There is no second lady, no problem: the ranked dogs race in Greenland goes barking

At the foot of NASASACAS-“King of Mountains”-in Sismotot, Greenland, hundreds of nuns are lucky in bright jackets, insulated pants and heavy shoes, line up on a snow-packed trail on Saturday waiting for the contestants.

Low sunlight from ice. Snow is a raying lower foot, soft and dry like sifted flour. Greenland’s red and white flags have emerged everywhere – from columns, tucked in covers, and fluttering in diluted hands.

For more than three decades, Greenland has held a national hemosassua, which means, in the green language, “the wonderful race in the north”. The event collected this year more than 25 of the scouts-including a 14-year-old boy-at least 400 dogs. It is a deeply rooted tradition in the country’s culture, where dogs are not just animals, but rather to survive. The race usually does not attract much international attention.

But this year it was washed away in a large geopolitical storm when the White House announced that Osha Fans, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, and one of their children will attend. With Greenlands preparing to protest, Mrs. Vance ended up canceling her journey.

Mrs. Vance has tried to framing her visit as a gesture of cultural appreciation. Greenlanders did not buy it. President Trump was installed on Greenland’s seizure – a semi -protected area in Denmark – and he firmly sparked his “obtaining it, in one way or another,” he said.

Many Greenland (and Denmamon) saw the visit as a threat. The race organizers soon issued a pointed statement saying that Al -Fawka was not invited. A spokeswoman for Mrs. Vans denied this, saying that the second lady had received “multiple invitations.”

Mrs. Vans, alongside her husband and some other officials, came to Greenland, but it ended with a spending less than three hours on Friday at the Pittevik Space Base, a remote American missile defense station on the northern coast of Gavilland, from any town.

The race, though, went, as planned. For competitors, it was the culmination of years of daily care, discipline and deep mutual understanding between man and dog.

On Saturday afternoon, a sound collided with the amplifier with updates about the progress of competitors while cutting them through a 26 -mile cycle. The children wore warm. At the distance, the sharp bark was frequent across the mountain.

“We are not trying to persuade anyone,” said Ena Davidsen, the spectator who was waiting for the appearance of signing. “We just want to stay close to nature and each other.”

Like many others here, she saw the event not only as competition but as a gathering – space where people gather from distant settlements, celebration and re -call in snow. Sisimiut, which hosted the race this year, is the second largest city in Greenland, with a population of about 5,000.

Michaela Eliasen, a business leader from Sisyimriot, was standing next to the finish line with her children. She said that she was very disappointed because Al -Fawka did not come.

“We don’t get visitors,” she said. “So when we finally heard that an important person came here, I was excited.”

Greenlanders works with hundreds of years laxative dogs. They used them to travel to distant villages and chase the seals and the ringtone.

In 1968, when a nuclear armed American striker was shattered near what is now known, the skipping dog teams were called to help cleaning. The ability of dogs to move through fragile ice made them necessary for efforts.

Today, dogs are still important, as Greenlanders help in hunting ice, withdrawing supplies, taking tourists to ride them and even offering mail.

It is only permitted with one dynasty in the Arctic area of ​​Greenland: the authentic Greenland grindic dog. This strain has evolved over the centuries to work in the cold, and thinking goes, that is, mixing that can harm its spit.

After Mrs. Eliasin, who was precedent, started driving skis at the age of six.

She said: “Spoilers are not just a sport.” “He knows responsibility, patience and respect.”

She added: “They say that the crowd that their dogs respect is the person who wins.”

When the first richness connects the final hills and consider, the crowd erupted. Henrik Jensen, a 26-year-old corridor from Illulissat in North Greenland, dismantled the finish line-burning his face, frozen with ice and foam but still pulled.

His supporters rose forward. Some were wearing black black clothes with Henrik team wet on their backs.

While he was sitting on his seasons, a wide and amazing smile, a group of high wooden journey fans raised high in the air – dogs are still barking and twisted in harnessing them, and stimulating them with the crowd roar.

He said, “I was preparing for this for years.”

He said that if any American control, this is a good thing.

““It is great to follow it, there must be room for everyone here,” he said.