule 5.2.4).
WSA Dryland World Championship and WSA General Assembly 2021
WSA/IFSS ON SNOW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 FOR REGISTERED NORDIC BREEDS – CHANGE OF LOCATION
For reasons beyond our control, the location of the 2022 on-snow World Championship Sprint and Mid-Distance for Registered Nordic Breeds had to be moved from Ramundberget to Östersund.
The races will now start and finish in Östersund’s famous ski arena, which also was the venue for the 2019 the Biathlon World Championship and the 2021 Biathlon World Cup Finals. We’re looking forward to a warm welcome, excellent trails and great infrastructure and are confident that together with our mushers, the city of Östersund and their world-class arena we will be able to show case to the world the very best the sled dog sport has to offer.
The dates remain unchanged. The Championship will take place as previously announced from 9-12 March 2022.
Further information about the event can be found on ostersund2022.com.
The decision to change the location of the Championship was not taken lightly and we would like to apologize sincerely for any inconvenience caused.
Arno Steichler - Chairman WSA
Helen Lundberg - President IFSS
Niklas Andersson – Project Manager Östersund 2022
WSA General Assembly 2021
Stay safe and we hope to see many of you in Germany in early September,
The WSA Board
DATES ON-SNOW WSA / IFSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022
We are pleased to announce that the dates for the joint WSA/ IFSS World Championships 2022 in Sweden have been finalised.
The World Championships Sprint and Mid-Distance for Registered Nordic Breeds (RNB) will take place from 9-12 March 2022 in Ramundberget.
The Long-distance World Championship (RNB & all-breed classes) at Polardistans 300 in Särna will take place in the week from 28 Februrary - 6 March 2022 (week 9, exact dates to be confirmed).
The all-breed World Championships in Skidog, Sled Sprint and Mid-Distance and Master classes will take place from 23-27 February 2022 in Åsarna.
We are excited to be able to host in March 2022 the largest sled dog festival ever celebrated in Europe with close to 500 purebred and all-breed sled dog teams expected to compete for World Championship titles. All three venues are located in a very snow safe area of central Sweden and offer exceptional trails for all disciplines.
We look forward to welcoming many of you in Sweden in March 2022 and to once again be able to celebrate the excitement and beauty of our sport!
Arno Steichler - Chairman WSA
Helen Lundberg - President IFSS
Anders Hörnlund - Chairman SPHK/Polardistans
WSA Weltmeisterschaften 2021 - VERSCHOBEN
Dear Members,
We are delighted to announce that the joint WSA/IFSS World Championships in Sweden that had to be cancelled in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been rescheduled to March 2022.
As was planned for 2021, the WSA/IFSS World Championships 2022 will take place in three venues (Särna, Ramundberget and Åsarna) in central Sweden. All-breed and purebred teams will be able to compete for World Championship titles in Skidog, Sled Sprint, Mid-Distance and Long-Distance classes.
The exact details are still being worked on and further information will be released as soon as the negotiations with venues and sponsors have been finalised.
For now, we would like to wish you, your families and four-legged friends a peaceful Holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.
Arno Steichler - Chairman WSA
Helen Lundberg - President IFSS
Anders Hörnlund - Chairman SPHK/Polardistans
Welcome to Sweden once again!
Once again, I would like to welcome you to Sweden and the WSA/ IFSS Sled Dog World Championships 2022.
Covid-19 put a stop to our plans for 2021, but we promise that we are now fully focused on delivering even greater Championships in 2022. If you thought that the Championships in 2018 in Sveg were great, expect to be blown away by the World Championships in 2022!
The village of Ramundberget is one of the most beautiful and snow safe areas in Sweden. An outpost literally at the end of the road and the gateway to the unpaved backcountry.
Ramundberget 2022 will offer a unique Championship. Everything is within a stone’s throw (350m radius) from the start and finish area. Hotels, cabins, restaurants, bars, ski-lifts, cross-country skiing, pool and gym. And everything in a family friendly atmosphere.
This will be the championship to bring your family and friends to. They will experience a sled dog world championship at its best, together with you in this fantastic place.
