For the first time this season, the Hot Hound races headed into the Ibex Valley.

The Dog Powered Sports Association of Yukon’s summer race series is now into its late season and the Ibex Valley race could be the last before the snow flies.

The one and two-mile bike and one-mile canicross were held on trails discovered by Virginia Sarrazin, who lives nearby and hosted the races.

During the race briefing, Sarrazin described the trails, which all went out and back on a double-track dirt-packed road, while the turn-arounds were animal trails that she had flagged.

Sarrazin has been living in the Ibex Valley for five years.

“I started exploring and I quickly found these,” she said. The trails she originally wanted to use were too muddy, so they switched it up.

The dirt-packed road was conducive to speed and Sarrazin and her dog, Spike, took full advantage, beating the rest of the one-mile bike field by more than one minute, finishing in seven minutes and six seconds.

“It went really well,” she said. “We know the trail so it was easy for us.”

Sarrazin, who is quite light, was the only racer to use a fat bike.

Heather Robb, who alongside her dog Rico, was second in 8:16. It was their first time running the trails.

“I found them slippery,” she said. “They were fun, really fun.”

The dirt on the road was damp, with puddles littering the course.

“The puddles were really slick, so I had to slow right down,” said Robb. “I can’t afford to crash.”

Rico is a sled dog, so he and Robb have been participating in the DPSAY races on and off for about six years.

“He needs to run,” she said. “It’s recreation for us.”

Rounding out the one-mile bike was Gaetan Pierrard, who has signed up for the 2017 Yukon Quest, in 8:23. In fourth was Bob Sagar in 9:08.

The lone participant in the two-mile bike was Robert Siefke. He finished alongside his dogs Opie and Bonnie in 10:56.

The canicross event was the closest of the evening, with new participant Mari Gullner Klasbu (13:50) edging Jaclyn Killins (13:55) out for the win.

It’s the first time this season that the participants only did one event each.

“I appreciate DPSAY keeping this going,” said Robb after the races. “It’s great for the dogs, great for the people and great for the community.”