The best thing about a man is his dog." French Proverb

NEWSLETTER 31.01.2012

Dear Members,

as we now are close to the Sprint European Championships in Tarvisio, would you please be so kind to send your list of participants to the president and copy to Walter Treichl, Massimo Bassan and Marco Visconti ?
Here are the mail adresses :
franco.mannato@orange.fr ;
walter.treichl@sbg.at ;
president@fimss.com ;
linda.bv@libero.it .

Thank you very much.

NEWSLETTER 24.01.2012

About EC Sprint Tarvisio, Italy

Dear Friends,

We have just received good news from the organisers of our Sprint EC in Tarvisio.
Everything is under control and, while the organisers continue to work on the preparation of the race on the usual place where they are waiting for the snow, we have been informed that the backup trails (just about 6 km from the normal place) are in perfect conditions and therefore would allow us to organise our Championships on trails that go up to 18km.

Snowfalls are expected soon on the "master" location, but already the race may take place on the backup site.

More news are expected by the end of the week

NEWSLETTER 18.01.2012

About EC Sprint Tarvisio, Italy

As you may know -- the countries on the northern side of the Alps have got a lot of snow, but unfortunately the Italian side is suffering from lack of snow.
The board has received questions and criticism for not informing about the situation and we take that very serious but are depending on the info we get from the organizers.
We can inform you that the organizers of the Championship are constantly working to keep up front in this issue and have informed us that the weather forecast is promising snow from Saturday next week.
A possible site for trails of 18/20 km in higher altitude is an alternative in the very neighbourhood of Tarvisio!

While the website dedicated to the FISTC EC in Tarvisio should be ready as from tomorrow at the following address www.tarvisio2012.fimss.com , we can already now provide all members with the following information about the location and hotels.

The Tarvisio Tourism Office can be contacted and there are people speaking Italian, English, German and Slovenian. The responsable person is Mrs Cristiana TEOT, she can be reached either by mail: consorzio@tarvisiano.org or by phone: +39 0428 2392

Special prices have been arranged for competitors:

Hotel ***:
Stay of 2/3 nights B&B at 32.00 _ /person per day on the basis of a 2 persons room.
For half pension there is a supplement of 15,00 _ per person
Supplement for a single room 10.00 _ / day per person.

Hotel **:
Stay of 2/3 nights B&B at 27,00 _ / day per person in a 2 persons room.
Half pension with a supplement of 15,00 _ / person;
Supplement for a single room 10,00 _ /day per person.

These really low prices (for Italy) are the result of the efforts made by the FIMSS together with the Mayor of Tarvisio and the President of the Region Friuli/Venice/Giulia who are sponsoring this event.

More information will be available soon.

Hoping for further positive news we remain

Your Board

NEWSLETTER 11.01.2012

We received from the local organizer the programm for the EC MD & LT in Gyron, there are also further information about the place and accomodation in that area.

Click here to see the EC MD & LT programm >>>>>

NEWSLETTER 19.12.2011

Now it is Christmas, and the Board wants to express our very good wishes for a merry X-mas for all our members in our common Federation ISTC, and do hope for all of us to have a happy and prosperous New Year where peace and good mood will drive us all to improve common goals.

Happy New Year from
Your Board

NEWSLETTER 03.12.2011

The FISTC Middle Distance and Long Trail Championships will be organised on 24-26 February 2012 in GRYON (VD) Switzerland. The race will take place in a very beautiful place in the Alps. More details will soon be added on the website and communicated to all National Delegates.

FISTC EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP CART 2011
SMLEDNIK (SLOVENIA)
17 - 20 november 2011

DAY 3
Sunday 20 november

Here we are, the third heat came to an and. Once again the weather was perfect for the dogs - cold (-3C) and cloudy. Trails remained in perfect conditions and this race gave 100% satisfaction to all participants and their dogs.
Of course Austria is the big winner with 5 gold medals and a total of 17 medals.
France takes the second place with also 5 gold medals but only 10 medals as a whole and final the excellent surprise is the third place taken by Belgium with 4 gold medals.
This race will remain in all our memories because not only it was perfectly organized and a total success but also for the friendship and great hospitality we received from our Slovenian friends.
So, goodbye Slovenia and thank you.
We will come back for sure!

