EU rule forces Scots huskies out of world championships

SCOTLAND'S sled-dog racers have been forced to pull out of world championships because of a "barking mad" European Union regulation which limits the number of huskies allowed to travel to events, an MEP has claimed.

• Terry Coldham drives his team at Aviemore. Competitors with more than five dogs will need a commercial licence Picture: Ian Rutherford

Enthusiasts warn they have already been forced to abandon plans to compete abroad and said the rules threaten the growth of the sport in Scotland.

The regulation, which came into force earlier this year, limits to five the number of dogs, cats or ferrets that can be moved at any one time.

The restriction has forced the Sled Dog Association of Scotland (SDAS) to cancel plans to travel to Norway for the sport's world championship next year.

The organisation is also concerned it will have to abandon plans to bring the European off-snow championships in 2014 and world championships in 2015 to Scotland.

Last night Struan Stevenson, Scottish Conservative MEP, said the tally of five animals appeared to have been reached in an "arbitrary" manner and did not take into account the needs of those transporting animals for genuine sporting purposes.

Mr Stevenson said: "Sled-dog competitors from Scotland routinely take up to 15 dogs when they compete in championships around the EU. By limiting the number to five, Brussels has effectively killed off this sport.

"This is a completely unacceptable infringement of our citizens' freedom to travel with their pet dogs in the pursuit of their sport.

"I have written to the European Commission demanding a derogation that will enable sled dog competitors to continue to travel freely in Europe with as many dogs as they wish."

Mr Stevenson added: "It would seem that the officials have chosen cats, dogs and ferrets for various reasons.

"Some restrictions would be aimed at families travelling with cats or dogs but would also be targeting people involved in activities such as puppy farming and could be transporting a dozen animals at a time.

"Ferrets are used a lot in Europe for hunting rabbits, and this is way of stopping large movements."

Charlie Brecknell, chairman of the Sled Dog Association of Scotland, said: "I have just spent a lot of money getting our dogs ready to travel for the world championships in Norway next year and, like other UK mushers, we now will not be able to go.

"The cost implications are now just too great due to this new regulation requiring us to get a commercial licence to travel with the number of dogs.

"Unless this regulation is changed, competitors from Scotland are not going to be travelling to the continent to represent this country."

The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain said some members would now find it difficult to train in Alpine snowand warned it would hinder efforts to attract foreign competitors to its race in Aviemore, which brought an estimated 400,000 to the local economy this year.

A spokesman for the club said: "We are concerned about this. It will potentially stop members travelling to other European countries to compete and train."