SP Kennel racing schedule has just gotten busier. That’s right Allen has signed up for the Yukon Quest – 1,000 mile International Sled Dog Race – and Aliy has signed up for the Yukon Quest 300.
The Yukon Quest starts on February 5th in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Our plans are to put two competitive teams in both of these races. Allen’s “Black Team” will be made up of young, strong veteran racers who need to be judged on a competitive 1,ooo mile race. The Quest will be a great time to test them. Aliy’s “Red Team” will be older, smaller veterans who have excelled in 1,000 mile races in the past.
Our primary reasons for racing the Yukon Quest this season are: we currently have very supportive sponsors and fans, we currently have the best group of racing dogs ever at SP K and lastly …. we aren’t getting any younger!
Sound good?!?
Sounds very reasonable to me
Karsten
Why aren't you racing the big Yukon Quest, too, Aliy?
Sounds real good!!! I saw the Quest on your race list and am glad to get the "official" announcement. GO SP KENNEL!!
Running SP Kennel is a logistical challenge. It's basically Allen and myself running the whole business.
The bottom line is: one of has to stay at the kennel to keep the business a float – communicate with sponsors and fans, get 3,500 pounds of Iditarod Food Drops packed & turned in, get the Iditarod dog blood tested & EKGed (those not on the 1,000 mile race) and get our Natural Extremes Mushing Adventure Trips finalized and packed (which start directly after the Iditarod ends.)
So, one of us ….. Allen or myself…. has to return from the YQ 300 finish line and "get back to work". Since I've run the Yukon Quest, and he's never seen that country, it seemed only fair that it be me.
I too have been checking out the Yukon Quest website and saw your names and wondered about it.
This is one fan that is very excited about your 2011 race schedule. The Yukon Quest…wow!
This is going to be a great year for SPKennels!
Wow, when I first saw the Quest on your race list I looked and saw Aliy signed up for the 300. But Allen doing two 1000 mile races back-to-back was unexpected. Not sure who got the better end of the deal between staying home to do logistics, or heading out into the icy wilderness for 10+ days.
So regarding the EKGs – does that mean that none of the 1000 mile Quest dogs can be in Iditarod, or simply that they need to have the EKGs done early? It seems with so many mushers doing the Quest and Iditarod back-to-back in recent years that some of the dogs had to have run both, so there must be some kind of provision for the dogs to get cleared to race.
It's great to see your plans for racing season forming – I'm getting even more excited to cheer you on from afar.
Yukon Quest dogs must go through Vet screening in Whitehorse by the YQ Vet Staff three days before the race begins.
Iditarod dogs must go through Vet screening at SP Kennel with our own personal Vet up to 10 days before the race begins. In addition, the ID dogs have mandatory EKGs and blood work. The ID has a mobile Vet Crew that travels around the state for 2 weeks in Mid February trying to test the 50 or so teams. They work out of Fairbanks for 3-4 days, so we usually test them then. If dogs can't be tested during this time (YQ teams or Lower 48 teams), they must be tested in Anchorage the week before the race starts.
That means most YQ/ID dogs either have to make an additional trip to Anchorage or arrive there a week or so before the ID starts.
Usually we like to leave SP K dogs at SP K for as long as possible – kinda like sleeping in your own bed – so, we'll see how this pans out.
Exciting! Will make the Quest that much better for u fans to follow this year!
Best of luck in all your upcoming races. I am excited for this racing season to begin, and so is my two year old – he regularly asks to see "the puppies"!
Aliy how difficult are the dog team roster decisions with the Iditarod only a month later? For example, do we move Dingle, Biscuit and Tatfish to Black to support Allen in the 1000?
Wow best of luck in your all your races 🙂
Aliy, do the Two River Races start at the Pleasant Valley Store? Are routes published anywhere?
Linda
The Two Rivers races usually start at Pleasant Valley Store. Sometimes they post the route on http://www.TRDMA.org – not always.
The rosters for the YQ races …. hum…..
Over the next two months we'll really be judging younger dogs (2 and 3 years) as they compete in the SM 150, CB300, and T200.
And, over the next two months we'll really be judging older veterans (ie; Dingle, Biscuit, Tatfish) as they compete in the SM 150, CB300, and T200.
Then we'll have some tough decisions from the pool of talented yet relatively unproven dogs versus the pool of talented older proven dogs as to which would benefit most from a 1,000 mile run or a 300 mile run.
My guess is that we will have more dogs who we'd like to see run 1,000 miles, but that's why we have a back up plan with the 300 mile race (and actually even a back up to that back up… which I'll post in a few days….)
This is going to give me an ulcer!
LOL why is that Bridgett?
I don't know how rosco and i are going survive following you guys on 2 big races. it's going to be hard holding our breath for 2 1000 mile races. happy you are both able to do both of them!
Sounds fantastic for your fans!
Soooooo is he in it to win it? Or is really just a test?