About Us – International Canicross Federation ICF

Executive Board of ICF

The Executive Board of the International Canicross Federation consists of 8 members.

Executive Board of ICF

The Executive Board of the International Canicross Federation consists of 8 members.

Experience

The members of the Executive Board of the (ICF) bring with them extensive experience in the fields of dog sports.

Experience

The members of the Executive Board of the (ICF) bring with them extensive experience in the fields of dog sports.

Assemblies

The members of the ICF meet twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn.

Assemblies

The members of the ICF meet twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn.

Adaptibility

All procedures within the ICF are carried out through democratic processes that include the participation of all member nations.

Adaptibility

All procedures within the ICF are carried out through democratic processes that include the participation of all member nations.

Connecting nations, athletes and dogs – building a worldwide standard for sport and welfare.

The People of the ICF – The Heart of the Federation.

Behind every event, every regulation, and every advancement in the sport, stand the people of the ICF: a dedicated team of professionals, volunteers, technical experts, administrators, and athletes from all over the world. They are the soul of the Federation, ensuring that every step taken leads toward a brighter, more professional, and more humane future for the sport.

Yvon Lasbleiz
ICF President

Jan-Willem Verloigne
Vice President

Patricia Steur
Secretary

Thierry Charmillot
Treasurer

They are visionaries and doers, who embody the values of cooperation, transparency, and respect — for both people and animals. With genuine passion for Canicross, Bike-Joëring, and Scootering, they work tirelessly to promote, organize, and develop these sports on a global scale.

Simon Lamen
Technical Director

Jean-Pierre Talbot
Committee

Cushla Lamen
Committee

Simone Ciuffo Giordano
Committee

Ellen Poelmans
Official Interpreter

Paola Carinato
Parasport Commission

Stronger together – building world championships.

Judges

The Role of ICF Judges at the Canicross World Championships

At the heart of every successful Canicross World Championship lies a group of individuals who often work behind the scenes but play a crucial role: the judges of the ICF (International Canicross Federation).

Judges are responsible for enforcing the rules, safeguarding the well-being of the dogs, and ensuring fair play. With their experience, dedication, and impartiality, they ensure that every athlete—whether a seasoned champion or a first-time participant—competes under equal, safe, and fair conditions.

Duties and Responsibilities

The core duties of ICF judges include:
• Inspecting equipment to ensure compliance with ICF regulations.
• Overseeing the start and finish areas.
• Monitoring the course for infractions or unsportsmanlike behavior.
• Intervening in cases of danger or discomfort to either the dog or the athlete.
• Issuing warnings or penalties when necessary.
• Managing protests and resolving disputes.
Beyond their official role, judges also contribute to the educational aspect of the sport by offering guidance, explaining rules, and supporting newcomers as they integrate into the canicross community.

Commitment and Professionalism

ICF judges come from various countries and are selected based on their experience, knowledge of the rules, and strong commitment to ICF’s core values: animal welfare, fairness, transparency, and respect. Many are former athletes, coaches, or dog trainers, and they devote countless volunteer hours to ensure the success of each event.

Simon Lamen
Technical Director – Judge

In 1996 my wife and I got our first dog, a Siberian Husky, and our love for sporting dogs grew from there. We used to just run with our dogs until we discovered that it was an actual sport and took part in the first ever CaniCross race in the UK in 2002. From there we established the CaniCross trailrunners group and through Facebook we have over 30,000 members.

Personally, I have been a Veteran Champion in Bikejor in the UK and attained a top ten placing in International competition. I was elected to the role of Technical Director of the ICF in 2019 and have continued in that role, reviewing regulations and bringing a firm but fair hand to the International Championships. I look forward to the growth of the ICF and developing the Judging capability within.

Chris Dorle
Judge – Deutschland

Active in cycling for decades. First as a track and road racer, then as a coach, sports director and now as a commissaire.

My wife introduced me to dog sledding, and I got involved as an official in the German Sled Dog Association and as a race judge.

My language skills help me to communicate at international events, and my sense of fairness towards animals and people makes me an objective race judge.

Ellie Camacho
Judge – Grande Bretagne

I started in sled dog sports around 10 yrs ago canicrossing with my collie dog. Now I prefer to race DS2 or Bikejor with my hounds and I currently have 5 dogs. I’ve been a national judge for 6-7 years and last year qualified as a race judge for the WSA – who are a Nordic pure breed association I’ve work both their snow and dryland world championships. I enjoy being a race judge because I get to see all the different dogs that are competing and believe in keeping racing as fair and honest as possible for all competitors, both humans and dogs.

Guust Zagers
Judge – Hollande

My name is Guust Zagers and I live in Zundert (the Netherlands).

From 1984-2014 we had Siberian Huskies, with which we practiced the sled dog sport. For several years I was on the board of Mushing Holland (association for purebred sled dogs) and at the FISTC (European association for purebred sled dog sport).

Canicross Nederland was co-founded and currently in the working group of Race Marshalls.

In 2010 I organized a 1st canicross competition under the name: Canicross Zundert. Done this 3 years in a row and had to stop due to circumstances. Picked up again in 2021. Already organized 6 times.

Cliff Tarrant
Judge – Francais

Representatives

ICF Representatives

The International Canicross Federation (ICF) aims to be the guarantor of the values, rules and sportsmanship specific to single-dog disciplines. It must set up a system to evaluate the management of its activities and the achievement of its objectives, in order to inform affiliated federations about the performance of its organisation and to move forward. Thus, the International Canicross Federation (ICF) aims to achieve a generalised network of its sporting activities throughout the world and has therefore decided to call upon its representatives on each continent

The missions of the continental representative of the International Canicross Federation (ICF)

– They are above all the relay between the International Canicross Federation and the national federations on his continent.
– They contribute to the achievement of the goals set by the International Canicross Federation
– They ensure that the sporting rules related to single-dog sport are respected in order to achieve harmonisation between all affiliated countries, while keeping in mind that if international standards and regulations are essential in order to guarantee the international harmony of sporting disciplines, they may possibly conflict with certain national regulations.
– They are responsible for the continental dissemination of the ICF rules and values through the national sports federations established in the countries, while respecting the cultural dimension specific to each country, which reflects the way in which they are perceived by the population, and more particularly by people working in the sports sector and physical activity in general.
– They are also responsible for possibly making proposals for the development of the regulations specific to each sports discipline for which they are responsible and for ensuring their application by all practitioners, with the support of their national relays.
– They ensure that the federations can demonstrate that they meet the criteria and standards specific to single-dog disciplines in order to be recognised as such.
– They communicate/report information of all types that deserves dissemination.
– They can organise any type of gathering on his continent.