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Send news of interest to mushers to info A reminder about email to/from Sled Dog Central... 6/30/09 June 29, 2009: New Mid-Distance Race for Ontario. The Biggest Little Town in Ontario, Kearney is adding another race to its already impressive schedule for the 2010 schedule. Besides playing host to a 2 day event that presents a 4 mile, 6 mile, skijoring and 40 mile race each day. The town has received approval from council to also organize a 120 mile mid-distance. The Kearney Sleddog Race Organization in consultation with the Ontario Federation of Sleddog Sports has been working on setting up a good old fashion mid-distance race. The twelve dog teams will leave town in the late afternoon travel 60 miles through the beautiful hardwood bush and bogs bordering on the west side of Algonquin Park and return back into Kearney. A designated 4 hour layover will be taken at the area baseball field where residence and visitors witnessing the event will be able to watch the mushers perform the dog care duties. Once the layover and starting time compensation is complete, teams will head back out on the same trail in the reverse direction, completing the sixty mile trail back into town. The winning team should be crossing the finish line just as the crowds are arriving for the start of the second day of the other events. The race organizers have set a maximum field entry for the first year of 12 teams. Registration will open on September 1, 2009 with starting bibs being awarded based on when enters are received. Kearney has made arrangements to have experienced sleddog racing veterinarians on site for mandatory pre-race checkups, during the layover and at the finish of the race. The race organizers are working hard on coming up with a suitable purse for this race. Some of the purse money has already been guaranteed to the committee, when the race is established. The committee has been listening to Ontario sleddog mushers and has designed a totally no help race for the mushers. Once they leave the start line, the mushers will have to do all the work throughout the race. That means feeding dogs, caring for the dogs, themselves and any other needs to complete the race. The Kearney Sleddog Races are taking the next step in progressing to the upper echelon of sleddog racing. Last year they added skijoring to their race categories. This year they are stepping up to a longer distance category with the hopes of possible stretching the distance in years to come. They have the prefect location, with great snowfall, picturesque scenery and a great town to back the event. Kearney is helping mid-distance racing to get re-established here in Ontario with sites set to expand into the future. Prepared by: Jim Cunningham, Race Marshal, Centreton, Ontario, Canada. 6/18/09 Mushing History Conference 2009 Our proposal is to hold this program in Alaska late summer or fall. We are soliciting speakers and participants. We hope to decide on the dates & venue in the next few weeks based on the interests of potential hosts and sponsors. History is not out of date or irrelevant. It was from their interest in history that Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. came together to eventually create the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The first "modern" toboggan sled which I built for the 1974 Iditarod was partly inspired by sleds used by Scotty Allan and Vilhjalmur Stefansson as described in the Baldy of Nome books by Ester Darling and in Stefansson's books recounting his Arctic explorations. We would like to hear from speakers who want to participate in the conference. Please email a one or two paragraph summary of your proposed or tentative subject and content to twhite@boreal.org Write an abstract. These will be circulated to the other speakers so that we can find the best way to integrate them for a coherent program. All topics related to sled dogs can be considered. In fact, most subjects do have an interesting historical context and content. 6/8/09 Jamaican Musher to Sign Up for Iditarod and Train with Champion Lance Mackey June 4, 2009 (Ocho Rios, Jamaica): – Three-time Iditarod and four-time Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey will be training Jamaica Dogsled Team musher Newton Marshall as he prepares to race the Iditarod in 2010. “I was fortunate to have Hans Gatt train me over the past two years and help me finish the Yukon Quest” said Marshall. “Now I will get the chance to work with another champion – he has won three Iditarods! I know I can do this race.” Marshall successfully completed the Yukon Quest last year in thirteenth place. He was awarded the Spirit of the North Award by the Race Officials of the Yukon Quest. Last week in Jamaica, Marshall was presented with a special award from the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce for his success in dog sledding and the whole team was there with him to celebrate. “We are thrilled to be working with Lance Mackey’s Comeback Kennels as we prepare for the Iditarod,” said Danny Melville, President and team founder. “The new terrain, dog team, training races and style of Lance