Breed History

The Russians tried to conquer the Chukchi peoples. Despite killing many many Chukchi’s – and their dogs – the Russians did essentially fail, deciding it better just to proclaim that they had conquered the area. This was not the end, as in the Stalinist Communist era, it was decided that all manners of traditional life would be stopped, and this even meant killing the native dog breeds in order to replace them with motorised vehicles. Of course, again, the Chukchi did know best, and by all accounts, even in these hard times, found it amusing that the Soviets did have to admit the worth of the dogs when they found that all their supposed superior vehicles all froze up in the harsh tundra of the Siberian interior.

Much favoured by Russian explorers who charted the Siberian coastline in the 17th century, Siberians from the Chukchi peoples made their first reported appearances in Alaska in the early 1900’s. It was always going to happen, due to close proximity of Siberia and Alaska, separated only by the Bering Strait. Chances are that the Chukchi dogs were actually in Alaska a long time before these reported cases, indeed a Russian Lieutenant named Zogoskin, wrote of his experiences of sled dogs in the Alaskan region in 1842 through to 1844, detailing the way in which the Alaskan natives were driving their dogs.

In 1908, a Russian fur trader named William Goosak crossed the Bering Strait and arrived in Nome, Alaska – a place so called purely as a result of the mis reading of a clerks writing on a map of the words ‘no name’- with the intention of running in the 1909 All Alaska Sweepstakes Race – a then 408 mile race. Quickly named ‘Siberian Rats’ by the locals, due to their lighter frames and smaller size, it looked as if Goosak would have an uphill struggle convincing the Alaskans’ of his dogs abilities. Goosak persuaded Louis Thurstrup to drive his team, and, to everyone’s surprise, nearly won the race. He finally finished third in that year, mainly due to a strategical error by Thurstrup. Goosak sold his dogs to a Nome fur trader named Charlie Madsen.

The dogs had, however, inspired another, namely a young Scotsman named Fox Maule Ramsay. He was the second son of the Earl of Dalhousie and arrived in Nome with tow uncles. The family has interests in the goldfields. Ramsay was fascinated by the dog driving, and with the help and advice of Ivor Olsen, he went to the small settlement of Markovo on the banks of the Anadyr River in Siberia, and reports says he purchased somewhere in the region of 60 to 70 of the best dogs. The 1910 All Alaska Sweepstakes saw Ramsay enter three teams. He entered one team in his own name which he drove, one in the name of his uncle Colonel Charles Ramsay, driven by John ‘Iron Man’ Johnson, and the third in the name of his other uncle, Colonel Weatherly Stuart, driven by Charlie Johnson.  

The team driven by John Johnson went on to win the race in a never equalled or beaten time of 74hrs, 14mins and 37 seconds. Fox’s team finished second, and the one driven by Charlie Johnson finished in fourth. From this tome onwards these so called ‘Siberian Rats’ were admired and gained in popularity.

In 1913, a miner in Nome, namely Jafet Lindenberg was contracted by Norwegian explorer Amundson to buy and train up some dogs for an expedition to the North Pole. When the expedition was cancelled, Lindenberg turned all the dogs over to a friend, employee and a fellow Norwegian to be raced for Lindenberg. This man would become one of the greatest names in Siberian Huskies – namely the Norwegian Leonhard Seppala. He won the All Alaska Sweepstakes for a first time in 1915. Seppala is perhaps best known for his heroic actions in the 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome. Details of this incredible story can be found in many books

By the 1930’s all major Chukchi villages in Siberia had permanent Russian residents to ensure that the Soviet ‘modernisation program’ was fully implemented. In 1930, seeing the sad decline of the Chukchi dogs, Arctic explorer and fur trader Olaf Swenson selected and exported the last pure bred group of these dogs to Alaska. (He had earlier imported dogs to Leonhard Seppala in Alaska.) The most famous dogs of the last importation were named Kreevanka and Tserko, who went to Elizabth Rickers Poland Spring Kennels in Maine and then on to Harry Wheeler.  

Leonhard Seppala worked to standardise the breed. By means of his travels, he introduced many people to the sport of sled dog racing. The Kennel he set up with Elizabeth Ricker in Poland Spring, Maine – known as the Ricker/Seppala Kennel –, though only in operation for 5 years, set the ‘benchmark’ for the breeds characteristic looks and temperament. Indeed, it's true to say that the breed really developed due to importations in to this Kennel.

