Dog Community

Iditarod

ron2

Posted : 3/8/2006 4:55:52 PM

For those of you that own huskies or have an interest in sled dog racing, the Last Great Race, the Iditarod has been under way, after a late start. It runs from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Yesterday, teams were pulling in and out of Rohn. Today, they have covered a third of the course. One team, after the sled crashed into a tree, kept on running without the musher.

The Iditarod originally was a much shorter race, held in honor of Leonard Seppala, one of the first to bring chukchi dogs back from Siberia. The chukchi dog was then renamed the Siberian Husky. He created a breed standard of winners eventually named the Seppala line. In the 70's the race was expanded to it's present length and also tied into honor the siberian husky dog teams that took serum to Nome during a Diptheria outbreak in 1925. Originally, the medicine was carried partly by plane and train, until the weather was so bad that only dog teams could get it through. It was relayed through several teams. The final team had a leader named Balto. There is a statue in his honor in Nome. Now, a single team is making it in less time.

ron2

Posted : 3/8/2006 4:58:54 PM

You can also get updates at [linkhttp://www.iditarod.com]www.iditarod.com[/link]

janobonano

Posted : 3/8/2006 5:24:38 PM

Thanks for the link, Ron. I was surprised to see how much detailed info they had on the site. There is a doctor from my area racing in it. He is currently in 70th place. [

] His name is Ron Cortte.

ron2

Posted : 3/8/2006 5:27:38 PM

Just once in my life, I would like to be able to go and see that race in person and see those magnficent, noble dogs coming into Nome. The sister of my son-in-law lives not to far from Anchorage and she gets to see the start of it every year.

janobonano

Posted : 3/8/2006 5:32:39 PM

Yeah, that would be amazing. The problem is that I would want to pet every one of them and give them all butt scratches. [8|]

jeano

Posted : 3/9/2006 12:54:55 AM

In the 70's the race was expanded to it's present length and also tied into honor the siberian husky dog teams that took serum to Nome during a Diptheria outbreak in 1925.

The Serum Run is still done as a sort of ceremonial run.

The Iditarod is a famous race. But if you want to see the toughest, strongest, best teams you should come up for the Yukon Quest. These mushers have to camp out every night but one for over 1000 miles. No warm buildings for them every night, as there are for the Iditarod mushers!

It's run before the Iditarod. So you can catch both. [

]

http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/content/23.html

From the Iditarod site:
"Rick Swenson from Two Rivers, Alaska, the only five time winner, the only musher to have entered 20 Iditarod races and never finished out of the top ten. Dick Mackey from Nenana who beat Swenson by one second in 1978 to achieve the impossible photo finish after two weeks on the trail."

Lance Mackey, Dick's son, won the Yukon Quest this year. I lived down the road from Rick Swenson in Two Rivers until about six months ago. Ramy Brooks, who is in the Iditarod this year, is my boyfriend's nephew. So I know who and where-of I speak!

ron2

Posted : 3/11/2006 8:20:03 AM

Thanks, Jeano. And I realized later that I should have started this thread in Dog Events. But someone else has.

Jaye Palmer

Posted : 3/11/2006 4:59:52 PM

I live right in Fairbanks and whenever the Quest starts in Fairbanks I try to go out and see it. I knew a musher that ran it for numerous years but has since stopped running as far as I know.
The open north american Sprint race starts next weekend I believe and that one goes right by the building I live in LOL
Jaye

jeano

Posted : 3/11/2006 5:08:33 PM

Hey!!!! YAY!!! Someone else in Fairbanks!! I'm not the only one now! Yippeee!

Yeah, a bunch of really good races this month over at the Musher's Hall!

Jaye Palmer

Posted : 3/11/2006 5:18:23 PM

Nope you aren't the only one around here, I'm glad to find another Fairbanksan on here LOL
Is that your dog in your profile picture?
Jaye

jeano

Posted : 3/11/2006 5:23:06 PM

Yep. That's Sofia.

Not the moose on the left, though. [sm=rofl.gif]

Noel

Posted : 3/12/2006 6:40:00 AM

Awesome links guys! Man, I'm glad I found this forum, there was a bunch of'em that I coulda joined to get my info. that I wanted... This one is really, really good so far. [

]

jeano

Posted : 3/12/2006 2:03:06 PM

Here are a few more mushing links to help keep you entertained:

The Fairbanks Junior Mushers:http://www.fjdma.org/

Musher's Association:http://www.sleddog.org

I wrote an article about all the sled dog stuff going on in Fairbanks this month:
http://www.alaskathismonth.com/index394.html

(I write a Fairbanks column every month.)

Have fun!