Showing posts with label race preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race preview. Show all posts

Sunday, March 30, 2025

2025 Kobuk 440 musher roster and preview

It's essentially the season finale of mid to long distance dog mushing! Spring has sprung in most of Alaska, but for the Northern West Coast there's still a little winter left to be found. Kotzebue hosts (and boasts) one of the longest mid-distance races in Alaska. The Kobuk 440 is known for unpredictable weather, many a race has been sidelined due to violent ground storms that blow up seemingly out of nowhere. 

The Kobuk has had some of the most exciting finishes of any race, coming down to just seconds a time or two, and is always a musher and fan favorite. The race is well known for its creative and humorous social media volunteer team that never seems to sleep during the race but always brings the fun.

This year there will be fourteen teams headed down the trail, many coming from outside of the region. Four women are in the mix, as well as an Iditarod Champion. There are mushers hoping to finish up their qualifiers ahead of the 2025-26 season, their eyes set on "the big one" in 2026. There are mushers who are hoping to finish their season on a strong note. Mushers who have more they want to prove of their team. Mushers whose motives are anyone's guess.

Many fan favorites will race in the Kobuk in April. Let's discuss who have the best chance to take home the top prize.

Who to Watch

Eddie Burke Jr - Eddie's been working hard to rebuild his kennel with a fresh set of young dogs bred at Off the Rails Kennel. He managed to run several races with his "puppy team" this season even with the lackluster winter South Central Alaska suffered. Burke even tried his hand at the Rondy Invitational where he took his long distance doggos to a sprint race. They did pretty well. Burke has been a quick study on the back of a dog sled, the 2023 Iditarod Rookie of the Year has high hopes for his team's future, and it starts here. Eddie withdrew ahead of race day.

Hugh Neff - Let's just.... put aside the controversy shall we? Neff is reportedly running a team borrowed from Iditarod Champion Dean Osmar (from the Kenai Peninsula) and where Hugh is - well, we can't count him out. Expect Neff to run an aggressive race. He is out to prove something to someone most likely and he wants to give his fans a show. He's won this race before, and he's hungry for another one.

Jessie Holmes - Jessie loves the Kobuk. Jessie just had the magic carpet ride on the Iditarod. Jessie has the team that dares you to try and beat them. Team Can't Stop is just that, a team that can't and won't stop. You'll have to out race them at every part of the race this year. Expect the reinging Kobuk champion to do everything in his power to do it again.

Rohn Buser - Rohn's race season kinda went sideways for good reasons (he's a new dad of TWO!) and he was a late entry for this year's Kobuk. He's got his sights set on Iditarod 2026 so this will be most likely a race that he uses as a "training run" for his team as he starts the work to prepare for "the big one". Buser is very capable of playing more than a spoiler in this race, and it will be interesting to see the approach he takes.

Let's also give some nods to teams that could totally blow this prediction out of the water. James Bourquin had a fantastic race last year with the Kobuk finishing 3rd. Jim could easily do it again if conditions are right. Anna Hennessy and Kristy Berington both are running teams that had phenominal success for their respective kennels. Anna is running a team made up of the dogs that Emily Ford ran in this year's Iditarod, and Kristy is running the dogs her sister Anna took down the trail. And right behind Anna Berington was Lauro Eklund who could also surprise us. It's a stacked field, let's just leave it at that.

So let's just take a look at all fourteen signed up for the race that begins April 3, shall we? (As always, once bib numbers are published this blog post will be updated with bib numbers. Currently the list is in alphabetical order.)

Musher Roster

BibMusherKennelLinkLinkLink
1Lauro EklundSkookum ExpeditionsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
2Jessie HolmesTeam Can't StopWebsiteFacebookInstagram
3Kristy BeringtonSeeing Double RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
4James BourquinOrion KennelFacebookInstagram
5Quince MountainBraverMountain KennelWebsiteFacebookBlueSky
6Jody Potts-JosephRaven Clan KennelsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
7Sam PapermanTurning Heads KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
8Sadie LindquistSeavey's IdidarideWebsiteFacebookInstagram
9Kevin HansenHansen KennelFacebookInstagram
10Hugh NeffDean OsmarFacebookInstagram
11Rohn BuserSusitna Sled Dog AdventuresWebsiteFacebookInstagram
12Anna HennessyShameless HuskiesWebsiteFacebookInstagram
13Adam LindenmuthSojourn KennelsFacebookInstagram
Roster edited to reflect final roster and bib numbers. April 2, 2025 @7:45pm AKDT.


You know who's racing, but how are you going to watch if you can't get up to Kotzebue? So glad you asked!

How to Watch

Unlike what we just had with Iditarod (if you paid for Insider), the Kobuk like most of the mid-distance races relies more on social media posts and radio updates than they do video. Depending on weather and internet connection there may be live video of the start and finish, according to accuweather the thermometer is set to read just above zero though the chill in the air will make it feel like -11. A frozen feed (pun somewhat intended) is possible, though the volunteer social media crew have gotten pretty good at making videos happen even if the livefeed doesn't. Along with the video feeds there are ways to keep up with the race happenings, so let's make sure we have all of the links you need.