Clck here for final result list >>>>>>>>>>

DAY 2
Saturday 19 november

Cold (-3) and cloudy weather, perfect for the race and the dogs. This second day of race was at least as good as yesterday and probably even better. All dogs and their mushers enjoyed once again the beautiful trails.
We were also very impressed by the media coverage of this event with several national and local televisions and the organizer Matjaz Ovsenek on the front page of the biggest national newspaper.
In most categories this second day confirmed and often reinforced the result from the first day. In Middle distance, Gerald Schinzel (A), Roman Habasko (CZ), Alexandre Rullier (F) and Harry Braeckmans (B) are still leading their respective categories, as do Jan Pederson (DK), Pascal Gerard (F), Alexander Serdjukov (A), Laurent Blot (F), Andrej Drabik (SK) and Bernd Kirstein (D) in Cart.
The same situation takes place for the bike men classes while in bike women the Austrian Eva Pfannhauser took the first place from the Belgian Virginie Brice and we can expect an exciting third day with less than 5 s difference.
In category Scooter class 2/1 dog, Sepp Brugger (A) with 1 Greenland dog won two places and is now leader .
Tomorrow the canicross classes will no more have a mass start but instead a 'chasing' start as they will start at the real time difference.
So more exciting!
This FISTC Cart Championship is really an almost perfect race.

Result list of the second day >>>>>>>

Click here for the web site of Smlednik where you can find some pictures >>>>>>>>

DAY 1
Friday 18 november

Smlednik a small and very nice community close to Ljubljana is succeeding in organizing and almost perfect European Championship Cart with the FISTC. Yesterday, Thursday, an excellent team of 3 vets have been checking most of the 114 teams that reached the place with a cold and foggy but dry weather.
Today, they had to send back home a team whose dogs vaccinations were not up to date.
Then the race started at 9.30 am still with a cold and foggy weather with the middle distance classes.
All trails for MD and Sprint are perfectly prepared. In MD A, Gerald Schinzel (A) is leading the category after the first day. In MD B the leader is Roman Habasko (CZ). MD C1 and C2 are leaded respectively by Alexandre Rullier (F) and Harry Braeckmans (B2 - Malamutes).
In sprint Jan Pedersen (DK) is first but closely followed by Karl Rachbauer (A). In B1 the French Pascal Gerard is followed by Lajos Koffer (H). In C1 Alexander Serdjukov (A) is first closely followed by three Italian teams. The C2 class is leaded by Laurent Blot (F) and his 4 Greenland dogs. The first place in D1 belongs to Andrej Drabik (SK) and in D2 to Bernd Kirstein (D).
Many concurrents are starting in the bike and scooter classes as well as in canicross. We just want to underline the outstanding performance in canicross junior of the young French girl Maylis Gerard, first in junior A ( 13 years old ) as she would also be first in the senior woman canicross.
Here are the first today in these classes:

Bike 1 men - 2 dogs: Ludovic Brasseur (B)
Bike 1 women - 1 dog: Roman Reistetter (SK)
Bike 1 women - 1 dog: Virginie Brice ( B)
Bike 2 men - 1 dog: Jean Michel Hoog (F)
Scooter 1 / 2 dogs: Sebastian Astelbauer (A)
Scooter 1 dog: Klaus Baumel (A)
Scooter 2 / 1 dog: Manuel Haslacher (A)
Canicross 2 dogs: Diego Buranello (ITA)
Canicross 1 dog: Michal Ivanco (SK)
Canicross 1 dog: Zdenka Duskova (CZ)
Canicross junior : Maylis Gerard (F)

Result list of the first day of race >>>>>

NEWSLETTER 08.11.2011

Dear members,
the next EC Cart in Smlednik is approching and the local organizer inviate some further informations and the rules that all teams partecipating has to follow in the stake out area.
On the web site of Smlednik you can find additional information in the pages of FISTC EC Cart (www.smlednik.sl)

