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A total of 225 sleds participated in the annual Togo Snowmobile Derby

A total of 225 sleds, both contemporary and vintage, were taken to Togo on February 14 so that they could be operated in the community’s seventh annual Togo Snowmobile Derby.

            A total of 225 sleds, both contemporary and vintage, were taken to Togo on February 14 so that they could be operated in the community’s seventh annual Togo Snowmobile Derby.

            And for the second consecutive year, the derby included an Irondog vintage snowmobile derby, which had been held at other locations previously.

            The derby attracted 120 regular snow machines and 105 vintage sleds, said Amanda Burback, an organizer of the event which was sponsored by the Togo Centennial Committee.

            Sleds were brought to Togo from the surrounding area as well as from Regina, Saskatoon, Estevan and Brandon, Man., Burback said. “I know there were also some from Alberta.”

Burback said that last year the derby attracted 138 regular and 90 vintage sleds.

Added to the success of the Togo derby was the fact that other derbies had been cancelled due to a lack of sufficient snow, while at Togo “we had tons of it.”

Snowmobilers used a trail of about 80 kilometres for the regular derby, while the trail for the vintage machines, which had to be older than 1982 models, was about half that length.

For winning the regular derby, Jared Senchuk of Yorkton won a prize of $313. In second place was Blair Rathgaber of Langenburg, who received $188, and in third place was Terry Beattie of Grandview, Man., who took home $125.

The Irondog Vintage Derby was won by Richard Gehl of Tregarva, who took home $268. John Bailey of Roblin won $161 for placing second and Bruce Falkevituh of Russell received $107 for placing third in the derby.

The oldest sled in the vintage derby was a 1965 Skidoo OLX, while the participant from the farthest distance came from Calgary.

Winners of the derby’s silent hands were: Vern Burback to Togo, $125; Tanner Chutskoff of Cote Siding, $75, and Sterling Erhardt of Kamsack, $50.

Members of the Togo Centennial Committee and other volunteers who organized and conducted the derby included: Cherie Harper, Loretta Erhardt, Tiffany Stone, Trudy Lockhart, Amanda Burback, Patty Harper, Elaine Dixon, Ebony Stilborn, Leanne Dixon, Connie Barrowman, Chelsey Williams, Wayne and Donna Airriess, Paul Jensen, Harley and Laurel Fatteicher and Mike and Krysta Ruf.

Trail organizers were Pete Mysko, Dennis Mysko and Albert Konowalchuk for the vintage trail, and Zane Woodworth, Stacy Erhardt, Woody Mutrie, Howard Rauckman, Curtis Stone, Ralph Hilderman, Albert Konowalchuk for the Togo trail.