Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mackey and His Sled Dog Machine
It looks like Mackey is the Musher to beat! He has won the last 3 Iditarods, 2 of which were Yukon Quest-Iditarod wins back to back in 2007 and 2008! He is the Master right now...can he do it a 4th time? If he does...it will be the first ever 4 in a row win in Iditarod HISTORY!! That is huge! Now...in this racing season ,he has not taken first place in any of his runs...King beat him...Gatt beat him...but it is rumored Mackey has yet to string together his "A" Team. That would be classic Mackey strategy...he never shows his total hand! So, will your top ten include Mackey...my advice would be a definate YES! Mackey and his Team of Dogs are the Team to beat in Iditarod 2010!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Hans Gatt WINS the Yukon Quest!
Yes, Hans Gatt is the 2010 winner of the Yukon Quest...followed closely by Lance Mackey...then Hugh Neff, Zach Steer and Ken Anderson to round out the top 5! All of these mushers will be competing in the Iditarod...I predict all 5 will do well since their dogs are now conditioned for a 1,000 mile race! Remember, March 6th is the start of the Iditarod. I'll give a few more Musher profiles soon, plus a run down of the potential top 20 to help you all choose your own Iditarod top ten picks!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Battle on the Yukon
Mackey and Neff are racing down the Yukon...very close race here!! They are about to enter the checkpoint of Carmack...roughly 200 miles from the finish! This is a very impressive showing of Hugh Neff's Team....and as far as Mackey....looks like he is definitely on his game!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Pre Iditarod Races - Yukon Quest
Hey Arm Chair Mushers!
Have you been watching the Yukon Quest??? This is another 1,000 mile sled dog race which will end right before the Iditarod. Lance Mackey....3 time Iditarod Champ in 2007, 08 and 09, is in the lead pack, along with Hugh Neff, Hans Gatt and Zack Steer. Ken Anderson is not far behind. All of these mushers are also scheduled to run the Iditarod. And all of these mushers believe the Yukon Quest is an excellent race to condition their dog team for the Iditarod. I predict...all 5 of these mushers will be in the top ten for Iditarod 2010...but that is just my opinion. Some mushers, like 4 time Iditarod Champ Jeff King, thinks its to much on the dogs to do 2 - 1,000 races back to back....and Jeff USE to think winning both races was out of the question. Enter Lance Mackey in 2007 and 2008...he proved Jeff wrong and won BOTH races...back to back. Lance and his dog sled team are a well oiled machine......will he be able to do it again in 2010? Will Hugh Neff, Hans Gatt, Zack Steer or Ken Anderson be able to pull it off as well??? They seem to be taking a page from Lance's book....is Lance's Idita-Quest training plan the key to success? Stay tuned as this race enters into its mid point. The Yukon Quest link is listed above to help you keep up on the race! Mush on my Friends!
Have you been watching the Yukon Quest??? This is another 1,000 mile sled dog race which will end right before the Iditarod. Lance Mackey....3 time Iditarod Champ in 2007, 08 and 09, is in the lead pack, along with Hugh Neff, Hans Gatt and Zack Steer. Ken Anderson is not far behind. All of these mushers are also scheduled to run the Iditarod. And all of these mushers believe the Yukon Quest is an excellent race to condition their dog team for the Iditarod. I predict...all 5 of these mushers will be in the top ten for Iditarod 2010...but that is just my opinion. Some mushers, like 4 time Iditarod Champ Jeff King, thinks its to much on the dogs to do 2 - 1,000 races back to back....and Jeff USE to think winning both races was out of the question. Enter Lance Mackey in 2007 and 2008...he proved Jeff wrong and won BOTH races...back to back. Lance and his dog sled team are a well oiled machine......will he be able to do it again in 2010? Will Hugh Neff, Hans Gatt, Zack Steer or Ken Anderson be able to pull it off as well??? They seem to be taking a page from Lance's book....is Lance's Idita-Quest training plan the key to success? Stay tuned as this race enters into its mid point. The Yukon Quest link is listed above to help you keep up on the race! Mush on my Friends!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Musher Review - Jeff King
Jeff King is a 4 time Iditarod Champ…first in 1993, then in 1996, 1998, and his most recent win was in 2006 at 50 years old…the eldest musher to win the Iditarod! He came damn close to winning again in 2008, but Lance Mackey out smarted him at one of the check points, and skiped out while Jeff was snoring away in the shelter. Classic Mackey…but Jeff was NOT happy…he would have won for sure if it wasn’t for Mackeys “snooze you loose tactic”! In 2009, he gave Lance a good run for the first part of the race…but then fell behind. One must wonder, is Jeff loosing his edge? Can an “old guy” keep up and stay competitive? When it comes to King and his pack of dogs, Id have to say yes!