and his kennels will all help Newton as he prepares for the Iditarod.” Marshall and sprint musher Damion Robb both have an impressive schedule of races planned for 2009-10 that will culminate with the Iditarod in March. “We cannot wait to work with Newton,” said Tonya Mackey of Comeback Kennel, Inc. “He has shown his dedication to the sport of sled dog racing and we are excited to have the opportunity to get him ready for the Iditarod. Plus, we will get to show him some Alaskan hospitality!” The team dogs in Jamaica are rescued from the streets or from the Jamaican Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (JSPCA). A portion of proceeds from the Jamaica Dogsled Tours and DVD sales on the team website benefits the JSPCA. The Jamaica Dogsled Team is sponsored by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, WestJet Vacations, Alpine Aviation and Annamaet Petfoods. 5/27/09 "From Puppies to Pullers - Yukon Quest Experience" a hit! May 26, 2009; (Fairbanks, Alaska) - The Yukon Quest Experience launched Wednesday, May 20 and has been an immediate hit. The show is presented by Brent Sass and is being held outside the Yukon Quest log cabin in downtown Fairbanks. Sass is a veteran Yukon Quest musher and was awarded the Sportsmanship Award in the 2009 Yukon Quest. He created this attraction to get people excited about the Yukon Quest while they are visiting Fairbanks and to give people a reason to follow the race throughout the year. The show educates and informs visitors of the rich history and exciting future of the Yukon Quest and incorporates displays, puppies, race history and Sass' personal experience with the race. Shows are taking place from 11 AM to 3 PM, Sunday to Thursday. Tickets for the show are $10 per person. Opening day of sign-ups for the 2010 Yukon Quest is August 8th. Opening day events will take place in both Fairbanks and Whitehorse. Check out the event calendar at www.yukonquest.com for more details. 5/15/09 Michael Tetzner reports that Iwan Schmid of Switzerland has passed away. Iwan was involved in sled dog racing since 1976 and placed second in open class at the 2001 IFSS World Championship in Fairbanks and great in many other races. He was a Tour de France driver and since 1976 professional. He was a great man in bike and dog sport. Note: If you have any additional information please send to webmaster 5/11/09 Wife Swap is looking for skijoring families My name is Kristen and I am a Casting Producer for the ABC hit reality show "Wife Swap." We are currently casting for our fifth season and we are looking for families that are really into Ski Joring together or one family member is very passionate about the sport. The premise of Wife Swap is simple: for seven days, two wives from two different families with very different values exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) to discover what it's like to live a different family's life. It's an interesting social experiment and a great way to see your family in a whole new light. It is shot as a documentary series, so NO scripts and no set. It's just one camera that is documenting your life. Families that appear on the show will receive a financial honorarium for lost wages, time and commitment. And if you refer a family that appears on the show you would receive $1000. Here at 'Wife Swap' we look for a two-parent home with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 17 living at home full time. If you are interested, please email me your contact information and tell me a little about your family. Or if you would like to refer a family, please email me their contact information and I will be in touch. Thank you! Kristen Phelan 4/14/09 Team Canada Dryland Selection Process Participation at the 2009 IFSS Dryland World Championships is open to any and all Canadian residents. You are requested to download the Mushing Canada 2009 Dryland application form and submit the completed application by no later than May 29, 2009. The team selection will be based on available spaces and past racing experience. We anticipate that there will be enough space to accommodate most applications, however you must list your past race experience on the application form. The team selections will be announced on June 26, 2009. Each accepted applicant will be required to submit their payment of applicable fees to Mushing Canada by July 31, 2009. Quebec residents may apply through their provincial organization. For more information please visit: www.mushingcanada.ca 4/13/09 2009 “Tails from the Trail” Charity Banquet & Silent Auction Two Rivers, Alaska (April 8, 2009) The Second Annual “Tails from the Trail” Charity Banquet and Silent Auction is Friday April 24, 2009 at the Fairbanks Princess Hotel. Social Hour begins at 5:30PM and dinner is served at 6:30PM. Guest speakers include Vern Halter, Iditarod musher and 1990 Yukon Quest Champion, Jodi Bailey, 2008 Gin Gin 200 Champion and Mike McCowan, ONAC and Yukon Quest Race Marshal. Tickets are $35 and are available at Cold Spot Feeds, The Prospector and Pleasant Valley Store in Two Rivers. The Sled Dog Fund, Inc. is a non-profit organization that uses racing sled dogs to promote awareness