The cold was behind Saturday’s decision to cancel a few outdoor events, including the first day of the annual Babe Southwick Memorial Dog Races.

But it was a go on Sunday, even though it was still well beyond nippy.

Vice-president Mandy Johnson of the Yukon Dog Mushers Association said the association wanted to get in some racing, particularly since family members of the late Southwick musher were on hand, as they are every year.

Johnson said Southwick’s daughter Glenna Southwick and her son Eric were both there.

Babe Southwick was a musher from Destruction Bay. She was in Whitehorse for the 1965 Rendezvous sled dog races but died suddenly of a heart attack after finishing in the top five on the first day of racing.

Mushers and hundreds of spectators gathered on the banks of the Yukon River for day-two of the races paid their respects to Southwick with a minute of silence and her bid number – number eight – was retired.

The Rendezvous races back in the day were like the Grey Cup or Olympics of sled dog racing in the Yukon, and across the North in general.

Johnson said the Yukon Dog Mushers Association presented Glenna and Eric with a photograph of Babe’s team and a number eight bib.

“It is kind of neat to keep it going,” Johnson said of the annual memorial races. “And the Southwicks are very supportive of that.”

Johnson said the cold did take it’s toll on the level of participation.

When the 10-dog event began it was -33 and it wasn’t much better when the six-dog race went out, she said.

The results are as follows.

In the 10 dogs sled - 13 miles

1. Armin Johnson: 44:39
2. Steve Gibbons: 1:00:20

6 dogs sled - 8 miles

1. Mandy Johnson: 24:47
2. Armin Johnson: 27:10

2 dogs skijoring - 8 miles:

1. Virginia Sarrazin: 28:46
2. Bob Sagar: 36:20
3. Lindsay Caskenette: 48:07

Rec Class 4 dogs sled or 2 dogs skijoring - 5 miles

1. Mandy Johnson: 18:00 (sled)
2. Mikayla Power: 21:00 (sled)
3. Amanda Walker: 24:24 (sled)
4. Virginia Sarrazin: 24:55 (skijoring)

Kids

1. Bode Johnson
2. Kassidy Power
3. Elan Johnson
4. Evander Jerome
5. Aniston Jerome
6. Heidi Johnson