A Life in Canicross: Dawn, Saffi, Taz and the Dogs Behind CaniX

For many people, canicross begins as a simple idea, running with your dog. For Dawn, it became far more than that. Over the years, it has shaped her life, deepened her bond with her dogs, and ultimately led to her becoming one of the people behind CaniX, one of the UK’s best-known canicross organisations.

This story is not just about the sport itself, but about two very special dogs, Saffi and Taz, and the role they played in Dawn’s life on and off the trail.

Dawn’s canicross journey began long before CaniX ownership

Dawn first discovered canicross around 2006 after being handed a business card at a show. At the time, she was already running with her two English Springer Spaniels, George and Tia, but they ran free and the sport of running in harness with dogs was still relatively unknown.

The card sat on her desk for around a year before she entered her first event in September 2007. From that moment on, she was hooked.

Over the years, Dawn became more and more involved in the sport, not only as a competitor but also through wider roles within the canicross community. She served on the CaniX technical committee, acted as Team Captain at the 2012 European Canicross Championships, and later helped organise the England team for the Fur Nations.

Eventually, when founders Eileen and Richard Cook decided to retire after more than a decade of running CaniX, they asked Dawn and Dave if they would take it on. By then, the sport had become such a central part of their lives that they simply did not want to see it come to an end.

Meet Saffi and Taz

Dawn’s story in canicross is closely tied to two much-loved German Shorthaired Pointers  Saffi and Taz.

Saffi joined the family in the autumn of 2011 and quickly made her mark in the sport. One of Dawn’s proudest achievements with her came in 2012, when Saffi, still only a year old, helped her achieve 6th place at the European Canicross Championships in Cirencester. Saffi’s final event came much later at Tri Dog in 2024, where she and Dawn completed the Aquathon together.

Taz arrived around 15 months later, though his route to Dawn and Dave was far from ordinary. Bred in Tasmania and imported to the UK at six months old, he was originally intended for the show world. But when he grew too large for UK show standards and needed a more active role, he came to stay with Dawn and Dave as Dave’s bikejor dog for a season. It did not take long for them to fall in love with him, and he soon became a permanent member of the family.

Two dogs, two personalities, one shared love of running

Both dogs loved the sport, but they brought very different personalities to it.

Taz is described by Dawn as a typical laid-back Aussie, gentle, affectionate, and with no malice in him at all. At 40kg, he also insists on being a lapdog whenever possible and has taken on the role of elder statesman in the household, helping to bring up younger dogs and teach them manners.

Saffi, by contrast, was more vocal and expressive. Dawn remembers her “woo-wooing” when she wanted something, especially around food or if she was ready to go somewhere. She was easy to live with, full of character, and much loved by the children she met on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions through Dawn’s day job.

In canicross, both dogs gave everything. Taz had a habit of finding another gear just when it was needed most, powering past competitors and refusing to let up. Saffi loved to run too, whether with Dawn or with others, and both dogs played their part in relay teams tackling longer endurance events, including ultra marathons such as the Green Man Ultra around Bristol.

Memorable moments on the trail

Like anyone who has spent years in the canicross community, Dawn has built up a collection of moments that will stay with her forever.

One of her standout memories with Saffi came during the Classic Quarter in Cornwall as part of a relay team. At one point they reached a rocky beach near the Minack Theatre, only for Saffi to decide that boulders were very much not for her and that she would rather be carried across instead.

A favourite memory of Taz came at the CaniX Worlds at Pembrey in 2013. Dawn and another competitor battled back and forth for position over the full 5km route, each gaining and losing the advantage. Then, on the home straight, Taz responded to the cue to race for home, found that famous extra gear, and pulled them over the line just seconds ahead.

The bond that canicross builds

For Dawn, the sport has always been about more than racing. She says clearly that she does the sport for the dogs, rather than having dogs for the sport.

That outlook says a lot about the way she approaches both canicross and life with dogs in general.

Running together builds teamwork. It strengthens communication. It teaches you how to read your dog properly and work in harmony. For those who take part, that connection becomes one of the most rewarding parts of the sport.

It is also why Dawn believes the relationship is not less because of the activity, but more. Alongside the love and companionship any dog owner experiences, canicross adds another layer of understanding, trust and shared purpose.

Life behind CaniX

Today, Dawn is best known by many people as one of the people behind CaniX UK, but her motivation has not changed.

When asked what she loves most about the sport now, her answer is simple: the dogs.

She talks about the joy of meeting both dogs and their owners, and about the privilege of standing on the finish line watching tired but happy dogs come home. That simple love of dogs sits right at the heart of everything CaniX does.

Under Dawn and Dave’s leadership, CaniX has continued to grow while keeping the same welcoming ethos. Different event formats and venues have been introduced, including the Dawn to Dusk 12-hour race, but the spirit has remained the same: healthy dogs, runners of all abilities, and a genuine sense that everyone is welcome.

Dawn is clear that the biggest group of runners at CaniX events are recreational runners. That matters, because one of the things that sets CaniX apart is that people do not have to be elite athletes to take part. They simply need to enjoy running with dogs and want to be part of a supportive community.

What makes CaniX special

Ask Dawn what sets CaniX apart and she points to two things straight away, the community and the courses.

She describes the canicross community as a group of like-minded people who love their dogs, and that warmth is something many participants immediately notice at events.

The courses matter too. Dawn says she designs the kind of routes she loves to run herself, but more importantly, the kind of routes that dogs love. In the past, Saffi would often join her on course design runs, and if her joy really shone through on a section, Dawn knew it deserved to stay in.

That tells you a great deal about CaniX. At its core, it is not just about distance, timing or results. It is about creating an experience that dogs and owners enjoy together.

Why the Westonbirt photo shoot mattered

The photo shoot with Saffi and Taz took place at Westonbirt Arboretum, a location Dawn chose very deliberately. Neither dog races anymore, so photographing them at a race did not feel right. Westonbirt, with its beauty and significance, felt far more personal.

It also holds a special place in Dawn’s heart, as one of the first venues she ever visited as a canicross competitor back in 2008.

At the time of the shoot, Saffi was 13 and Taz was 13, turning 14 in October. Tragically, shortly afterwards, Saffi was diagnosed with a large inoperable tumour and passed away on 11 June, just a few months short of her 14th birthday.

That loss has made the photographs even more poignant.

For Dawn, they have become a fitting tribute not only to what both dogs gave her in terms of sport, but to the unconditional love they brought to her life.

Photographing canicross and running dogs

As a photographer, this is one of the reasons I enjoy photographing canicross, running dogs and active dog owners so much. The sport has speed and energy, but it also reveals something deeper, the connection between dog and handler, the trust between them, and the shared enjoyment of moving together through the landscape.

Photographing dogs in motion well takes timing, patience and an understanding of how they move, and that is a big part of what makes canicross photography and running dog photography so rewarding.

More than sport

When people see the photographs of Saffi and Taz, Dawn hopes they see what they truly were, deeply loved members of her family.

That may be the best way to understand canicross as a whole.

From the outside, some people may think that doing a sport with a dog creates a different kind of relationship. But for those inside the sport, the opposite is often true. The bond grows stronger. You gain everything that comes with loving a dog, and then something more besides.

For Dawn, that is what canicross has always been about.

And through Saffi and Taz, it is a bond written across every mile.

Update: Since the shoot, Dawn has sadly lost both Saffi and Taz, which makes the photographs even more meaningful. They now stand not only as a tribute to their lives in canicross, but also to the love, companionship and memories they gave her beyond the sport.

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