Here attached the musher info (click here >>>>)

Regards
Your Board

NEWSLETTER 30.10.2011

Dear members,
we receive the program and the timetable of the next EC Cart in Smlednik:

17.11.2011:
10.00 to 16.00 : arriving and checking equipment and dogs;
18.00: opening ceremony;
19.00: musher meeting;
18-19-20.11. 2011 every day start at 9.30.
On friday and saturday at 18.00 musher meeting
Saturday at 19.00 musher evening.
Sunday at 15.30 awards cerimony

Regards
Your Board

NEWSLETTER 25.10.2011

Dear Members.
the local organizers of the EC Cart send us the map of the trails.
This the lenght of the trails:
MD O, A, B, C = 15km, flat trail
class A sprint = 10km, flat trail
class B sprint = 8km, Flat trail
class C sprint, D, Bikejoring (1 and 2 dogs), scooter all classes,canicros all classes = 4,7km, flat trail.

Regards
Your Board

NEWSLETTER 19.10.2011

Dear Members.
the local organizers and the TD of cart race decided to reduce the distance for A class to 10 km.
This the distance of the trails:
MD O, B, C = 15km, flat trail
class A sprint = 10km, flat trail
class B sprint = 8km, Flat trail
class C sprint, D, Bikejoring (1 and 2 dogs), scooter all classes,canicros all classes = 4,7km, flat trail.

Regards
Your board

NEWSLETTER 17.10.2011

Dear members,

we received some information about the trails of the Cart EC 2011 in Smlednik, Slovenia.
The trails will be almost the same distance like in Raingers.
MD O, B, C = 15km, flat trail
A1 sprint = 12km, flat trail
B1, B2 sprint = 8km, Flat trail
sprint C1, C2, D1, D2, Bikejoring (1 and 2 dogs), scooter all classes,and canicros all classes = 4,7km, flat trail.
We attached some pictures of the trail (click here >>>>).

Greetings from
Your board

NEWSLETTER 10.10.2011

Dear Members.
Here you get a link to an map showing you how to come to the Campsite when participating in the EC Cart 2011.
As soon as further info arrives we will keep you informed here.

Regards
Your board

Click here to see the map >>>>>>

NEWSLETTER 09.10.2011

Now we can inform you that the EC Cart has been confirmed by our Slovenian friends and organizers.

The final meeting with the community and press has taken place and we can invite you to participate in a three days event with arrival on the 17.11.2011 and then three days of racing on the 18., 19., and 20th. - as scheduled.

Please send your application for the race to the delegate in your country who will forward it to the Director of Cart races - Guust Zagers, to the treasurer Walter Treichl, and to the President Franco Mannato on the 10.11.2012 the latest.

The Championship will take place in Smlednik only 5 Km from the Motorway not far south from the Austrian border, and stake out, Start and finish will take place in a Camping Place, http://www.dm-campsmlednik.si where you will also find electricity, water etc.

- Other lodging options

5km from Smlednik: http://www.naklancu.com/index.php?id=1

7km from Smlednik: http://www.agoda.si/europe/slovenia/medvode/hotel_medno.html

7km from Smlednik: http://www.sobe-rooms-petra.com/slo/sobe-in-cenik/

9km from Smlednik: http://www.booking.com/hotel/si/penzion-jagodic.sl.html?label=gog235jc;sid=e96c66b0ebdc6142c2a59676e476af9c;checkin=2011-11-17;checkout=2011-11-20;srfid=caf5f9f9b3053f683fbf76c39b8f1054X11 9km from Smlednik

10 km from Smlednik:http://www.booking.com/hotel/si/turizem-loka.sl.html?label=gog235jc;sid=e96c66b0ebdc6142c2a59676e476af9c;checkin=2011-11-17;checkout=2011-11-20;srfid=caf5f9f9b3053f683fbf76c39b8f1054X12

As soon as we have further info we shall keep you updated.

Kind regards

Your Board

NEWSLETTER 28.09.2011

In the minutes from latest General Assembly in Slovakia some errors occured in the form showing the anticipated number of teams for the Championships in 2011/2012.
We regret this very much and apoligize for it and at the same time we thank Mushing Holland for bringing this to our attention.
You will find the new figures in the minutes.

