We hoped to do a Dog Fan Club Draw at the end of November and here it is December already. How the winter mushing season seems to FLY BY this time of year.
Congratulations to Romeo Williams who is a fan of Bruno. He wins a packet of SP Kennel M&M’s plus a glam shot of Bruno and some other kennel goodies.
Bruno is SP Kennel’s Latin Lover. He is sexy, yet modest. With his dark brown coat and his milk chocolate eyes he could easily be the cover model of GQ ‘Canine’ magazine. His legs and chest are incredibly powerful and muscled due to his unyielding desire to run and pull. Bruno is one of our stronger boys.
Bruno was Rock Star talented last season and did the ‘Double-Double’ by racing and finishing in both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod. This is no easy feat. A husky needs skill and strength, but most of all enthusiasm to race and finish of two events. Bruno came across the finish line in both races with a smile. He had one minor hiccup on the Iditarod while racing with Aliy. Here is that excerpt from her Iditarod 2019 Trail Notes:
For about 4 miles before the Iditarod Checkpoint, I knew I was on the general route that the Iditarod took, but I didn’t know if I was on this year’s trail or the trail from 1981. Many times in the darkness of that night, I found myself in the middle of a sea of permanent reflective markers. When I stopped the team to decide which direction to proceed, every direction I looked had a reflector announcing,“Come this way!”
I had Dutch and Spark in lead together. I would shine my headlight beam back and forth across the area and they would run from one reflector to another. They look for and identify the different markers quite well. Unfortunately there were so many reflectors that soon Dutch was trying to go one way and Spark was trying to go to the other. Both of them were heading toward reflectors. I couldn’t chastise one leader when he was just as correct as the other. I tried to indicate which reflector to head towards but I was guessing as much as they were. Those two lead dogs quickly got fed up with each other and me. There was a lot of frustration in the team, and everyone was extremely tired. Bruno didn’t like the intensity and got fed up with the whole ordeal. He decided to return to the reflector behind us. He turned around and started to pull the sled backwards. This is where I couldn’t panic. I wanted to. Where is the trail? Which way is the Iditarod Checkpoint? We are almost there and now it’s impossible to find? Mutiny was on the horizon if I didn’t get everyone working together again. Each dog and myself was trying to do their best, but it wasn’t showing as team work. I needed to take command, and it needed to start with my attitude.
I stopped the team, walked up to everyone and told them that they were great dogs. No one was in trouble. We were still headed to the Iditarod Checkpoint. No panicking was necessary. We were going to get there. It’s never a given about how much effort a dog or musher must put forth to mush down the trail. This moment was on high side of physical and mental effort. That’s the way it goes.
I put poor confused Bruno into my sled bag. He’s a big boy, but he went willingly. He lay down and I zipped it up so he couldn’t even see reflectors. I moved Spark back into Bruno’s position. That left Dutch up in single lead. This is the first time on the race that I positioned a single leader. It would definitely not be the last. Dutch was both responsive to my commands and very excited about finding the route by himself. I gave him a lot of leeway up front. I tried to shine my headlight beam in the general direction that I guessed to be correct. We made little progress. I tried to stay positive but I started to doubt our direction. I even got it into my mind that we had skirted so far off this year’s trail that perhaps we passed the checkpoint altogether. I nearly convinced myself of that tragedy when I saw a bright flash of light along the horizon. It came from the direction we were moving toward. I learned later that the videographer who was waiting for my arrival had to calibrate his lights and camera. He said he had to turn it on for three seconds. He did that about 10 minutes before I arrived. That small amount of good fortune helped me stay on course. I’m sure we would have found the checkpoint eventually, but that flash of light helped me more than I’d like to admit.
We arrived at the Iditarod Checkpoint soon after. It was a huge accomplishment. I was very, very happy to be there. The folks who greeted us said that the team didn’t even look tired. They were. The dogs were just excited to see the lights, camera and people. So was I! I unpacked Bruno from the sled and gave the entire team a big,“Thank You.” What a dedicated group of dogs. They never stopped trying. It was physically challenging on them and me. My team could have doubted me, as I doubted myself, in the final miles before Iditarod, but they didn’t. Even now I wonder why they believed in me when I didn’t.
Sei bellissimo Bruno!
To find out more about our athletes look at the “Dogs” page. To join the Dog Fan Club you can hit the “Become a Dog Fan” tab at the top of the page or click here. We will have a Fan Club Draw twice a month or more during race time and special events. It’s fun. Support your dog or dogs!
Lights, camera, action, indeed!!! GO RED TEAM in ID2020
And congrats to lucky fan of Mr. Bruno!!! Bruno’s eyes might be the color of…M&M’s (the inside)!!!
Love the trail notes! I couldn’t do it but am amazed at the talent with dogs and musher!
Congrats to Romeo and enjoy the treats!
I finally got time to read, and enjoyed every line of your 2019 Trail Notes.
Thank you Aliy.
I love how reviewing your notes got you pumped about the new season. They have me SUPER excited too!
🙂
Love to Bruno