YQ: Thank You

There are so many people to thank for helping us on the Yukon Quest Journey.

Thanks to our handler crew Jeff, Bridgett, Moira, Sheila and Mark. We can’t do it without a great handler crew and you made a huge difference in this race. Thanks also to Padee, Wendy, Jennifer, Scotty and Kevin for your help at the start line.

Thank you to all our individual dog sponsors, team members, dog fan club members, kennel VIPs and champions. We think of you all as family and appreciate your ongoing support for us.

Thanks to everyone who Geared Up The Team for the Yukon Quest: Marilyn Cozzens, Ann and Tom Shillington, Beemer and Viper Eckhoff, Vivian and Greg Martin, Leanna Anderson, Kathy Ferrell, Val Lycette, Beth and Mike Metcalf, Lloie Schwartz, Andrea Trzaskos, Linda Toth, Stella Rathswohl, Metta Canez, Debi Riley, Chemo and Team Adirondack, Charlene and Lisa – the Straw Ladies, Barbara Thompson, Hayden Nevill. The meat snacks, booties and straw were all well used during this race.

To everyone who read, liked, shared or commented on our posts, thank you for following along with us. We enjoy bringing you the stories and we appreciate your feedback.

To our major sponsors: Matson, Verizon Alaska, Bob Huston (who sponsored our handler dinner at the Drunken Goat in Dawson – thanks Bob!), Comfort Inn Ship’s Creek, Pleasant Valley Store, North Pole Vet, T Rose Vet, Head-lites.com, Howling Dog Alaska and their superb distance harness system and Kenai Satellite Phone Rentals – who kept the handler team in touch with the kennel on the Alaska side.

To the Quest organisation, thank you once again for putting on a great race. To the race officials, thanks for all that you do – I’m sure it is an under appreciated job! To the logistics team for getting the drop bags where they needed to be and for setting up the checkpoints for easy navigation, and for cleaning up after we had all left. To the staff of both Alaska and Yukon offices, the work you do all year round is unseen by most of us but we hope you know that we appreciate you! To the PR and Visual Content team, it was great to work with you again to bring this race to the world. To the checkpoint managers and your volunteers – a sincere thanks for making us feel welcome, cooking delicious food, waking our mushers up on time and getting them safely in and out of checkpoints and across roads.

The veterinarian team, led by Dr Nina Hansen, are amazing. Thanks for the care and attention you give to all the dogs before, during and after the race. We are lucky to have so many talented people willing to give up their time to provide advice, treatment and support to the teams. We always learn something new from you and that all helps with the overall health and wellbeing of the dogs and the race.

To the trail breakers – THANK YOU! Without you, we would not have a race. Period.

To Central Corner, The Downtown Hotel, Bonanza Gold RV Park and Braeburn Lodge for hosting us at the checkpoints. It can’t be easy to have so many dog mushers and handlers roll in and out of town wanting food, drink and sleep.

To all the race sponsors, thank you for sponsoring the race we love. We look forward to seeing you back next year!

That’s quite a large village! Thank you all.