My Favorite Sport
The Iditarod
I don’t remember when or why The Iditarod became something I began following.
Alaska 2003 – Part 1
That’s why visiting the headquarters in Wasilla was important to me when Cerwin and I visited Alaska in 2003.
We had fun getting a short dog sled ride while there.
The team that pulled us finished fifteenth out of forty-eight in 2003
I will always remember how quiet it was.
We also stopped at Susan Butcher’s house and kennel during a river boat trip. She was a four-time Iditarod champion.
She and her husband were not home that day, so skilled musher, Jesse Royer, introduced us to the dogs.
In this scene she explained the responsibility of each dog in the team. These dogs could hardly wait for the word that told them to go. The entire kennel was going crazy because this team was hitched up and ready to race.
A short time later, we got off the boat and visited an Athabascan village. Jesse was there to give us more details about sled dogs. For that reason, she is a musher I enjoy watching.
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The race began yesterday, and as of today there are ninety-five mushers.
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These are a few of my favorites, and their current standings.
Left to Right: Jesse Royer (21), Mitch Seavey (2), Jeff King (4), DeeDee Jonrowe (7)
Aliy Zirkle (9), Lance Mackey – last year’s winner (11), Martin Buser (13)
Paul Gebhardt (15), Jason Barron (38), Ray Redington, Jr (41)
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These are familiar names to me, but I enjoy following the entire race, learning about the leaders, the rookies, and those who race year after year.
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I admire them for the training and stamina it takes to race across frozen land in freezing temperatures for so many days.
6 Responses to Monday March 3, 2008