Matt, 19 from Rudheath, was competing at the event for the third year and despite being one of the youngest in the field he earned a place in the coutnry's top 10.

By far the biggest event in the sport's calendar in Britain, it attracts a huge field of competitors.

Matt raced in the two dog and four dog categories over the two day event. After a poor first day his performances on the second day were amongst the best in the entire field to pull him up into the combined top 10.

He said: "There hasn't been any snow for the event for the last three years so it wasn't a problem, we just put the shoes on the dogs and got down to it. The only real difference in competition is that it's a lot slower without snow, but much safer.

"My performance on the first day was a little slow. I was lying quite a way down the field and knew I had to do better on the Sunday."

He did do better on the Sunday, having found a route which suited him and his dogs he produced times in both the four and two dog runs which would have put him in the top three, had he equalled them on the first day.

As it was he settled for eighth from a field of 79 in the two dog category and 12th from 49 in the four dog category. Matt added: "I was very pleased with the way it went on the second day. It was an improvement on my final places last year anyway."

Matt is back in action this weekend at Rendlesham in the south-west. But he is taking that a little less seriously. "Rendlesham is just a fun competition. We'll probably be in the pub as much as out on the course!"

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