Captain Stan Coville in the Mountain Ear

[KWHjr]

'Captain Stan' has seen it all when it comes to sled dog races
Stan Coville has been 'lead musher' in Tamworth for more than 50 years


by Kent Hemingway: Contributing Writer

February 07, 2008
For the past half cen-tury on Sled Dog weekend in Tamworth, Stan
Coville of Wonalancet can be found working a narrow patch of ground
between Route 16 and Chocorua Lake. You'll find him selling buttons,
working with teams and mushers, leading his crew of Tamworth Outing
Club volunteers and serving as the Grand Marshal of this classic
event. In his 50-some years as the Tamworth Outing Club's "lead
musher," Stan has seen it all and this year's race was no different.

The weather was cooperative on Jan. 26 and 27, with over 18 inches of
ice underneath as much fresh snow. Teams from all over the Northeast
met on the lake road and prepared their sleds and dogs for a day of
racing. Stan's volunteers went through their annual paces of setting
up the plywood cook shack, setting and grooming trails, and preparing
to greet the hundreds of spectators that enjoy the event.

Little did they know that the first race would have such an impact on
the day.

Eight 6-dog teams left the starting gate in staggered starts beginning
at about 9:45 a.m. This was a bit later than the published 9 a.m.
start, but that has been expected on cold winter mornings. Only seven
teams returned to the lake about half an hour later.

Team number 7's dogs had a mind of their own, failed to heed their
musher's call and leaned right when they should have leaned left at a
backwoods road crossing. The driver lost his balance, and the dogs
were off to the races, unfortunately following a course of their own.
Reuniting dogs and driver took 30 minutes, and a slow trot back to the
finish line kept all other teams and divisions waiting.

Captain Stan has seen it all over the years, and took this in stride.
Working quickly and cooperatively with the New England Sled Dog Club
leadership, he got the event back on track and soon the divisions were
running like clockwork.

The Tamworth Outing Club has always been synonymous with sled dog
racing on Lake Chocorua. For over 50 years, the Club has sponsored
races, maintaining the famous relationship between Tamworth and the
dogs of winter. Preparations for the event begin months in advance,
with Stan taking charge of most schedule, sponsor, and advertising
responsibilities. Through the fall and early winter, Stan provides the
club with updates and urges members to develop new sponsors and
volunteers. Over the decades, the cast of characters has turned over
many times, but Stan's leadership endures. When asked about his unique
place in Tamworth history, Stan is hesitant to reply...

He is well known to Greater Ossipee Chamber members, as many are
annual sponsors of the race. He's the link to the teams, who are
famous for their own level of camaraderie. And, any new visitor to the
event is quickly introduced to Stan, as he works to make sure visitors
are offered the opportunity to contribute and sport the classic orange
and blue Tamworth Outing Club Sled Dog button.

Stan puts in a 10-hour day on both race days. He's the first one in
the lot, and the last one to leave, making sure his local volunteers
get the job done right. Late on this past Sunday afternoon, as the
rickety, oft-used, cook shack was dismantled, Stan proudly reported to
the group, "I ordered 500 pins for this year, and just sold the last
one!"

It looks like the future of sled dog racing on Chocorua Lake is
secured for another season. Make sure you look for Stan next year and
let him know how much you appreciate his life's work to keep the dogs
of winter running in Tamworth.