Huskies pull up at seaside town

Around 500 huskies are expected in Colwyn Bay

A tiny part of Alaska has arrived in north east Wales in a bid to boost tourism in the region.

Around 500 huskies competed at a dog spectacular in Colwyn Bay throughout the weekend.

The dogs are coming from as far south as the Isle of Wight, as far north as the Orkney's and from northern Ireland

Neil Formstone Organiser

The scheme, in its third year, was organised by the Colwyn Bay Hotel and Catering Association and the Siberian Huskies of Great Britain.

Thousands of spectators attended the event at Eirias Park where the teams of dogs pulled sledges in a race around the athletic track.

One of the organisers, Neil Formstone said was a great day.

"The dogs came from as far south as the Isle of Wight, as far north as the Orkney's and from northern Ireland.

"This is a great boost for tourism in Colwyn Bay, with around 250 competitors alone staying in the area."

The scheme is self-funding and is the only one of its kind in north Wales.

The dogs are used to cold climates

Siberian Huskies are winter sled dogs.

Historically, they were expected to travel fairly quickly for long distances pulling a sleigh in cold temperatures.

The Husky Fun Weekend began in 1999 as a unique way to mark the millennium.

On Saturday there was an 'It's A Knockout' event followed by a race on the athletics track called 'The Pursuit'.

Event planning

It involved teams of two and four dogs starting at opposite ends of the track, with the aim of the game being to play catch-up.

It took more than six months to plan but Mr Formstone said the hard work paid off.

"There's a massive husky event at Abbeymore in Scotland every year and we're already seen as rivals to that which is great," he said.

"It's ideal to hold the event in Colwyn Bay so there's maximum exposure for the public."