A FAMILY from Westbury put in a strong performance at the biggest event in the British husky calendar.

Hazel Mead and her daughter Rhea were among hundreds of 'mushers' from throughout the UK who competed in the Aviemore Sled Dog Rally in Scotland on Saturday and Sunday.

The rally saw 211 teams of between two and eight dogs running at up to 20mph over a gruelling four-mile track.

The pair were happy with the performance of their five Siberian huskies Nanook, Gus, Meeka, Storm and Yana.

Ms Mead finished 16th out of 46 in the three dog class while Rhea came ninth out of 21 in the 12-15-year-old junior two dog class.

Ms Mead said: "It took 11 hours to reach Aviemore and was a gruelling 534 miles but it was well worth the

journey. When we reached Aviemore it was snowing, perfect conditions for the dogs.

"I am very proud of my Siberians. They put their heart and soul into every race we attend and very rarely let me down. They know when we arrive at a race meeting. If they could talk I'm sure they'd tell me to hurry up and get our harnesses on."

Ms Mead is currently ranked second in the Affiliated British Sleddog Activities competition after racing her huskies across the south west. She has competed in the New Forest, Ringwood, Yateley, Forest of Dean, Ashley Heath, as well as Sherwood, Nottingham, and Thetford, Norfolk.