and raise funding for the support of special needs children. The Sled Dog Fund, Inc. directly supports clinical research on disabilities, funds hospital programs, assists with parental education initiatives and sponsors individual disabled children who wish to compete in races of any kind. All donations to The Sled Dog Fund, Inc. are fully tax deductable. Donations are accepted via the internet or by mail. For additional information, visit The Sled Dog Fund, Inc.’s website at www.sleddogfund.org 4/13/09 Italian Mushers set up Fund for Earthquake Victims The F.I.M.S.S. (Federazione Italiana Musher Sleddog Sport) opened a subscription in order to help some their mushers who suffered the terrible experience of the earthquake that arrived in L'Aquila, Italy, where they live. Fabrizio Filoni, Olivia Piacentini and Giulia Rossetto stay well, but they are without jobs now and their houses cannot be used. In order to support them, you can send a donation using the FIMSS's Paypal account at
this link: 3/20/09 Mush for a Cure raised over $23,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (Gunflint Trail, MN) The 3rd Annual Mush for a Cure Sled Dog Fundraiser on March 14th, 2009 raised over $23,000.00 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The Gunflint Trail was blanketed with snow but as aerial photos proved there were splashes of pink everywhere. The highly successful event included 34 dog mushing teams, 4 skijor participants, almost one hundred volunteers and hundreds of happy spectators. Early Saturday morning people and dogs could be seen at Gunflint Pines getting ready for the day. A pancake breakfast, registration and then a Sourdough start on the lake was made even more special by the appearance of a plane dropping pink streamers from the sky during the National Anthem. According to one spectator, "I don't know what came over me, but to see all of those people dressed in pink, getting ready to mush for a cure and then have a plane fly over just brought tears to my eyes." Those tears weren't the only ones seen during the 3rd Annual Mush for a Cure. Tears from laughing so hard at men wearing pink lipstick or at a hat that said, "Save 2nd Base" fell from some eyes. Other tears of joy were seen on Co-Race Founder Mary Black's face during the Awards Presentation, "I am so proud of all of you for raising over $23,000.00 it's so incredible, I just can't believe how awesome all of you are." The day was a special one for many folks including John Stetson and his son Nelson. The 3rd Annual Mush for a Cure was dedicated to Shelly Stetson who lost her battle with breast cancer in January before John's 2nd place finish in this year's Beargrease. John and Nelson traveled the Mush Trail together no doubt thinking of Shelly as many of the mushers did along the way. The Mingle with the Mushers Pasta Feed on Friday night and the Party Pink Post-Race Party were well attended. People received haircuts for a cure, great prizes from the raffles and plenty of food and fun at Trail Center. Plans are already underway for how to make the 4th Annual Mush for a Cure an even bigger and better event. Mark your calendars for March 13th, 2010 because you won't want to miss out on the fabulous fundraising fun. More information can be found at http://www.mushforacure.com 1/12/09 Shelly Stetson, wife of John Stetson, passed away at sunrise this morning (Monday, January 12) after a long battle with breast cancer. A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, January 14th at 4:30pm at the Unitarian Church in Duluth, MN. A potluck dinner will follow the service. The church website and address follow: 1/13/09 12/1/07 Canine rabies challenge studies begin! One of the most important vaccine research studies in veterinary medicine is underway at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison. Dr. Ronald Schultz, a leading authority on veterinary vaccines and Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, has begun concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies to determine the long-term duration of immunity of the canine rabies vaccine, with the goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters. These will be the first long-term challenge studies on the canine rabies vaccine to be published in the United States. Dr. Schultz comments that: "We are all very excited to start this study that will hopefully demonstrate that rabies vaccines can provide a minimum of 7 years of immunity." This research is being financed by The Rabies Challenge Fund, a charitable trust founded by pet vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L. Christine of Maine, who serves as Co-Trustee with world-renowned veterinary research scientist and practicing clinician, Dr. W. Jean Dodds of Hemopet in California. The Rabies Challenge Fund recently met its goal of $177,000 to fund the studies’ first year budget with contributions from dog owners, canine groups, trainers, veterinarians, and small businesses. Annual budget goals of $150,000 for the studies must be met in the future. Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM states: "This is the first time in my 43 years of involvement in veterinary issues that what started as a grass-roots effort to change an outmoded regulation affecting animals will be addressed scientifically by an acknowledged expert to benefit all canines in the future." Scientific data published in 1992 by Michel Aubert and his research team demonstrated that dogs were immune to a rabies challenge 5 years after vaccination, while Dr. Schultz’s serological studies documented antibody titer counts at levels known to confer immunity to rabies 7 years post-vaccination. This data strongly suggests that state laws requiring annual or triennial rabies boosters for dogs are redundant. Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations. Study co-trustee Kris Christine adds: “Because the USDA does not require vaccine manufacturers to provide long-term duration of immunity studies documenting maximum effectiveness when licensing their products, concerned dog owners have contributed the money to fund this research themselves. We want to ensure that rabies immunization laws are based upon independent, long-term scientific data.” More information and regular updates on The Rabies Challenge Fund and the concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies it is financing can be found at the fund’s website designed by volunteer Andrea Brin at: www.RabiesChallengeFund.org 9/12/07 Mush Mon! - Jamaica Dogsled Team Documentary SUN DOGS Released on DVD OCHO RIOS, Jamaica (September 8, 2007) - The feature documentary "Sun Dogs" chronicling the struggle and adventure of the founding of the Jamaica Dogsled Team will be released on DVD by Palm Pictures, October 2, 2007. SUN DOGS is a story of second chances. Rescued from the streets and animal shelters of Kingston, Jamaica, twelve stray dogs are trained to be the stars of Jamaica's first dog sled racing team. The crew, spearheaded by pop superstar Jimmy Buffett, brings the unlikely meeting of a traditionally snow-bound sport to the sand and surf. But it is not just the dogs that are given a second chance. The team's dog mushers are given the opportunity of a lifetime as they cultivate their love of animals while receiving an education and traveling the world. Special Features on the DVD include four mini-documentaries: "Jimmy Buffett and the Jamaica Dog Sled Team" - exclusive footage of Jimmy Buffett; "How to Teach Your Dog to Pull in Harness;" "The Jamaica Dogsled Team Taking on the World;" "The Work of the JSPCA;" plus a "Dog-ography: Meet the Mutts." To purchase the documentary or for more information about SUN DOGS and the Jamaica Dogsled Team visit www.jamaicadogsled.com - Chukka Caribbean Adventures: www.chukkacaribbean.com ; Palm Pictures: www.palmpictures.com ; SUN DOGS www.sundogsmovie.com 7/3/07 Dean Fairburn drowns in Idaho's Payette River Dean was well known among mushers in the west. He was a great friend and a very good musher. He loved his family and the dogs. He won the Eagle Cap 200 race this year, and got Red Lantern in this year's Race To The Sky. He was planning to run the Iditarod next year. Details from the Idaho Statesman: www.idahostatesman.com/531/story/97073.html 6/25/07 Wally Herbert, passed away on June 13th. Wally made an historic 3620 mile unsupported trek from Alaska to Spitsbergen, Norway by way of the North Pole by Inuit Dog team back in 1968. More information at and here: http://sirwallyherbert.com/Profile.html 5/29/07 R. Glendon "Dick" Brunk, February 14, 1945-May 13, 2007 Former Fairbanks resident R. Glendon Brunk, 62, died May 13, 2007, in Santa Fe, New Mexico A memorial celebration will be at 6 p.m. June 9 at the Dog Mushers Hall located on Farmers Loop Road in Fairbanks. Details are at www.glendonbrunk.com If you plan to carry dog food/meat across Canada/US borders check ahead... The situation in carrying dog meat and/or dog food with certain ingredients across the border in 2005/2006 seems to have changed very little from last year. Note that there is now a problem with chicken passing through British Columbia. Thanks to Karen Ramstead for providing the following information on November 22, 2005:
Please be sure to include an appropriate Subject line in your messages to SDC. Any mail that appears the least bit suspicious--that is, without a subject line or with a subject that doesn't specifically refer to SDC or a dog topic, without a return address, unusually large size--is deleted without opening. You can prevent accidental deletion of your message by including a relevant subject and making sure the email includes your return address. If you have not received a response to email within two or three days, consider re-sending with a more complete subject line.
Most of the current viruses "spoof" the senders address. All that is necessary for the mail to look like it came from Sled Dog Central is for the infected computer to have our address in their email address book. Nothing is impossible, but we run Trend Micro AntiVirus 24/7 and our protection files are updated immediately upon release from Trend Micro. As an additional precaution all of our outgoing email is scanned by our AntiVirus program before it is sent. Thanks, Judy Bergemann
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