Dozens of mushers from across North America will be setting out on a 1,000-mile trek with their four-legged teams as they strive to become the 2019 champion of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.
The race kicks off Feb. 2 in Whitehorse, Yukon, featuring the iconic 1,000-mile race (1,600 kilometres) as well as the 300-mile (482 kilometres).
Thirty mushers, including reigning champion Allen Moore and past winners Matt Hall and Brent Sass, will be mushing alongside eight to 14 dogs as they compete for $21,500. Of the 30, 15 are veterans B次元官网网址� mushers who have completed the race in past years B次元官网网址� and seven are rookies.
A further 13 are set to compete in the 300-mile race.
Moore won the Yukon Quest on Feb. 13, 2018, crossing the finish line at Shipyards Park at 7:59 a.m. The competitors endured -40 C and heavy snowfall. Some racers took as long as two weeks to arrive at the finish line in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Meanwhile, those in the 300-mile race will wrap up in Braeburn, Yukon.
The race, which began in April 1983, has been deemed one of the most difficult sled dog races in the world because of the harsh conditions, difficult route and minimal support allowed for competitors.
HereB次元官网网址檚 a look at the mushers representing the Yukon:
Hans Gatt
There are only two people on the planet who can say theyB次元官网网址檝e won the Yukon Quest 1,000-mile race four times.
One of them, Hans Gatt, is returning to the Quest this year after B次元官网网址渟emi-retirement.B次元官网网址�
By his own admission, Gatt isnB次元官网网址檛 out to make a statement with his return.
B次元官网网址淥bviously, I used to race to win for the last 30 years, but this is a little different,B次元官网网址� said Gatt. B次元官网网址淚 mean, I havenB次元官网网址檛 raced it for like eight years and I donB次元官网网址檛 have that drive anymore. I donB次元官网网址檛 have to prove anything.B次元官网网址�
This go around, he said heB次元官网网址檚 hoping to see what his team can accomplish.
Rob Cooke
For veteran musher Rob Cooke, this yearB次元官网网址檚 Yukon Quest will be special.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a bittersweet race for me,B次元官网网址� said Cooke during an interview at his Mount Lorne home.
B次元官网网址淢y five main dogs B次元官网网址� Maddie, Skits, Loonie, Nutter and Psycho B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檝e been racing with me since 2011 and theyB次元官网网址檝e done pretty much every race with me since 2011. B次元官网网址� This is going to be their final race.B次元官网网址�
The only time Cooke didnB次元官网网址檛 have that core group of Siberian huskies was in 2016, when Maddie had a litter of puppies.
B次元官网网址淭hat makes me really sad B次元官网网址� that IB次元官网网址檓 never going to be racing with them again after this. But it is also really exciting that IB次元官网网址檓 going to have this one final race with them and share the Quest trail with them one final time. IB次元官网网址檓 really looking forward to that.B次元官网网址�
Nathaniel Hamlyn
Nathaniel Hamlyn was one of six rookies to finish last yearB次元官网网址檚 Quest.
He was the red lantern winner after finishing last in the race, 13th, in a year that half the field, another 13 mushers, didnB次元官网网址檛 make it to the end.
Hamlyn is up front about last yearB次元官网网址檚 run. After being forced to drop four dogs from his team in the first 160 km, he ran most of the race with just eight on the line.
B次元官网网址淢y rookie year was basically, literally, survival,B次元官网网址� said Hamlyn during an interview at his home and kennel near Mount Lorne. B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 really interested in racing, I was just wanting to finish.B次元官网网址�
Michelle Phillips
Yukoner Michelle Phillips is putting the final touches on preparations for her seventh Yukon Quest B次元官网网址� her first in nearly a decade.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 not to say she hasnB次元官网网址檛 been racing, just not in the Quest.
B次元官网网址淚 ran the Yukon Quest six times and then I started running the Iditarod,B次元官网网址� said Phillips. B次元官网网址淚 decided that I wanted to revisit the Quest B次元官网网址� do something different B次元官网网址� and my partner, Ed (Hopkins) has been running the Yukon Quest. He is a rookie and he wanted to run the Iditarod, so we decided to switch it up.B次元官网网址�
Together, Phillips and Hopkins run Tagish Lake Kennel, home to more than 60 dogs, and B次元官网网址� among other things B次元官网网址� tend to finish well in the Yukon Quest.
To see full coverage of the race as the teams make their way to Whitehorse, follow Black Press MediaB次元官网网址檚 .
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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