WHILE most eight-year-old girls spend their weekends horse riding or out on their bikes Keira Lovegrove has a rather different hobby.

For Keira, of Springfield Road, Rowde, races Alaskan Malamutes and has just been crowned a junior champion for the eight to 12 year age group at the end of her first 'mushing' season.

Keira, a pupil at Rowde Primary School, has grown up sharing her home with the big fluffy dogs and could not wait to reach her eight birthday so she could follow in the footsteps of her mum Natalie and dad Mark and older brother and sister.

She has spent the past six month competing in the Alaskan Malamute Working Association (AMWA) series of races that take place on forest tracks all over the country. She has often been up against boys and girls up to four years older than her but she finished the series as UK AMWA junior champion for the 2014/15 dry land rally season.

Mrs Lovegrove, who runs a dog obedience business, said: "Keira has one Alaskan malamute pulling her around a marked trail which is about a mile in length. My husband follows behind on a bike to give supervision.

"Mushing is a term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and dryland means they are on a track rather than snow.

"Keira could hardly wait to reach her eight birthday as she has grown up with us racing and seen her brother Hayden. 13, and sister Ayla, 18, compete.

"I am very proud of how well she did. All of her school friends find it fascinating and we have taken the dogs into the school for them all to see.

"The dogs all live in the house and are our pets."

Keira first raced with two-year-old Leo as her partner but she swapped to Penny as she was faster. Another time she was with 18-month-old Sampson but this turned into a bit of a drama when they ended up in netting at the side of the course.

Mrs Lovegrove said: "My heart was in my mouth but Keira kept on directing commands to Sampson to which he thankfully responded. The drama over they had a lovely and very fast run around the trail.

"I stood at the finish line ready to call them in once in sight only to see another drama unfold. Sampson rather liked the look of the muddy ditch alongside the trail and so, still going forward as directed by his mini musher, thought he could also have a splash in the ditch.

"Keira did a very graceful capsize along with rig into the ditch, but yet again told Sampson to wait while she got back on the rig completely covered in mud and with slightly wonky crash helmet and commanded him into the finish. I was worried she would never want to race again but she said it was the best thing she had ever done."

She has now chosen Penny as her regular partner.