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SP Kennel Meets the Fans

March 3, 2012 by

Today has been a busy day for SP Kennel–canines and humans! Starting bright and early Friday morning, the dogs woke up for their first stretching and feeding of the day. They were full of energy and pulling on their leashes to run. Later, Aliy, Allen and Ryne visited with the Clarion, Quality Inn, and Rodeway Inn staff. The staff have been great hosts forall of us at the hotels. They love the dogs, and spend any free moments out at the dog truck.The day continued with a noon visit to the Horizon Lines office visit down at the Port. Three lucky dogs–JJ, Stormy, and Nutmeg–got to visit with the staff at the office. We had several photo opportunities, and enjoyed homemade dog shaped cookies (Thanks Kaz!) as well. The staff had a group photo with Aliy, Allen, and Ryne, so they can “ride along in the sled” all the way to Nome.

To finish off a successful day, Clarion Suites hosted their annual “Meet the Mushers” for Aliy, Allen and Ryne. Allen and Aliy shared their Yukon Quest and Iditarod Race wisdom with a crowd of over 150 people. They shared videos and stories of life on the Race trail, as well as a brief “show and tell” of the mandatory gear in their sleds.

Ryne received a warm welcome from the crowd as the “rookie”. She shared stories of four special dogs which were able to tour around the room. Honda, Stormy, Dingle, and Tony visited with the crowd, and happily licked up dropped cookie crumbs from unsuspecting children’s hands.

We are now ready to “drop” the dogs- walk them around the parking lot-and put them to sleep for tonight. Tomorrow will be a full and exciting day! We’ll be sure to get lots of photos and videos to share with all of you out there. –WB
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Iditarod Start Banquet-Aliy Bib #14 and Ryne bib #46

March 2, 2012 by

The SP Kennel team has just returned from the Iditarod start banquet. Our team has really grown in the past two days and includes Ryne’s family from all over the globe. It’s been a lot of fun catching up with everyone, and meeting some for the first time.

The banquet kicked off with some down home country fiddle music, followed by the honorary awards, dinner, and the drawing of the bib numbers. Aliy and Ryne drew their numbers about two-thirds way through the evening. Aliy’s bib number will be #14, which she states she has never had before. She’s feeling comfortable there, as it will give her a good position to assess the mushers, the trail, and overall conditions to plan her race strategy throughout the race.

Ryne is bib #46, and leaving towards the end of the pack. This will give her a fairly firm trail, and a view of what the race strategies of the veterans will be. We’ll have pictures from the Start banquet and other events on the blog throughout the next few days.

Both Aliy and Ryne, thanked all of the SP Kennel supporters and sponsors, including those of you following along on the blogpost, Facebook, and other media. Your dedication to the kennel is very appreciated. We hope you’ll continue to follow throughout the next week as our lady mushers take to the trail! — WB

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SP Kennel 2012 Iditarod Fan Challenge

March 1, 2012 by

We all know we’ve got many sleepless nights and unproductive work days ahead of us. We also know that SP Kennel fans are the best and most knowledgable of all.

The question is: Are you ready to get an early start on your Iditarod obsession and show the world how well you know SP Kennel?

If so, here’s a challenge that’s perfect for you:

Aliy and Ryne have sent me their Iditarod team rosters.

While I’m writing all the HTML code for posting them tomorrow, can you predict which dogs will be on the teams?

Put your line-ups in the comments and we’ll show the sled dog world just how well SP Kennel fans know their stuff!

Go ahead, “get after it!”… You know it’ll be way more fun than doing your work or getting some sleep!

(Notes & Hints: There are 16 dogs per team. Aliy’s “Red Team” is the “best-of-the-best” racing dogs. Ryne’s “Red & Black Team” has plenty of “veteran experience” up front and “youthful enthusiasm” in the back. If you review previous race rosters and look closely at which dogs have been racing this year, you’ll have a pretty good starting point for your rosters. There’s no “prize” for this contest besides public recognition of your effort and expertise… Have fun!)

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Iditarod Start Schedule

February 29, 2012 by

It’s that time of year again! Are you ready to be a part of the Last Great Race on Earth?

The Schedule
  • Wednesday, February 29th: Mushers fly to Anchorage
  • Thursday, March 1st: Dogs and SPK Team drives to Anchorage, Mushers Meeting 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mushers Banquet and Bib Draw 5:30 p.m. (Dena’ina Center, Anchorage)
  • Friday, March 2nd: Meet and Greet 6-7 p.m. (Clarion Suites, Anchorage)
  • Saturday, March 3rd: Iditarod Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage 10 a.m. (4th Ave & D Street)
  • Sunday, March 4th: Official Iditarod Re-start 2:00 p.m. (Willow Lake, Willow)
You will be able to follow the Iditarod:
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Iditarod Vet Checks

February 29, 2012 by

Iditarod Vet Paperwork and a peanut butter cookie

Every Iditarod dog is required to have a complete blood count (CBC) and a full chemistry panel. These tests were done two weeks prior to the race. The tests provided an overview of a dog’s general health status. In addition, the dogs also had ECGs (electrocardiography). The ECG measured the rate and regularity of their heart beats as well as the size and position of the heart chambers. It could indicate the presence of any damage to the heart.

Dr. Stu Nelson, the Head Iditarod Veterinarian, as well as an additional cardiac specialistic look through the results. Dr. Nelson then calls all Mushers and talks about the results. SP Kennel got their results this week. I have to be honest, it is a bit nerve wracking to wait for the results. But, after talking to Dr. Nelson, the SP Kennel dogs look good!
The next step is to have overall veterinary physical exams for each dog. The Iditarod Veterinarians provide these exams at the Iditarod Headquarters on Wednesday, February 29th. However, we want the SP Kennel dogs to spend the least amount of time possible on the dog truck. So, the SP Kennel dog will miss these exams since they do not come down to Anchorage until Thursday evening. Therefore, we have a friend, dog musher and local Veterinarian – Dr. T. Rose – look through our dogs here at SP Kennel while they run around the garage.
We want to thank Dr. Rose for her time, professionalism, generosity and especially, for the peanut butter cookies! You can’t spend a morning looking through Iditarod dogs with out munching on a delicious cookie. Thanks T!
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