Regards from
your board

NEWSLETTER 03.09.2011

After the GA in Marianska, Check Republic there are several things to correct in various race rules and things to inform more broadly - so we will insert new updated race rules and in the very beginning of these inform what has been corrected to make it more easy. These corrections can also be found in the minutes from the GA.

In "Documents" we take out what was written about travelling rules and will bring a link to the latest EU rules, (http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/qanda_en.htm)

The issue "Doping" will be taken out as well and instead we refer to the WADA rules.

During the GA it was announced that WADA is in a position to check our dogs anywhere and when they want - even on private trainings. Please also notice that WADA will check not only the dogs but also the mushers, so keep clean.

A further very important thing is that the obligatory blood test for enough resistance towards rabies when going to Sweden, Norway and United Kingdom expires by 2012. There are different demands for treatment for worms that has to be taken into consideration as well so please look up for this as well as time limits for vaccinations. It is not the same in every country.

The manual for releasing dog passes has been extended by a new form ensuring that dogs in type, weight and height but not able to go to a show (maybe castrated, missing teeth or other things) can have an accept also.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2011
Marianska, Czech Republic
18th-19th JUNE 2011

Minutes of GA 2011

Report from the Presidente, Mr. Franco Mannato:

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Delegates,

I am very happy to welcome you here in the Czech Republic for this General Assembly and I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Roman HABASKO and the Czech Club for the excellent organisation of this event. We, the FISTC were already several times in this area, in the beautiful Karlovy Vary and two times also in Bozi Dar, beautiful places where we twice had the FISTC European Championships MD/LT.
This year my report will be mixed as we had some positive aspects and several negative ones during the past year.
We started the FISTC international season with the fourth European Cart Championship in Reingers, Austria....... Click here to read all text>>>>

Click here to read all the reports

Click here to read the minute of GA >>>>

The race calendar 2011/2012

18th -20nd November 2011
European Championship Cart- Slovenia - SMLEDNIK

10th -12th February 2012
World championhip Sprint - Italy - TARVISIO

European Championship MD/LT, Not determined

New information about Dog Passes

In the Board of FISTC we hear a lot about uncertainty among mushers regarding the new Rules of getting Dog Passes. They understand this new Rule as a restriction of the dogs to be used at Races, but the contrary is the fact!.

This new rule creates ONE POSSILITY MORE to get a Dog Pass.

The fundamental Rule and one of the key reasons for the existence of the FISTC is, that the dogs MUST be pure-bred AND within the standard. Only then the dog can get a Dog Pass.

After the GA in Chiomonte a dog can get a Dog Pass in three ways:

1. The original old way--- just as before the latest General Assembly: -- by getting a new FISTC Dog Pass in own Country verified by the Domestic Club, and preferrably by a Judge. A Responsible Person in the Club must send Data (Pass Port Number, name of the dogs with Chipnumbers) to the President, the Secretary and Walter Treichl in due time before the Championship.

Then the dog will be controlled during the pre-racing check by a FCI judge (please remember that we decided, that such a judge should be available at the Racing Site during the GA in 1995.), and as Franco Mannato is a FCI judge, he can do this, but only in case no other judges are available.

2. The possibility to use the EU/EC Dog Passport was lately accepted too. One of the last pages may be used as above, but it is necessary to stress, that also here a photo is mandatory.

and 3. (This is the new Rule, which was decided at the latest GA): when a NEW dog (whose microchip is not yet in the FISTC database) is judged by an FCI judge prior to the race and has been rewarded with a GOOD, and this is verified and follows each of the two possibilities mentioned above, it is immediately accepted by the FISTC.

So there is no need for additional costs (as is one of the complaints) because you DO NOT HAVE to to have the dog judged at a dog show.You MAY, in order to know in advance, that the dog will be accepted for Racing in FISTC Championships.

Also remember, these rules only apply to NEW dogs, that have not run before at our Championships, because all other dogs already have a dog pass

Your Board