Suggested tweet: Thrill to the sights + sounds of the annal Hudson Bay Quest Dog sled race http://ow.ly/qMYMQ #exploreacanada @TravelManitoba

I'm standing on the frozen surface of the Churchil River in Churchill, Manitoba. The snow and ice are transformed as sunlight turns snow crystals into myriads of twinkling diamonds.

That visual splendour is  in contrast with the cacophony of the barking from 17 teams of eight to ten huskies, straining at their traces. They're keen to run, and that's what we spectators are anxiously awaiting: the start of the Hudson Bay Quest. The 11th annual race leave Churchill on  March 13th, 2014 bound for Gillam.

Suddenly... they're off. A team of these canine athletes dashes past, tongues lolling, fur flying. They run like the possessed across the frozen river , straining at their traditional fan - hitch style trace formation. Behind them an Inuit Musher perches upon his komatik (sled). Watching him in his sealskin parka, for a moment i imagine i've slipped back in time. Just as suddenly , they vanish into this magical white and blue sky world.

A second team of dogs runs by, pulling a musher wearing modern gear. It made me wonder which outfit was the warmer. Such concerns don't bother the dogs. This second team, just like the first, is focused on giving its best to win the Quest.

The knot of spectators cheers wildly as the team sweep past. Our voices rise as David Daley, the visionary who founded the Quest, and his dogs pass by. Earlier, Daley had explained how it all began. " I started the race because I wanted something to do with my dog team", he said. " So , I invented the Hudson Bay Quest. Also , the art of dog sledding really needed a boost in the north as it was dying out".

The 17 racers from Canada and the US, plus their dog teams race approximately 360 km (223mile) route . Some - usually not all of the dogs and sometimes not all of the mushers - complete the race in around 46 hours, hauling their komatiks or sleek modern sleds. Whatever the style, all are loaded with gear,  as well as dog and human food, because this is a challenging race where mushers must look after their team and themselves without assistance.

Vets, however, do examine the dogs' health during the Quest, ensuring they are fit to continue. Some get pulled if they are at risk; each team can drop two dogs at the midway point without a penalty, an added anxiety for this competitive event. Indeed the stringent standards that Daley and others established for this race won it recognition as a qualifier for the Yukon Dog Sled Race.

Tradition remains the key. "I think its important to keep the art of dog sledding alive because it is part of our Canadian cultural history", said Daley. "Its unthinkable to lose an art with such history". The sense of history is palpable as the teams dash past. The race recalls the memory of northern Canada's fur trade that heralded the opening of Fort Churchill in 1717. Back then,First Nation Cree, Inuit and Dene loaded their Komatiks with furs and raced to the  Hudson Bay trading post.

For now i rejoice in the continued celebration of this awe inspiring northern sport. Reflecting on the spectacle, I return to Churchill start line.  It's time for a hot chocolate in Frontiers North Adventure's cosy Tundra Buggy parked at the start line - a more  modern local tradition to enjoy.

Free to use but please Credit : Katherine Fletcher

For more media information about the Hudson Bay  Quest please contact Ms. Nim Singh, Canadian Tourism Commission on  0207 389 9983 singh.nim@ctc-cct.ca @canada nim ( not for publication)