David Bush, of Sunriver, races with his dog team in the 100-mile Idaho Sled Dog Challenge earlier this month.

For Central Oregon mushers Dave Bush and Jane Devlin, the sport of sled-dog racing really is all about their relationship with their dogs.

“You’re there when they’re born, you develop them,” Bush said. “It takes a year or two to develop them to work with the team. Watching them get trained is just an amazing thing. At the beginning of the year, it’s just so hectic, and then the next thing you know, you’ve got a perfect team and everybody’s doing their job.”

Bush, 40 and of Sunriver, finished fifth in 21 hours, 34 minutes, in the 100-mile Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, staged Feb. 1-2 near Cascade and McCall, Idaho. Devlin, also of Sunriver, finished 13th in 23 hours, 12 minutes.

Devlin, in her late 50, races the Triple Crown each year, which includes three 100-mile sled-dog races: the Eagle Cap Extreme in the Wallowas in northeast Oregon, the Idaho Challenge, and the Race to the Sky in western Montana.

“I go to the races because it’s like a supported adventure,” Devlin said.

“It’s an adventure, and they’ve set it up for dogs. And you can see beautiful country and not worry about the public so much.”

Devlin is headed to the Race to the Sky in Lincoln, Montana, and plans to compete in the 100-mile race scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday.

Devlin moved to Sunriver from Santa Cruz, California, 17 years ago and took up mushing.

She was rescuing Siberian Huskies, and she began to train them as sled dogs.

“I knew there was a culture here, so I moved here because I wanted to run dogs,” Devlin said. “They all deserve the best life. I’ve got a younger team (of dogs) and an older team, and everybody gets the best life possible.”

A unique aspect of sled-dog racing is that men and women compete on a completely level playing field. In fact, Montana mushers Josie Thyr and Nicole Lombardi won this year’s 300-mile and 100-mile races, respectively, at the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge. According to ISDC founder and organizer Jerry Wortley, women have won all but one race since its debut in 2018.

“It’s absolutely a level playing field,” Devlin said. “It’s really about the dogs and how you care for them. You’re not going anywhere if you don’t have good dog care. You just have to pay attention to the health needs of the dogs.”

The 300-mile Idaho race was a qualifier for the Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile sled dog race staged each February, and for the Iditarod, a 1,000-mile race across Alaska, staged each March.

Devlin has no plans to race in the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod, as she prefers the shorter races.

“I love the 100’s,” Devlin said. “You really need a bigger kennel to do those races (Yukon Quest and Iditarod), and you need lots of money and lots of space. Around here it’s even hard to train for a 100.”

Bush, meanwhile, does hope to one day compete in either the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod, which he calls “the Super Bowls of the sport.”

“It’s not set in stone,” Bush said. “It’s about putting together sponsorship money and a year of my life. Our dog food is what takes most of our money. That’s the most important part is good dog food.”

Bush moved to Sunriver from Asheville, North Carolina, 10 years ago. A construction worker, he took up sled-dog racing during the housing bust a decade ago, when he found himself with more free time.

“What I like most about it is the relationship with the dogs,” Bush said.

“I’ve been a lifelong thru-hiker and backpacker. That and the dogs kind of fills my need in life for adventure. I’ve always been into dogs, so it just kind of melded together.”

Bush trains with his Sunriver neighbor Bino Fowler, another longtime sled-dog racer who will compete in the 300-mile event at the Race to the Sky this weekend. Bush is traveling to Montana to help Fowler with the dog team.

Central Oregon is also home to sled-dog races. The Bachelor Butte Dog Derby is set for March 4-6 at Wanoga Sno-park, just southwest of Bend. The event includes a three-day stage race of 75 miles, and races of shorter distances as well.

The event is organized by the Pacific Sled Dog and Skijor Association. For more information, visit psdsa.org.