Official Website
You can find the rules, links to all ways of following the race, and the history of the Kobuk 440 here. Musher bios are also available. The official website may have links to live feeds, so also keep a look out for that. Click here for the link.

GPS Tracker
We're all attached to this bit of technology. If you wonder where the term "tracky boi" came from, you can thank the Kobuk 440. Their social media team were the first to coin the phrase... the phrase that sets some fans' teeth on edge, but it's becoming more endearing each year. Once again, you can follow the race thanks to TrackLeaders. Beep-boop-beep.

Radio Broadcast
Race updates throughout the weekend will be broadcast over on KOTZ-AM. They have a livestream. They may broadcast the start, but it's unclear. Click here to listen in. (If that link doesn't work, try this one.)

Social Media
This is where it's at. The most entertaining race has to be the Kobuk 440 for their amazing social media team. The volunteers know how to get and keep your attention. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter where they are most active as well as Instagram. KOTZ-AM also has a Facebook page that should share some race info throughout the weekend.

You know HOW to watch, but let's make sure you catch all the action by giving you the days and times of what is planned.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, April 2
10:00am - Meet the Mushers (Radio Interviews)
6:00pm - Musher Meeting/Bib Draw

Thursday, April 3
12:30pm - Race Mass Start

Monday, April 7
2:00pm - Finish Cutoff
6:00pm - Awards Ceremony


Who are you excited to follow? Thoughts on who may take home the top prize? Comment with your thoughts below!


And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.

Friday, March 21, 2025

2025 T-Dog musher roster and race preview

Just as fans (and mushers) are catching their breath after an incredibly difficult and dramatic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, it's time for one of the final races of the season to kick off. The Tanana Valley Sled Dog Race - lovingly called the T-Dog or T-Dog Alaska - is set to kick off this weekend and the roster is packed with teams that most fans may not recognize, with a couple fans will definitely know.

The T-Dog is the brain child of Tekla Monson-Butcher. Tekla wanted to create a race that sounded like the races she grew up hearing about where mushers were racing but it was all for fun. Mushers that mentored each other, camped together, ran together. Tekla's race in just three years has become one of the most popular by teams looking for fun over competition as well as those dipping their toes into racing on their way to "the big one."

The T-Dog is a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to how it runs - there's no cash purse. The race wants to encourage mentorship as well as sportsmanship, hoping the more experienced mushers will take the time to come alongside those that are green. The award is bragging rights (as well as donated prizes) as well as having a good time. Oh, and not all of the teams are pulling dog sleds! The 200 mile race is the only class that must be with sleds, but the 100 and 50 also have bikejor and skijor entrants! This is a celebration of winter dog sport at its finest.

As stated there are three separate classes. The 200 mile sled dog race, the 100 mile race, and a 50 mile race. The 200 mile race can be used as a qualifier for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races. The best way to find out exactly what each class entails you can read up on the rules

For this post we're going to focus on the 200 and 100 milers, as the majority of those racers are on dog sled. They are also, typically, running from a kennel and most are adults - not teens. Trying to keep privacy to those who aren't your typical racers. Note that all three classes, however, will have trackers. We'll get to all of that, though in a little bit. Because they are not running for a purse, we'll forgo the predictions of who are the ones to watch - let's keep with the spirit of the T-Dog. Let's see who we have racing this year, shall we? (Roster is sorted alphabetically, which is different from how they are listed by the race on their website.)

200 Mile

MusherKennelLinkLinkLink
Adam LindenmuthSojourn KennelsFacebookInstagram
Alison LifkaShenanigans KennelFacebook
Andrew WappettSnowdrift KennelFacebook
Annette LlanesHonky Tonk KennelFacebookInstagram
Ashley DoveCrooked Creek KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Bailey VitelloTeam BaileyWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Brianna BlomgrenTeam BaileyFacebook
Emma LewisWildwoods MushingInstagram
Erika LoebrichStar Gazer RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Jennifer NelsonNorthern Lone Star MushingFacebookInstagram
Jessica Burr LemaireThe Comstock KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Joe TaylorMushing MalarkeyWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Kamey Kapp WorlandThe Dog LotFacebookInstagram
Katrina HandlerTrail Breaker KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Lindsay LlanesHonky Tonk KennelFacebookInstagram
Michael RoddewigSage Mountain KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Richie BeattieWildthingz Dog MushingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Sam McLainSkookum ExpeditionsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Sam PapermanTurning Heads KennelWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Sarah RichardsDeja Vu Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Shane BlumentrittCold Start KennelFacebookInstagram
Skylar WhitcombShameless HuskiesFacebookInstagram