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you in Ramundberget in March 2022!
Niklas Andersson, Project manager
WSA/IFSS World Championship Ramundberget 2022
WSA DRYLAND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 - POSTPONED
The recent increase of Covid-19 cases across Europe has made it clear that, for us, it’s time to re-calibrate. We all want the WSA Dryland World Championship to offer fair and exciting races at the highest level of our sport. But bringing people together for a race in this particular year is looking increasingly problematic.
The widely varying and constantly-shifting guidelines that each country is putting in place to combat the pandemic make it difficult to create a level playing field for all competitors that we would require for a World Championship.
Whilst no one can accurately predict what will happen in the next few weeks, we, together with the host of this year’s Championship, our French member FFST, have therefore taken the decision to postpone the WSA Dryland World Championship 2020 in Lamotte-Beuvron (France) to the earliest date in the future on which a championship can be held again in a fair and inclusive manor.
A lot of work has already gone into the preparations for the event and we would like to thank the team of the French Federation for all the hard work that they have put into organising our Championship to date. We are as disappointed as they are that force majeure prevents us from going ahead with the event in November but we are convinced that it will be an outstanding event once it can go ahead safely.
The WSA Board
2021 On-Snow World Championship
Dear Members,
With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the world we all face a new way of living. The pandemic has also had an unforeseen impact on the world of sport including the sled dog sport, forcing us to adapt to the new environment we now all live in.
The Board of the WSA is pleased to announce that the 2021 On-Snow World Championship will be the first joint WSA/IFSS event and is scheduled to take place in Ramundberget and Åsarna (Sweden).
The WSA will organize the championship for all purebred classes Sprint and Mid-Distance in Ramundberget from 10-13 March 2021. The IFSS will organize the all breed Skidog and Sled Sprint and Mid-Distance disciplines in Åsarna from 10-14 March 2021. Ramundberget and Åsarna are located in the same region of Sweden. The travelling time between the two race sites is less than two hours.
The IFSS 2021 On-Snow World Championship was scheduled to take place in North America but due to the organizers withdrawing their bid to host the championship, regrettably, this plan could not be executed.
Looking for a new venue, the IFSS was presented with the opportunity to join forces with the WSA and to trial a joint championship - one part for purebred dogs and one part for all breed dogs.
The WSA has planned the event in Ramundberget since 2018. For the IFSS the decision to use the excellent trails in Åsarna was easy to approve. Åsarna offers first class trails for both Skidog and Sled disciplines. Both Ramundberget and Åsarna are very snow secure areas with early snow coverage, which makes for great trail preparation.
No one can predict what will happen during the next months when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic. We might face new travel restrictions worldwide and other regulations that will affect how sport events can be organized. Therefore, the WSA and IFSS will make their final decision on whether the 2021 On-Snow World Championship can go ahead by 1 December 2020.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and we hope to see many of you in November in Lamotte-Beuvron at the WSA Dryland World Championships,
The WSA Board
General Assembly 2020
Dear Members,
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the WSA Board has decided to cancel the 2020 WSA General Assembly.
There are currently no important decisions pending. However, proposals and membership applications can be submitted in writing before 1 September 2020. The Board will discuss these and respond with preliminary decisions. Any proposals dealt with in this way will be discussed in full at the 2021 General Assembly. This process will also be followed for applications to host one of our championships.
With regard to the 2020 WSA Dryland World Championship, our French member FFST has applied to host the Championship in Lamotte-Beuvron in France from the 13-15 November 2020. Whether it will be possible to stage the event in 2020 will very much be guided by science and how the pandemic develops across Europe in the coming months. Everyone’s health has to come first! However, for now we are working on staging the Championship and we will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
We wish you and your loved ones a good summer - take care and stay safe!
The WSA Board
ABGESAGT! WSA Championship Snow 2020
WSA Dryland Championship 2019
Wir freuen uns sehr bekanntzugeben dass unser britisches Mitglied AMWA die WSA Dryland World Championship 2019 ausrichtet.