This year, King has already won some impressive 200 and 300 mile races. And by the sounds of Jeffs blog, he is really happy with his team of dogs this year. He has anticipated his “elder status handicap” by creating a few innovations to help him cope with the brutal conditions found on the Iditarod Trail. For one, he designed a really comfortable sled that has a seat so he can sit down to get some rest. Since the debut of his sled, many other mushers have also adopted this style of “Iditarod Barcolounger”! Lets face it…1,049 mile long sled dog race is a long time for any musher to stand on the runners of a sled, no matter what your age is! A few years back, he also showed up with a cage on his sled so he could rotate the dogs around for some rest. And he also has a home made stove built into the sled handlebar so he can cook up a weiner while trotting down the trail and also heat his hands on those frigid alaskan days and nights. I heard this stove can get upwards to 200 degrees!! Jeff is well sponcered by the folks at Cabellas…his Cabellas Alaskan Iditarod Boots are awesome…I use them for ice fishing, and they are the BEST boots for cold weather! Jeff King is known as an innovator to the sport of sled dog racing, and his dog care is second to none!
In 2010, watch for Jeff to add yet another innovation to the Great Race to improve his racing technique. I believe in 2009 he added a special alarm clock (lol!!!). All kidding aside, Jeff is a contender…one to watch…his dogs have the power to win…and Jeff has the experience and drive to get them into Nome. If you want to learn more about Jeff King and his Team of Alaskan Huskies, go to his Husky Homestead website and check out his blog. This could be Kings year…a 5th Iditarod win could be right around the corner for him!
This year, King has already won some impressive 200 and 300 mile races. And by the sounds of Jeffs blog, he is really happy with his team of dogs this year. He has anticipated his “elder status handicap” by creating a few innovations to help him cope with the brutal conditions found on the Iditarod Trail. For one, he designed a really comfortable sled that has a seat so he can sit down to get some rest. Since the debut of his sled, many other mushers have also adopted this style of “Iditarod Barcolounger”! Lets face it…1,049 mile long sled dog race is a long time for any musher to stand on the runners of a sled, no matter what your age is! A few years back, he also showed up with a cage on his sled so he could rotate the dogs around for some rest. And he also has a home made stove built into the sled handlebar so he can cook up a weiner while trotting down the trail and also heat his hands on those frigid alaskan days and nights. I heard this stove can get upwards to 200 degrees!! Jeff is well sponcered by the folks at Cabellas…his Cabellas Alaskan Iditarod Boots are awesome…I use them for ice fishing, and they are the BEST boots for cold weather! Jeff King is known as an innovator to the sport of sled dog racing, and his dog care is second to none!
In 2010, watch for Jeff to add yet another innovation to the Great Race to improve his racing technique. I believe in 2009 he added a special alarm clock (lol!!!). All kidding aside, Jeff is a contender…one to watch…his dogs have the power to win…and Jeff has the experience and drive to get them into Nome. If you want to learn more about Jeff King and his Team of Alaskan Huskies, go to his Husky Homestead website and check out his blog. This could be Kings year…a 5th Iditarod win could be right around the corner for him!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Thanks for the Encouragement!
Hey folks.....I have heard from many of you thus far, and all reports seem to point to a "thumbs up" to me blogging my way to the Iditarod! Thanks! And special Idita-Kudos go out to my computer savvy friends, Lisa and Kathy, for going that one step further by signing in as followers of my blog! How fun!
OK...this weekend look for me to post some really good information about the Sled Dog Racing "Innovator" himself....Mr. Jeff King! King is ALWAYS, I mean ALWAYS in the top ten......so listen up and learn!
Stay tuned!
OK...this weekend look for me to post some really good information about the Sled Dog Racing "Innovator" himself....Mr. Jeff King! King is ALWAYS, I mean ALWAYS in the top ten......so listen up and learn!
