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February 14, 2016 by

The Black Team are off and away towards Braeburn!

At 7.02am, just under four hours from arrival time, Allen took all 13 team mates down the trail.

As Allen was leaving he reminded us, himself and the dogs: “Two More Runs”. This next run is around 75 miles then at Braeburn all the teams have a mandatory eight hour stop before the final 100 mile push to the finish line in Whitehorse.

This is a massive deal for Allen’s Yukon Quest rookies. They are more than 800 miles into a highly competitive 1000 miles race and they are still going strong. It’s exciting and inspiring.


It’s all a bit of a blur 800 miles in!

The handler crew will now sleep for a few hours here before we go to Braeburn Lodge, home of the famous cinnamon buns and plate-sized burgers!

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17 Responses

  • Exciting and inspiring, indeed! However this race turns out, the dogs are doing very well, and the future for SPK is brilliant! Fingers crossed for a totally unexpected winning outcome….

  • On Valentine's Day, all our best wished to the 4-legged team (52 kisses) to keep on keeping on!!!

    Same to 2-legged team members of all roles as well as Musher Magnifico of the Black Team!!!

    WOOF!!! WOOF!!! WOOF!!!

  • One heck of a rebuilding year SPK!!! You got the right genetics and training methods, thats for sure!!! Two more runs….doing us pround SPK Black Team!!!

  • Good job team…yes they have so much to be proud of with this run. I don't care what they say about the musher being the weakest link on the team. Allen has led these athletes and given them all they need to succeed. Go team go

  • Woohooo, awesome Allen, awesome dogs, awesome handlers, awesome teamwork, awesome updates, awesome race!!!

    Enjoy the next two runs, you're looking fantastic.

  • Mcgellan: can Allen still catch either? Can Matt? Can Brent catch Hugh? Can we assume first to Braeburn likely wins?

  • The young'uns are doing spectacularly well. Even though I have absolutely nothing to do with their success, I feel strangely proud – like they are my own kids.

  • Those young pups are something else!!! And so are the musher's, helpers, handlers and anybody associated with SP Kennel. I know a fan of you guys in France and another one in England!…hehe I introduced them to your blog😍😍😍

  • To Anonymous, who called Macgellan, Mcgellan:
    Holding steady at the rate they have been traveling from Carmacks, Allen and Brent could not catch Hugh.
    However, anything can happen, for example: 2014 Iditarod, 2014 Yukon Quest. They are extreme examples, but still fresh on the mind, and perhaps part of the reason it appears Brent is quite content to travel close to Allen.
    What ever the outcome tomorrow, Allen has taken a heavily young team, and kept them at the front of an elite race. Through Carmacks he still had 13 of his dogs. SP Kennel's showing in this race is excellent.

  • Really, really good! But what's up with Sasses 'shortcuts' – can't find anything in the rules except the "getting lost" off trail… SPK rocks, all the way…

  • In response to the question about whether or not anyone can catch the leader – if you recall, one year Brent fell asleep, another year Hugh lost his ability to remember to call for help…it is a long race!

    The better question is: Can the Black Team hang together, do their best – (which no one actually knows exactly what that is with so many [6?] rookie Yukon Quest 1000 competitors on a team of 14 to begin with) and stay happy and healthy, too?

    Like many things in life, competitions with oneself are what is most important – and if that adds up to "winning" in the end, well that's nice too!!!

    (My opinion.)

  • Amazing that Allen and young team(relatively) are so close to front (and still with 13 happy dogs). What a great accomplishment for SPK. Well done all around.

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