Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Jan 21/02) - Thirteen-year-old Jason Baxter is a reigning world champion.

The Inuvik musher has been racing since age 10, and holds the crown in his age category for four-dog teams.

Young musher Jason Baxter gets a sloppy welcome from Becky the sled dog. - Lynn Lau/NNSL photo

He also holds the 2001 junior North American title.

The prizes and medals are the glamorous part, but behind each one goes countless hours of legwork.

"You have to keep them (dogs) happy," Baxter says. "You have to play with each one."

When you've got 15 racing dogs and another 13 others in training, keeping the dogs happy is one big job.

Up at 6:30 a.m. each day, Baxter and his dad, Mike, visit the dog lot and water the dogs before breakfast. Then at 8:30 a.m. it's off to school. After school Baxter spends another hour or two with the dogs.

He takes an hour dinner break and then he's out again to feed the dogs their fish gruel. By 9 p.m., he's back at home, in time to watch a little TV, and lift some weights before bed.

It doesn't leave much time for other things, but Baxter says he doesn't mind.

"I like it out here. It's more fun (than) walking around and hanging uptown."

If mushing seems natural to him, perhaps it's because keeping dogs runs in the family.

His father, Mike, used to train German shepherds for field competitions -- trials of obedience, tracking and protection.

Baxter's seven-year-old sister Rebecca has also won races. She finished third last year in the world championship two-dog race. And his maternal grandfather, Peter Kaye, was a well-known musher in his day who always kept dogs for travelling.

Every year, Baxter competes in about three major races and several other local ones.

"When you race, it's fun," Baxter says. "You get nervous at the front. Your belly squeezes up but you calm down on the track. After, you just want to know your time. It's real fun. I like it."