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Togo snowmobile derby said “most beautiful ride this year”

With snow melting all around, leaving brown patches on what should have been a clean, crisp, cold snow-covered landscape, organizers of the Togo snowmobile derbies on February 19 were worried.

            With snow melting all around, leaving brown patches on what should have been a clean, crisp, cold snow-covered landscape, organizers of the Togo snowmobile derbies on February 19 were worried.

            “We didn’t think there would be enough snow,” said Amanda Burback, an organizer of the annual event that included a snowmobile derby and an Irondog vintage derby.

“So many said it couldn't be done with the amount of snow we had, but it was enough,” Burback said.

            And although only about half the number of entrants from an average year had registered, things turned out much better than organizers thought they would.

            “It was the most beautiful ride we've had this year. Absolutely beautiful," said Don Pugh, who ended up winning the vintage derby.

            Other snowmobilers said that the trail was “perfect” and “awesome,” she said, adding that there was still “lots of snow in the bush.”

            The derby consisted of two loops. The regular derby took snowmobilers north to the Duck Mountain Provincial Park and then back to Togo, and then south to the Assiniboine River valley and back to Togo for a total distance of 80 kilometres.

The vintage machines went on a course of 48 kilometres from Togo to the Iron Dog shelter and back to Togo.

Snowmobilers in the regular derby said that the north half of the route was the best, while the south half was “fine,” Burback said. They said they were apprehensive about the route, but once on the trail, they discovered that there had been enough snow.

There were a total of 65 vintage and 52 regular riders registered, she said.

Winners of the regular derby were: Ken Warriner of Kamsack, first; Jaron Weinmaster of Yorkton, second, and Harold Bilokreli of Yorkton, third.

In the vintage derby, Don Pugh  of Brandon, Man., placed first; Madie Lamontagne of Inglis, Man., second, and John Gehl to Tregarva, third.

Winners of the silent hands portion of the event were: Brian Hupalo of Dauphin, Man., first; Vernon Burback of Yorkton, second, and Kate Erhardt of Togo, third.

In addition many raffle prizes were won.

Only two of the vintage machines had broken down on the route, Burback said. Both were minor problems and both machines were easily towed back to Togo.

Asked who was responsible for setting the derby’s trails, Burback said that “every guy in Togo with a snowmobile helped. They all got together and made the trails.”

The event was organized by the Togo Centennial Committee which plans to use proceeds to pay for the community’s beautification project which includes improvements to the park and playground.