From the early days with the Chukchi through its’ introduction to Alaska, and then, in modern times, on round the world, the Siberian Husky has endured. Its’ original function and characteristics must never be forgotten. Let us not change this breed in to anything resembling any other Northern Arctic breed, and let us uphold the type of dog that the Chukchi peoples admired and the early Alaskan breeders worked so hard to standardise! 

The first recorded Siberian Husky in the UK was in May 1968 when two puppies were imported from Norway. Mr & Mrs Proffit had seen the bred in Switzerland, and decided to bring a pair in to the country. These were a silver grey dog called Killick, and a dark grey bitch called Togli.

The first Siberian to be registered with the Kennel Club was a grey and white bitch called Yeso Pac’s Tasha. She was owned by Bill and Jean Cracknell. They also imported a male called Savdajaure’s Samovar. Both these dogs feature in the pedigree’s of many Sibes in the UK.

Don and Liz Leich imported two unrelated dogs in Douschka of Northwood and Ilya of Northwood on their return to the UK from the States in 1971. Douschka produced the first litter for the Forstal’s Kennel in 1972. This started a dynasty of dogs still going strong today.

Siberians have been actively worked and shown in the UK since they arrived on these shores. It has always been the mindset in the UK to maintain a dual purpose type dog, rather than fashion it purely for the showring or for the trail.

The most influential lines in the UK have been Alaskan Anadyr of Natalie and Earl Norris and Seppala, and this remains so today, though there has been the recent introduction of European specialist racing lines. Other favoured lines have been Sepp-Alta and Lokiboden. Early custodians of this lovely breed in the early days in addition to the Leichs’ were, Jenny Manley of the Skimarque Kennels, Lynn Harrison of the Brushbow Kennels and  Sandra Bayliss to name a few.  

Siberian Huskies gained Championship status in the UK showring in 1986, when Liz Leich’s daughter, Sally, judged Crufts. The first UK Champion was the Leich’s grey and white dog, Ch Forstal’s Mikishar The Amarok. The first bitch Champion was another Forstal bred dog, namely Keith MacCallum’s red bitch, Ch Forstal’s Noushka. The first Siberian to win a BIS at an All Breeds Championship Show was, again, one of the Leich’s in the grey and white dog Ch Forstal’s Meshka. One of the breeds most influential sires in this country was Goosack of Kolyma, pictured below. 

The SHCGB was born out of the growth in the numbers of Siberian Huskies, and also due to the fact that the Husky Club of Great Britain won a name change from the Kennel Club. It became the Eskimo Dog Club of Great Britain, and could therefore not really cater for Siberians anymore. The proposed SHCGB needed a minimum of 25 founder members. These were; Messrs Les Crawley, Dave Lace, F Crawshaw, Mike Love, David Samuel, V Springthorpe, d Campbell, T Plant and Mesdames Heather Crawshaw, Ranee Crawley, Liz Leich, Sally Leich, Sheril Leich, Sandra Bayliss, J Matthews, Mags Holt, Jean Lace, D. Plant, Elizabeth Love, Esmee Samuel, Lynn Harrison, Stella Colling Mudge, G.M Arnold and Janet Ward. We are indebted to these people for getting the SHCGB registered.

The inaugural meeting of the newly formed Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain was on 16th May 1977. The first committee consisted of Les Crawley as Chair, Heather Crawshaw as Secretary, Dave Lace as Treasurer, Liz Leich as Vice Chair, and Sandra Bayliss, Sally Leich, Sheila Sones, Jenny Manley and Margaret Holt. In these days the Club had Area Representatives, a Welfare committee and a Breed Advisory Committee. How hard these people worked to get the Club on a firm footing. An important aspect of the initial years was the rewriting of the Siberian Husky standard. This was done by Nancy Dilling, Stella Colling-Mudge, Sally Leich, Liz Leich, Les Crawley and Ranee Crawley.  

The first working event held in the country was a sponsored run in aid of Siberian Welfare. The South Downs Way was chosen as the venue, and the distance – wait for it – 20 miles! A racing sub-committee was set up, and the first sled dog race in this country was organised to held at Hankley Common in October 1978. The course was set at 3 miles. A second race was held at Cannock Chase in March 1979, organised by Keith MacCallum and Trevor Plant. This was the first race to be held on Forestry Commission Land. 1982/83 season saw 4 events, and the then Siberian Committee (Kari Coyne, Sally Leich, John Evans, Penny Evans, Wendy Harris, Keith MacCallum, Ana Sanchez, and Mike Harrison) decided to make annual awards for Team of the Year and Musher of the Year. 1984/85 saw 7 rallies, 1985/86 had nine rallies and a fun rally.