Stay tuned!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sled Dog Races to Watch in February
Wow…February is chuck full with important Sled Dog Races in prelude to the Iditarod!
There is Jeff King”s “Denali Double” Feb 11th…which is a 2 Musher/ 1 –20 dog team race, covering 69 miles! I never heard of such a race! There are some important players to watch in the Denali Double…like Jessie Royer, Cim Smyth, Paul Gebhardt, Mitch Seavey and Linwood Fiedler to name a few. All these folks are also signed up to run the Iditarod starting March 6th. BUT, by far, the BIGGEST Team to watch in the Denali Double would be Sebastian Schnuelle (Winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest and 2nd place in the 2009 Iditarod). Since this race involves 2 mushers per Team, its more of a “dog conditioning” race in prep for the Iditarod, but none the less, it should be interesting…cuz lets face it…the dogs are 95% of the race performance, so it will show us something of what we may see in the Iditarod.
The other big race to watch is the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest. I do think its interesting Schnuelle is not running the Yukon Quest this year as the defending Champion. The Quest ends just a few short weeks before the Iditarod. I’m thinking Schnuelle may be putting all his dogs in one sled basket, and the name on that basket is Iditarod! It is also interesting to note, Lance Mackey IS running the Quest this year after taking last year off to concentrate on the Iditarod. He went on to win the Iditarod for the 3rd time in a row…a feat only 2 other mushers have ever done before (Susan Butcher and Doug Swingley). After winning both the Quest and the Iditarod 2 years in a row (2007 and 2008...dubbed the Idita-Quest years by Mackey fans) Mackey switched things up in 2009 and put all his dogs in the Iditarod sled basket and won it handedly. This year, he is reverting to his prior year tactics and returned to run the 1,000 mile Quest race to condition his dogs, and himself, for the Iditarod. He is the one and only MASTER of winning the Quest and Iditarod back to back!
The Yukon Quest starts next week…other noted racers to watch in the Quest are Ken Anderson, Hans Gatt, Hugh Neff, Zack Steer and Ramey Smyth. These mushers are also signed up to run the Iditarod. This race begins February 6, and the awards banquet is on February 20th
There is Jeff King”s “Denali Double” Feb 11th…which is a 2 Musher/ 1 –20 dog team race, covering 69 miles! I never heard of such a race! There are some important players to watch in the Denali Double…like Jessie Royer, Cim Smyth, Paul Gebhardt, Mitch Seavey and Linwood Fiedler to name a few. All these folks are also signed up to run the Iditarod starting March 6th. BUT, by far, the BIGGEST Team to watch in the Denali Double would be Sebastian Schnuelle (Winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest and 2nd place in the 2009 Iditarod). Since this race involves 2 mushers per Team, its more of a “dog conditioning” race in prep for the Iditarod, but none the less, it should be interesting…cuz lets face it…the dogs are 95% of the race performance, so it will show us something of what we may see in the Iditarod.
The other big race to watch is the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest. I do think its interesting Schnuelle is not running the Yukon Quest this year as the defending Champion. The Quest ends just a few short weeks before the Iditarod. I’m thinking Schnuelle may be putting all his dogs in one sled basket, and the name on that basket is Iditarod! It is also interesting to note, Lance Mackey IS running the Quest this year after taking last year off to concentrate on the Iditarod. He went on to win the Iditarod for the 3rd time in a row…a feat only 2 other mushers have ever done before (Susan Butcher and Doug Swingley). After winning both the Quest and the Iditarod 2 years in a row (2007 and 2008...dubbed the Idita-Quest years by Mackey fans) Mackey switched things up in 2009 and put all his dogs in the Iditarod sled basket and won it handedly. This year, he is reverting to his prior year tactics and returned to run the 1,000 mile Quest race to condition his dogs, and himself, for the Iditarod. He is the one and only MASTER of winning the Quest and Iditarod back to back!
The Yukon Quest starts next week…other noted racers to watch in the Quest are Ken Anderson, Hans Gatt, Hugh Neff, Zack Steer and Ramey Smyth. These mushers are also signed up to run the Iditarod. This race begins February 6, and the awards banquet is on February 20th
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