Die Weltmeisterschaften werden am 16. und 17. November in Firle Estate an der Südküste von England stattfinden.
Weitere Informationen werden hier in den nächsten Wochen bekannt gegeben.
Exploratory talks about a closer collaboration between WSA and IFSS
Recently, a delegation of WSA (World Sleddog Association) and IFSS (International Federation of Sleddogsports) representatives met in Stockholm to explore the possibility of a closer collaboration between the two leading sled dog sport organisations.
The initial talks quickly showed that both organisations have many shared goals and face similar challenges, It was therefore decided to continue the conversation with a view to present the members of both organisations with a proposal of what a collaboration could look like at their General Assemblies in September 2019 (WSA) and June 2020 (IFSS) respectively.
May 20th, 2019
Arno Steichler, WSA Chairman
Helen Lundberg, IFSS President
WSA Generalversammlung 2019
Liebe WSA-Mitglieder,
die GA 2019 findet am 7. September im Hotel Prinz Carl in 74722 Buchen (Deutschland) statt. Zur Zeit sind hier noch 19 Zimmer verfügbar. Diese konnten wir bis ende April blocken. Falls Ihr eine Unterkunft benötigt nehmt bitte sobald wie möglich Kontakt mit dem Hotel auf und gebt an, dass Ihr Teilnehmer der WSA Generalversammlung seid. Alternativ sind auch Zimmer in den beiden Hotels Reichsadler und Am Ringpark verfügbar.
Am 6. und 7. September findet in Buchen der "Schützenmarkt" statt, dieser ist eines der größten Volksfeste der Region. Da Zimmer in dieser Zeit sehr gefragt sind, ist es ratsam sich zeitnah um die Unterkunft zu kümmern. Für alle Interessierten planen wir am Samstag einen Besuch auf dem Fest.
Die Einladungen und die Agenda werden demnächst versendet.
Viele Grüße,
das WSA Board
Die World Sleddog Association trauert um Andreas Kraft
Plötzlich und völlig unerwartet verstarb Andreas Kraft aus Deutschland dort, wo er sich am Wohlsten fühlte - in der Nähe seiner Lebensgefährtin Daniela Bigalke, seiner 2- und 4-beinigen Freunde. Nur ein schwacher Trost für diesen großen Verlust.
Andreas war als ehemaliger Welt- und Vizeweltmeister und Inhaber weiterer Spitzenplätze einer der erfolgreichsten Middle Distance-Sportler in unserer Historie. Auch sein eigenwilliger Charakter machte ihn zu einem ganz besonderen Menschen und persönlichen Freund.
Dani und Tochter Lina, mit einer großen Umarmung wollen wir mit euch verbunden sein!
RIP Andreas.
Im Namen der WSA,
Arno Steichler, Chairman
WSA Championship Snow 2019
Here you can find the Results for the 2019 WSA World Championship Snow in Haidmühle/Deutschland
(21-24 Februar 2019).
WSA Dryland Championship 2018
Here you can find the Results for the 2018 WSA Dryland World Championship in Samorin/Slovakia
(17-18 Nov 2018).
WSA Generalversammlung 2018: Schlüsselentscheidungen
- Alle neuen Mitgliedschaftsanträge und Einzelmitgliedschaftsanträge wurden angenommen
- Irene Valenkamp wurde als Director Public Relations bestätigt
- In Zukunft werden alle WSA Championships als Weltmeisterschaft ausgetragen
- Die Statuten des WSA werden rechtzeitig für die nächste Generalversammlung überarbeitet
- Die 2018 WSA Dryland World Championships finden am 17. und 18. November 2018 in Samorin / Slowakei statt
- Die 2019 WSA im Schnee Sprint & Middle Distance findet vom 21. - 25. Februar 2019 in Deutschland statt
- Die 2020 WSA im Schnee Sprint & Middle Distance findet in Österreich statt
- Die 2021 WSA im Schnee Sprint & Middle Distance findet in Schweden statt
Das Protokoll der Generalversammlung wird zu gegebener Zeit veröffentlicht.
