Trail Dogs: A Dog’s Tale
It all starts with the trail. The sweeping corners, the smooth berms, the mild bumps to launch off while zigzagging down a familiar route. It’s the smells that come with a dewy morning ride, or the feeling after clearing the crest of a roller, brushing away the pebbles with a perfectly timed belly scrub. These are the happy memories of a trail dog’s life well lived.
NOTE: The video and all photos are courtesy of Shimano.
Raven is a 13-year-old retired trail dog who lives with Darren McCoullough, one of the founders and director of production at Anthill Films. They live a stone’s throw from the Ring Creek Trailhead in Squamish, British Columbia, where Raven has spent countless days frolicking on loamy singletrack beneath towering spruces. Old age has slowed her down, and now Raven happily lies in the driveway, watching dog after dog, and their human, head for the hills.
In the new Shimano Originals Film, A Dog’s Tale, we celebrate the joy of mountain biking through the eyes of the trail dog. We watch as our four-legged friends drift through flat corners and sail around berms with otherworldly coordination and athleticism. We are captivated by the controlled chaos that blends into perfect balance with every jump and turn. And we imagine Raven’s thoughts as she watches all those dogs and riders head to the trailhead each day.
The film takes us from Raven’s driveway memories in British Columbia to Utah, to South Africa, and back again, meeting some of the feistiest, four-legged trail personalities along the way. They all enjoy the mountain bike world in their own way, just like us humans do, whether it’s hitting jump lines, lapping through the loam, or setting out to build new trail.
Born from the wonder of what Raven was thinking, A Dog’s Tale embraces the close connection with our riding companions, the crunch of the trail beneath our tires, along with the swoosh of a tail as we launch the next jump. Stop and consider this feeling the next time you see a pooch gazing fondly at you as you ride by. Let your mind wander a little and get a little closer to what’s behind those happy eyes. Because there’s always more to the moment than just a dog in a driveway, watching the world roll on by.
The Cast of Canines
From British Columbia’s loamy coastal range to Utah’s high deserts to freshly cut South African trails, A Dog’s Tale celebrates the joy of mountain biking through the eyes of our best trail buddies. Meet the cast of the Shimano Original Film, A Dog’s Tale, and get to know the unique personalities, favorite trails, and off-bike activities of our furry, four-legged stars.
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