Handler-rookie Kristensen

Handler and rookie are normal concepts in the dog-mushing world. Steinar Kristensen is both.

A handler is for a musher what a caddy is for a golf-player. He tries to make sure that the game goes smoothly, Kristensen explains. - It is important to remember everything and make everything ready beforehand, he says. The handlers drive around the race-course with all the equipment that is needed along the way. At each checkpoint they place bags with food and equipment at designated areas so that the mushers find them upon arrival. The handlers are not allowed to help with the dogs at the checkpoints. - It is frustrating not to be allowed to help when you see that it is needed, Kristensen continues. It is the mushers alone who must take care of the dogs.   

A lot of waiting
The tempo is not always high during a long race like Finnmarksløpet. We wait quite a bit, very often impatiently. We want the musher to arrive as soon as possible. - The people in the dog-mushing community are very social so usually you find someone to talk to. at the same time there are loud speculations and secrecy. But that is part of the sport, he says. 

Preparations
Some handlers have more responsibility than other. Some train and choose the dogs for the race. Some keep continuous contact throughout the whole year before a race. 

Rookie
In addition to being a handler, Kristensen can "borrow" the title of mushers who participate in a race for the first time. Rookie means first-time-musher in a given sled-dog race. He is a first-timer.