The First Canadian to Compete in Canicross at the FMBB World Championship

In 2022, Anne-Marie Paré was the first Canadian to represent Canada at the FMBB (Fédération Mondiale Bergers Belges) in Canicross with her dog Gripen Deabei.

Q: How did you get started in Canicross?

I started thanks to my first Belgian Shepherd, a Groenendael. She pulled naturally and always wanted to be ahead of other dogs. One day, we tried Canicross with other people, and two weeks later, we ran our first 5 km! It was painful because I had no physical aptitude, but I got the bug.

Q:How did it feel to represent Canada on the world stage? Did it change your view of the sport?

Traction sports (Canicross, Bikejoring, etc) are very popular in Quebec. The competition is quite high, and we have representatives who rank in the top at Worlds every year. On the other hand, in the rest of Canada, there are few events. I hoped to promote the sport to encourage people to try it, but also to show them that it’s possible with breeds other than a typical racing dogs, such as the Alaskan and Eurohound. I knew my European competitors were machines (lol). Over there, they have special races for the Belgian Shepherd to qualify for the FMBB.

Q: What challenges did you face as a Canadian in a European-dominated sport?

One of the biggest obstacles was funding. We don’t have any support from a club. I’m also speaking for other disciplines like agility, obedience, Mondioring, conformation, etc. I’ve been in IGP for several years, and I know that clubs and groups offer support to their athletes, so I hope that in the future, we’ll find a way to support Canadians who want to participate in Canicross.

Then, acclimatization was a challenge. Going from a country with snow to 20-25°C takes time to adjust to for both me and my dog. I was lucky to have the support of the Belgian team—they gave me a lot of information about the event. Otherwise, I would have had even more surprises!

I knew the quality of the runners. I knew the competition was fierce and that they had been through a lot of selections. I felt like an intruder, especially with my broken foot, which was going to affect my performance. But I was impressed by the camaraderie. I had support before, during, and after. Some were even happy to see Canada represented!

Q: A trip like that is very expensive, would you go again?

I dream of going to Greece this year to beat my time and boost my ego (lol), but since IGP is already very expensive, I had to make a choice. I want to try to rank well in the CWDF (Canadian Working Dog Federation) to qualify for the FMBB in IGP—a first for a Canadian long-haired Belgian Shepherd and for someone from Quebec.

Q: What’s next for you, and how do you see Canicross growing in Canada?

I haven’t done an official race in at least two years. We’re focused on IGP. We always run for fun. I hope our participation has inspired people with their Belgian Shepherds. I had dreamed of it for years, but Canada wasn’t sending anyone back then. Now that the door is open, it’s time to take advantage of it!

Thank you, Anne-Marie, for sharing your journey with us! Wishing you the best in both Canicross and IGP.

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K9Force (2025, April). Anne-Marie Paré K9Force April 2025

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