Mama Cruz talks to Annie Hammond from GLSDA about being raised mushing & more!

For those outside of the Great Lakes Sled Dog Association (GLSDA) area of membership, I want to take a few mintues to talk about an extraordinary young lady by the name of Annie Hammond. Annie, age 25 and a Michigan native, has been on a dog sled since 1998, and credits her Gradfather for getting her started in the sport. As many are figuring out, I love mushing FAMILIES, and their philosophies in raising their children. From learing compassion and responsibility from an early age on, the foundation to be a great human being is then set. And Annie is a fine example of just that. 

She began in 1998 with a small team of Siberians, and began racing the following year, but recreational mushing was still the highlight. By 2008, Annie joined GLSDA to try some larger races, and as she said to me "I got my butt kicked and loved it!" She decided to try the open classes with her first small team of hound crosses and her grandfather kept on with the purebreds, and after three years as a memeber of GLSDA she joined the Board in 2011. 

During that time, Annie managed to fit in a Bachelor's from Western MI University with a major in communications and a minor in sports history. So when the opportunity came to her to be Assistant Editor at the United Kennel Club, and more recently Co-Editor at ISDRA's Dog and Driver magaize, it was a perfect fit.  

Annie tells me that although she loves to race, one of her biggest sources of joy next to that is making sure others have race weekends that are fun, safe and enjoyable all the way around. I took note of her sacrifices a few years ago at a GLSDA race in Michigan, as she busied herself with everyone else's needs but her own. From filling in as a timer, to trail grooming, managing the entries, she is hands on getting teams to where they need to be, as safely as possible. Exceptional musher, exceptional human being.