Ararad Khatchikian

Ararad has been testimonial of FORZA10 since January 2014. All his dogs (90) are fed FORZA10 Maxi Breeders with fish 28/18 and Adult All breeds 26/15 with venison and potato.

Born in Sudan, on the River Nile, from Armenian father and Italian mother, at the age of nine he moves with his family to Italy, north east of Venice, on the Austrian and Slovenian borderline.

He gets his Degree at the liberal arts secondary school and starts studying Medical Science at Trieste University. As he is a skilled cross-country skier, he successfully participates to important national and international ski races. He is also a self-taught musician and regularly performs as a busker street musician ) and in live shows with his Band "Ararad". In the winter of 1984 he visits ALASKA (USA) following his brother Armen who is racing the mythical IDITAROD Sleddog Race (1860 Km - 1165 miles - from Anchorage to Nome on sleds pulled by dogs). He shoots a 16-mm film and writes a diary which will be published in Italy by a well-known magazine. In the following winters of 1985 and 1986, the young traveller comes back to Alaska, both to follow his brother in the IDITAROD Race for some Italian TV networks and to participate in the most incredible cross-country ski competition on Earth (without dogs!): the IDITASKI, a sister race to the Iditarod which covers 350 Km (225 miles) of the historical Iditarod sleddog trail. The second year he ranks 12th after 62 hours of almost non-stop and sleepless skiing. It is just in that period that the strong call of the wilderness and the extraordinaire Native Indian and Eskimo Culture exercise a strong influence on his personality: he returns to Italy and decides to leave his medical studies and to devote his life to the Sleddog Sports and to any activity related to the preservation of nature and the minor cultures, especially connected with the Arctic.

Together with his brother Armen, his sister Arminè and the supervision of Alaskan Champion Rick Swenson, he founds the first Italian Sleddog School in 1985 at Ponte di Legno - Tonale Pass (Brescia) with the intent of promoting the Sleddog / Mushing Sport and conveying the love and care of animals and nature to their pupils. In 1992 he moves to Tarvisio (on the border with Austria and Slovenia) with his wife Monica D'Eliso (the first Italian woman musher to complete the Alpirod and Transitalian Races) and their 40 huskies to found the International Mushing School and their Agritouristic Farm specialized in the organic production of wild berries and vegetables. Ararad is also father of two children: Alicja and Azad ("free man" in the Armenian language).

He cooperates in the starting of the Alpirod Sleddog Race (1000 Km. in the Alps), participates in the most important National and International competitions and sleddog adventure challenges which he documents with spectacular videos and tales. Respect!