DINNER Plain was dog city over the weekend, with more than 300 canines and their owners racing in the Dinner Plain Sled Dog Sprint.

This is the first time the popular event had been able to run in several years due to cancellations caused by COVID – but the wait was certainly worthwhile.

The turnout was immense, with an estimated 1000 people watching dog teams compete over two days of racing, whilst Dinner Plain village was at its 3000 bed capacity for what has been its busiest weekend this snow season.

With 70 teams racing across categories of two, three, four and six dog teams, there was some fast paced racing through the steep icy sections of the snowy course.

This included some spills with many mushers heading home with some bumps and bruises from the event.

The sled dog community holds this event as their favourite on the annual calendar, being the only one with snow to race on rather than using their wheeled sleds.

While there had been variable snow conditions leading to the event, dedicated work from the Sled Dog Sprint committee and the Alpine Shire Council maintenance crew ensured an alternate course was able to be brought together on the eve of the first day of racing, taking mushers and their teams through the snowy trails, as well as some steep climbs up the village's two ski and toboggan slopes.

Nathan Fenton, Dinner Plain marketing and events manager for Alpine Shire, said the weekend was a great success.

"It is a really important part of the local history and culture, as the town has held sled dog races and tours at the alpine village for over 25 years," he said.

"It's fantastic to see so many turn out to support this great spectacle, and hopefully it is a sign that we are back to normality after a few years of interruptions to our events and activities.

"We are experiencing the busiest season on record in terms of visitor numbers.

"It's certainly promising to see so many people come to enjoy the destination.

"Right now the school holidays in September are offering some opportunity still to find some accommodation and come experience the snow season before it wraps up in October."