Aliy just called from the dog truck on the way back from the CB300 Awards Banquet and said, “Great News! SP Kennel won the CB300 Humanitarian Award!”
Because dog care is so important in the sled dog community, Humanitarian Awards are presented by race veterinarians to the musher whom they believe took the best overall care of his or her dogs during the race. Humanitarian Awards are highly coveted, and many mushers say that receiving one is more rewarding to them than winning the race.
So, it was natural for me to respond to Aliy’s news by saying, “That’s fantastic! Which of you won it?”
“That’s the really great thing!” she replied. “It wasn’t one of us, it was all of us. The whole of SP Kennel! The mushers, the handlers, everybody!”
Between Aliy’s excitement, the truck noise and the poor cell phone connection it was hard for me to catch the whole story, but it goes something like this: The CB300 race veterinarians congratulated all of the mushers on really excellent dog care during the race. They said that the overall level of dog care was so good that they found it difficult to spotlight just one musher to receive their Humanitarian Award.
What they were really struck by, though, was the fact that one kennel — SP Kennel — showed such extraordinary dog care across all three of its teams. The health and fitness of the dogs coming into the race, the care they received during the race and how great they all looked at the end of the race. So, in a first ever, the CB300 race veterinarians presented this year’s Humanitarian Award not to a single musher, but to SP Kennel as a whole!
I’m sure you can imagine the Team’s excitement. It may not be quite enough to console Allen about not winning the race, but he certainly feels a little better about his performance now. Aliy, of course, is downright beaming. “I never thought I could be more proud than when I won the Iditarod Humanitarian Award in 2005” she said. “But this might be the moment.”
And Bridgett? Well, seconds after I hung up with Aliy, I received this photo and a call from her during which she exclaimed with her typical enthusiasm, “This is freaking awesome! We always tell people how much of a ‘dog first’ kennel we are, and now we’ve got a stuffed dog with harness award to prove it! Don’t tell my dad, but I think this is better than if he’d won the race!”
I, for one, agree with her. Based on what I read in all of your comments throughout the race, I imagine you do too!
Here’s your chance to let them know for sure!
Congratulations! Great news, and well deserved.
Conratulations! That´s the SP-Kennel Spirit. Well done.
Awesome!! All of you deserve this award. Just confirms what we already know- SP Kennel is truely a dog first kennel!
Couldn't have gone to a better kennel, for sure.
No question that your kennel is one of the best in Alaska for taking care of its dogs. You deserve this award.
what a great and well deserved award for all three of you. your sled dogs are by far the luckiest in the sport!!!!
Fantastic! Congratulations to you all. This is the sort of thing I point out to critics who ask me if dog racing is cruel to the dogs… these animals are treated as first-class athletes and best friends, and SP Kennel is a shining example of the best-of-the-best. Thank you!
Totally awesome!
Bridgett summed it up best – it's freaking awesome. Congratulations!
How exciting for the entire kennel! Congratulations – your dogs are very lucky!
Right on!! Congrats Sp Kennel.
Of what I hear about your kennel,it is well deserve of this award.
Good luck for the rest of the year.
from southern Alberta
Congrats!! Richly deserved!
Yay for you! Seems like a great confirmation that your program is getting stuff right.
And second place with a complete team of 12? That's great.
(BTW, will we hear about where Aliy got that shiner?)
Way to go SP mushers, handlers and dogs. It speaks well of the whole group that an established race tradition has been broken and the recognition was given to the whole team – imagine providing this level of care for not just 12 dogs but for 36 – talk about a phenomenal job. Pat yourselves on the back and keep up the excellent work.
All I have ever heard from Macgellan is how great the care is for the dogs and that is certainly recognized now — very exciting. Congratulations.
Way cool! Congratulations!! The trophy is awesome too!
I thought it deserved top billing as the mushing story of the week!
http://alaskadispatch.com/blogs/team-a-trail/3631-mushing-news-roundup
WOW
For the whole kennel to win this is truly special! Congrats to all of you.
Very Well Done!! Congrat's!!!!!
Fantastic! Great to see your kennel spotlighted for its exceptional dog care. The SP Kennel team did their work and brought home the bacon! Dave in NC
Concrats, that is definitely the # 1 price all of you great people and dawgs deserve.
This award adds to the excitement of following SP Kennel!
LouiseR
Great race, great coverage by Mac. Great award. Congratulations to all of you at the kennel (2 legged and 4 legged). The Alaska Dispatch article is good also (see post by Helen above for link). And I watched most of the Mushing TV videos…lots of SP kennel there, too. Deb in Ketchikan
Sorry for the late response, but that is an awesome and great achievement! A shining example to all kennels everywhere!