Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘mushers’

Iditarod Issues

Some of our readers are Iditarod fans (especially fans of the wonderful Snowhook people). Maybe they have interesting takes on this story. We don’t know what to think.

https://www.npr.org/2018/03/03/590089289/musher-mutiny-dog-doping-scandals-mire-the-super-bowl-of-sled-dog-races

Friend of the Month Reminder & Mushers Banquet

First, here’s Rebecca, CEO of Snowhook (“our” team in the Iditarod, world’s greatest dog sled race):

Following the mandatory mushers’ meeting, the mushers banquet was held. It is an evening packed with entertainment, food, autographs, photos and fans. It is also where mushers draw their bib number.

For the second year in a row, AJ drew bib #34. This is a good starting number. Not only does it keep the dogs from running earlier and in the heat of the day, but trails should still be in fairly good condition. Teams will leave the starting line every two minutes so Team Snowhook will leave the starting line shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. AJ has built his race schedule around leaving at 3:00 p.m. so this bib number suits us just fine.

After drawing his bib number, AJ shared that his race is dedicated to Melanie and that the team will be running in purple collars in honor of our dear friend.

Thanks, Rebecca! And special mention today of the Plunderers who have gathered in Alaska for the race: Jennifer, Mary Lou, Eileen and Ray, Sharon and Digger, Carol. Hope we didn’t leave anyone out. Good news on the bib number, especially with how conditions sound this year. And now, it’s the last day of the month, and therefore time for the Friend of the Month reminder. See Alex over there on the right? He’s Chet’s Friend of the Month for February. All his human companion did was send in a photo to the gallery. The random number generator (see below) did the rest, and Alex’s human companion got a signed and paw-printed copy of The Sound and the Furry. This could be you! Just send in a photo!

Welcome new friend Ginger.

Random number generator:

Red Letter Day

“Are we proud of our association with Snowhook Kennel or what?” Spence says. “Here’s news from Rebecca about the Northern Lights 300 – “

“Love that name,” says Admin.

” – rewards dinner.”

The awards dinner for the race was Monday evening.  There was the expected—mushers receiving a certificate of completion starting from the last place musher and progressing to the winner, and the telling of humorous tales from the trail.  Then, there was the unexpected.  AJ missed being in the money by one place; the purse paid out to the first four mushers.  What we didn’t know and certainly didn’t expect was that for his fifth place finish, AJ received his entrance fee paid in full for the 2014 Tustumena 200.  Wow!

 

Yet, now for the truly unexpected and by far the bigger honor.  AJ was presented the Rich Allen ‘For the Love of Dogs’ award for exceptional dog care.  We were stunned.  The dogs’ care has been our priority from our beginning into the sport of mushing, and words can not express how honored and humbled we are with this award.  This isn’t the first time AJ’s received an award of this kind.  In 2011, he received the Humanitarian Award in the Don Bowers Memorial Sled Dog Race which he won that same year as well as the next; the Humanitarian Award was by far the bigger honor than any first place finish. 

Here’s Justin receiving the award, which includes 500 booties.

Kid Mushers

“Did you know about kids learning to be mushers?” Spence says.

“I did not,” says Admin.

“Here’s an article about it from the Miami Herald – kind of counterintuitive, climate-wise.”

“Not quite with you on that mental leap.”

Spence has this face when he’s trying to ignore Admin; he’s wearing it now. “I wonder if Rebecca and AJ – our Iditarod team! – know any of the people mentioned in the story,” he says.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/24/2658399/mushing-starts-early-for-some.html

Callie – please try uploading again. Has anyone else been having trouble with this lately? If so, please comment, or email spence.quinn@gmail.com.