Tails, Trails and Triumphs by Philip Bull
- Wessex Canicross
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Fur Nations Cup is a spring tournament between England, Scotland and Wales, held over three rounds. Each country hosts one round, with three races per round. I entered with my pooch, Jaffa. We’ve been racing together for over three years and compete regularly, with some good results, so I was looking forward to this year’s Fur Nations. Last week, the first round of the 2026 competition took place at Pembrey in Wales and included canicrossers of all abilities and dogs of every breed from Eurohounds and Yorkshire Terriers to Dobermans and Dachshunds!
Day 1 was a 5km race on a challenging course with forest tracks and sand dunes, called “The Dunes of Despair” by some runners. The dunes are energy-sapping, but at least if you fall over, it’s a soft landing! A windy morning made the last 800 metres tough and feel endless. I've battled injury for most of this season, but Jaffa helped me finish second in the veteran male category.
Day 2 followed the same 5km course as before, fortunately with less wind. I completed it five seconds slower than the previous day, but nonetheless, I earned second place in the veteran male category across both races and a shiny new silver medal.
Day 3 was the beach race, arguably one of the most fun events ever! The course spans one mile along the beach, around some rocks, and then one mile back. At sunrise, 191 runners gathered on the beach. The race was scheduled to start early to avoid the incoming tide – that many dogs need a lot of beach! We all lined up for a mass start, and the sound of over 200 excited dogs was incredible (and deafening!). As there was no way the starter would ever be heard over the noise, she used an arm signal. When she dropped her arm, we took off!
I tried not to get pulled along by the leaders, knowing I couldn’t sustain their pace for two miles. A few runners pulled away from us at the start, but by the time we reached the turning point, no one had passed Jaffa and me. A few dogs had stopped to cool off in a pool by the rocks, but Jaffa didn’t stop, so we ran on. The return leg is higher up the beach on drier sand, so it’s heavier going. I crossed the line breathless, with sand in my mouth that Jaffa had kicked up! We finished first in the veteran male category with a time of 10:37, which was a personal best for me in the beach race.
Quite a few other Wessex Canicross members took part, with two winning places, including Jacquie Williams (2nd Veteran Female in the 5km races and the beach race) and Tom Smith (1st Super Veteran Male in the 5km).
I’m pleased to say England is in the lead after this round! Next is the English round at Shipley Country Park (nr. Derby) over the May bank holiday weekend, followed by the final round at the beautiful Glamis Castle in Scotland over the following May bank holiday weekend. I’m hoping more Wessex Canicross members can make it to these next two rounds.
Check www.canix.co.uk for entries – see you there!
