SPK Dog Log

So… how are you going? “Fantastic!”

Aliy and her youngsters are on the trail to Braeburn!

The SP Kennel Red Team has started the Yukon Quest 300! As Aliy made her last minute survey of the team, it took several human handlers to hold back her eager dogs.

Just seconds before they hit the trail, Junior got a quick pep talk from Ray. She’s ready!

Stand by for more coverage as the race unfolds… Go SPK!

We got the Black Team off the line safely and they’re on their way!

First photos from Moira in Whitehorse: The SP Kennel Black Team at the start!

Just moments before starting in first position, Allen surveys his team while Aliy makes a few harness adjustments. You can tell how cold it is — almost -40 degrees! — by all the breath vapor around the dogs and from spectators in the background.

Leaders Quito and Scout had their game faces on, very experienced veterans who know exactly what’s ahead of them. If you caught the radio live stream, you heard the commentator note how calm the team was. Quito’s wisdom is plain to see in her eyes!

Aliy and the SP Kennel Red Team will start shortly after 3pm Pacific Time… Go SPK!

Allen and the Black Team leave the starting chute at 11.00am this morning local time. Leading him out will be seasoned leaders QUITO and SCOUT. CHICA and IZZY will run in the swing position followed by SISSY and her brother SCHMOE. MAC and WAYLON will start out side-by-side with CHEMO and OUTLAW behind them. SCOOTER and NACHO come next with WILLE and CLYDE in wheel. This is a strong, veteran team with Izzy, Sissy and Outlaw the only YQ1000 rookies – but all three have run the Iditarod.

Allen had difficulty narrowing his team down to 14 and you will see some strong contenders in Aliy’s Red Team.

Izzy, Sissy and Outlaw are Yukon Quest rookies

Aliy and the Red Team pull out at 3.12pm this afternoon with her purposefully youthful team led by siblings JUNIOR and KODIAK. Their Momma OLIVIA and Uncle BEEMER will run in swing to give them some experienced back-up. Brothers MISMO and FELIX will run together followed by WEDGY and NELSON. LYDIA and her brother DUTCH are next up with petite sisters SANDY and CHIPPER in wheel. Aliy has a mixture of experience and youth and she is very excited to run this team!

Sisters Chipper and Wedgy will run their first 300 mile race

As always, there are some excellent dogs at home that could have easily made either team. Some have been earmarked for one or the other of our Iditarod teams and can sit this one out. A few others have minor niggling injuries or didn’t eat so well in the week leading up to the race and only those who were 100% fit were on the short-list. Meghan is taking great care of everyone at home and will continue to run teams so they are ready and available for a possible Iditarod call-up.

Check out the Team Roster page for more information about each canine athlete including their race history.

This morning Aliy, Spencer and Moira took the 12 Red Team dogs to the veterinarian checks for the YQ300.

The vet team is fantastic – they not only do their job extremely thoroughly, to ensure everyone is in good shape to start the event, but they are so caring and gentle with the dogs. Some of the youngsters in our team were a little nervous of all the people and noise but the vets were so patient.

Nelson undergoes his vet check (photos Janice Pentland Smith)

A local community television station was covering the event and sat down for a chat with Aliy and Mismo. Once it airs, in about a month or so, we will hopefully be able to post a link. Mismo played his part brilliantly!

Lydia and Junior are checked over; Mismo is interviewed for community television – what do you reckon they are asking him?

This afternoon was the musher and handler meeting where the bib draw was done. Aliy and the Red Team will go out with bib #55 (the numbering starts from 50) which means they will leave the start chute at 3.12pm local time.

So, with vet checks complete, meetings had and bib draw done we have 13 athletes ready to run!

Congrats to Debbi Robinson from North Carolina who has won this week’s Yukon Quest themed Dog Fan Club draw. Debbi is a fan of many of our dogs and has won this week with MISMO!

Mismo is in Whitehorse with us so I snapped a picture of him this morning at the YQ300 Vet checks. He will run with Aliy and the Red team in the YQ300 in a bid to defend the championship he helped win last year.

Debbi wins a Yukon Quest poster and patch along with some other goodies.

Thanks to all our Dog Fan Club members! The next Dog Fan Club winner will be announced on February 20th and everyone who hasn’t already won and all new members will be in the draw to win. Note: those of you who have already won but are fan club members of multiple dogs are still in the draw for the dogs you have not won with. Debbi is, in fact, a multiple winner so it is possible!

Click the button below for instructions on how to join:

Click this button below to take you directly to the Dog Fan Page.