Canine obstacle course promises to be one Ruff Mudder
Ruff Mudder is set to attract up to 1,600 participants from the United States and Canada to Stayner for a dog-friendly obstacle event at Abernant Veterinary Services and farm on August 27-28.
A five-kilometre trail takes participants through at least 80 obstacles designed to provide people and their dogs a fun activity that they can do together, along with a day out in the country, and a chance to visit a real working farm.
The obstacle course that the team has created takes people through fields, stands of wildflowers, hardwood forest, and a bog.
“People have to get muddy,” says Tai DeLuna, owner and veterinarian at Abernant. “And wet.”
Guaranteed, there will be mud, water, and a 20-acre corn maze. The old equestrian jumps on the property have been incorporated into the course, along with culverts, ponds, a straw house, a slip-and-slide, ninja line, rock climbing wall, a spider web and dog teeter totter.
Some of the obstacles are geared toward the dog but at others, the humans have to do all the work and the dogs still get the treats.
It takes about 40 volunteers and countless hours to prepare the course each year.
Participants leave in heats, staggered throughout the day on either the Saturday or Sunday. They can walk, run or sprint. It’s not a race but some people take the fitness challenge very seriously, aiming to beat the course record (which is not recorded). There are prizes but not for “winning.” The prizes include “best-dressed,” the muddiest dog and the “spirit award,” which in 2019 went to a three-legged dog and person who were out there helping and encouraging others along the course.
At the end, there is a cold beverage available from Collingwood Brewery, a dog centric vendors’ market and food trucks.
The idea for Ruff Mudder morphed out of the DeLunas personal fitness activities. Tai said that her spouse Cayra – a partner in Balance for Wellness which does fitness retreats, yoga and other activities – would be training for various races with Tai and their dog Raze but when it came time to go to the event, they always had to leave the dog at home.
They wanted to do something that would be a fun activity for both the pet and their person. Cayra started offering doga (yoga for people and dogs) and the idea for Ruff Mudder grew from there.
Tai said they had also received a lot of feedback from Abernant open houses that indicated people loved walking the trails on the 98-acre farm.
The event has been running since 2015, but events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the pandemic.
The farm is the real beneficiary, says Tai, because the event allows them the financial flexibility to allow a rotating portion of farmland to go to fallow each year, allowing it to regenerate
Other proceeds support three charities: The Farley Foundation is included each year; the local charity of choice this year is the Georgian Triangle Humane Society, the global charity is WWF.
The event is supported by businesses and organizations that sponsor obstacles.
To register, visit ruffmedder.ca. Fees range from $80 per individual to $50 per person for a family of four. Abernant is located at 6725 Highway 26, Stayner.
