About Us
Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club (WTB) is an active non-profit organization in Wisconsin and the greater Midwest region of North America. Founded in 1969, WTB has made it their mission to actively support the sport of sled dog racing in order to familiarize the general public with it and with the sled dog as a working animal; to organize competitive sled dog racing in Wisconsin in an atmosphere of sportsmanship to determine superior skills among dogs and drivers; to promote cooperation among club members to improve our mutual knowledge of the art of sled dog driving; to encourage legislation for the benefit and improvement of the sport of sled dog racing.
WTB has organized dozens of events involving numerous communities around the state contributing to their overall mission.
We believe all sled dog enthusiasts can embrace who they are, can define their future, and can impact the communities they're a part of.
Our President
For those who don't know me, my name is Dan Bocock and I am proud to be serving my second term as President of the Wisconsin Trailblazers. I have been competing in dog sled racing for over a decade and have a passion for the sport and the dogs. Besides dog sled racing I enjoy triathlons, running events, tractor pulling, and volunteering at different events and boards in our community. My family and I live in Burlington WI where we have our 7 sled dogs, 2 cats, and 8 chickens. I am excited for the future of the sport and our club and hope to continue our movement.
First Vice President
My name is Melissa 'Mel' Omernick. I live in Gleason, WI with my husband Keith and our kennel of 27 sled dogs. Keith and I had our very first sled dog race together in1995 at the Nicolet race. (I think I beat him). So I've been racing sprint sleddogs for 28 years and plan to for many more. I work as an Emergency Room Nurse in Mer-rill, WI. Keith and I enjoy mountain biking and cross-country skiing. I do a couple local mini triathalons to stay in shape for skijor/ sleddog racing. I LOVE dogs! I enjoy racing and doing well, but LOVE spending time with my dogs. The 2nd best part of racing with my dogs is spend-ing time with my friends and family. I have been very blessed to be a part of The Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club. I hope to serve our community of racers and recrea-tional mushers to the best of my ability.
Second Vice President
This is Mike Marsch, 2nd Vice-President for the WITB. I've just recently become a member again and wanted to join the Board because I believe the TB race community could receive help from my 40 years of race and management experience.
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Treasurer
I am Amelia Gagliano, the current treasurer of the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club since February 2020. I co-own Top of the Hill Huskies with my mom in Phelps, WI where we have been working with our pack of Siberian huskies since 2012. We attended our first WITB race in 2014 and began offering sled dog experiences to the public in 2021. As a lover of sled dogs, I am passionate about supporting our sport and educating others about our amazing canine athletes whenever the opportunity arises. I am excited to be a part of the Trailblazers board and will continue to work hard to make our club the best it can be for our members and, most importantly, the dogs. I look forward to meeting and working with everyone and hope to see you on the trail!
Recording Secretary
Niina Baum has been involved in dog mushing for 22 years. She’s participated in many different facets of the sport, doing everything from sprint dryland, skijor, and sled to some mid-distance races. She has competed in every class and raced overseas. Her biggest goal is to bring the IFSS World Championship competition to the U.S. and is working on building up races to host that large-scale of an event. She’s also working on developing a Mushing 101 website and brand to help newcomers learn about the sport by being able to go to one spot to access videos, blog articles, and other resources on dog mushing. Professionally Niina works at Nicolet College managing video and virtual reality technologies, social media marketing, and digital advertising; and is an adjunct digital marketing instructor. Outside of dog mushing she enjoys spending time outdoors mountain biking, backpacking, traveling, rock climbing, and paddling.
Corresponding Secretary
Abby Heistad started her sled dog sports journey in 2003 as a junior musher in the Wisconsin Trailblazers. Through her years as a junior musher, she gained great confidence in sprint sled dog racing and transitioned into 2-dog skijor and dryland racing disciplines as she approached her high school years. After taking a short break during college to focus on her studies, her marketing business, and competitive archery, Abby returned to the sport eager to be a part of a community she has always been passionate about.
She is now an At-Large Director for ISDRA and the Corresponding Secretary for the Trailblazers. She focuses her efforts on helping both organizations with various communications, news, website maintenance, and social media. In her professional career, Abby's skillsets lay in the same areas she is assisting both organizations with! If you want to get in touch with her to discuss relevant news to share with the club, fill out the contact form on our website.
At Large Board Member
Duane Dittmar started racing with the Trailblazers in 1990. Several years ago he served on the Trailblazers Board as a Vice President. Duane has been the ISDRA Region 7 director since 1998. Duane is retired after 45 years of dairy farming and is a part-time public servant. He has been married to Jan Bootz-Dittmar for 35 years. He has 2 children. Dr. Jenna Dittmar lives in Aberdeen, Scottland, and Jamie Dittmar lives in Fairbanks Alaska. Both of his daughters were active as junior mushers and both were previous recipients of the Scott McNown Junior Musher Award.
