Sled Dog Racing Queensland is kicking off its racing season in the Passchendaele State Forest. - Queensland, Australia 
Sled dogs race near Stanthorpe
SLED dog racers will be heading to the Granite Belt to compete today.
Sled Dog Racing Queensland president Emily Vourlides said despite a shorter season in the Sunshine State, the club had come to attract new members.
SDRQ are kicking off the first of five point-scoring races in the Passchendaele State Forest today.
"We started out with about 11 members three years ago and have grown to about 70 members,” Miss Vourlides said.
"I've been involved for about nine years myself - I had a husky and went to a pet expo and saw what they could do and thought it looked fun and got involved from there.”
"I'm a founding member of the Queensland club as well as the vice president of the National Federation of Sled Dog Sports.”
Miss Vourlides said races involved timed intervals between competitors in laps around the forest.
She said racers could compete with one, two, four or eight dogs driving scooters or bikes.
"We hold training days every other weekend that people are welcome to come along to watch,” she said.
For more information email info@sdrq.org.au.