100 Mile

MusherKennelLinkLinkLink
Abbey VandenBergCloudberry KennelFacebookInstagram
Anja MaijalaSkier
Ashley PattersonLone Wolf KennelWebsiteFacebook
Brenda MackeyMackey's Alaskan Distance DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Eddie Burke JrOff the Rails RacingWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Hailey PearsonTwinkle Toes the Arctic PantherFacebook
Hazel SuttonGoldstream Girls Racing Kennel
Isabel RhodesMackey's Alaskan Distance DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Jay AllynOrange Blossom KennelFacebookInstagram
Jennifer HallstenMidnight Sun K9s
Jenny Simard?
JJ ShelleyThere & Back Again Sled DogsWebsiteFacebookInstagram
Juliah DeLoachOil Well KennelFacebook
Kathleen FrederickShameless HuskiesFacebook
Ned RozellBikejor
Stefan MilkowskiBikejor
Torleif BentzenWhisky Jack’s Kennel
*Rosters current as of March 19, 2025 @ 9pm AKDT

So we've seen who plan to race, but how can armchair mushers follow along? Fans need our fix after nearly two weeks of non-stop sled dog coverage in the Iditarod. Glad you asked!

How to Watch

Official Website
Like with most of the races, the best place for accurate information will be the T-Dog's official webpage. It is there you will find the rules, schedule of events, trail updates, links to trackers, and any race information one could want. 

Social Media
T-Dog is very active on their social media accounts. All "news" seems to get posted to their Facebook page as well as fun little videos and memes. Photos will be posted here and there may be a live feed or two. Their Instagram has similiar updates with the fun reels and photos and infographics. 

GPS Tracking
The tracker is already live! The T-dog posted a pic Thursday that trackers were labeled and ready for Saturday. Once again trackleaders.com is the place to be for all things sled dog. 

Schedule of Events

Friday, March 21, 2025
4pm Vet Checks for 200 mile (Manley)
7pm Musher Meeting for 200 mile (Manley)
8pm Kickoff Concert (Manley)
7pm Meeting for 50 Mile participants (Fairbanks)

Saturday, March 22, 2025
8am-10am 200 Mile Start (mushers may choose when to leave)
9pm Musher Meeting for 100 mile (Minto)
MIDNIGHT 100mile start, 2 minute intervals for sleds (Minto)

Sunday, March 23, 2025
8am 200 mile Sourdough (re)Start (Minto)
8am 50 mile start (Nenana) 

Monday, March 24, 2025
5:30pm Finisher's Banquet (Fairbanks)


The race season isn't over folks, it's still got a month to go! Will you be watching? What do you think about the format of the T-Dog? Comment with your thoughts below.



And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

2025 Yukon Quest (Canada) race preview

A "cold wave" has washed over the Yukon Territory ahead of this weekend's Yukon Quest (Canada). Yes, do not be confused. We've already talked about one Quest on the Alaskan side of the border, now it's time to talk Canada. 

It's been long enough without the one long thousand mile race that most fans are getting used to (if not accepting of) the duel[ing] Quest races. But, for those who may be newer and don't know the difference, let's get a reminder. The Yukon Quest originally ran a thousand miles through the Yukon region of both Alaska and Canada. It was the only thousand mile race of its kind that ran across country borders. Two boards worked together to put on the race, one on the Alaskan side and one on the Canadian. They would take turns hosting the start and finish. It was considered the "harder" thousand mile race or the "better" thousand mile race by its incredibly loyal fans.

Then small differing of opinions between boards grew into not so small things and a breakdown happened. A pandemic happened. Now, we have two Quests that fans and mushers have had to choose sides. Because instead of having different weekends for the two races in the last couple of races they've run at the same time. Le sigh.

But enough of rehashing the rehashes. Let's talk this year's race.

The Yukon Quest will start out from Teslin, YT and will travel to Quiet Lake, Ross River, and Taro before turning around and heading back for a finish in Teslin. The shorter route goes from Teslin to Quiet Lake and finishes at Ross River. The Yukon Quest is a unique race in that it allows mushers to count their rest on the trail as well as in the checkpoints, only requiring a 6 hour rest (plus time differential) in one of two checkpoints (Ross River 1 or Faro)  in total 32 hours of rest must be taken for the 450. Mushers are allowed to rest in checkpoints outside of that mandatory 6 hours, and it will be counted as "trail rest" so long as it's at least 30 minutes.

For the 175, four hours of mandatory rest must be taken at the checkpoint at Quiet Lake (plus differential) and ten hours out on the trail for a total of 14 hours.

There are ten teams set to run the 450 and eight teams for the 175. Fans will recognize many of the names on the rosters with a few newbies in the mix.

Who to Watch

The 450 is stacked with fan favorites and some great up and coming names, however there are three teams that are most likely strongest to take the top prize.

Jessie Royer - One of the smartest mushers in the field, Jesse is no slouch. She is consistently at the top of very competitive fields both Quest and Iditarod. Jessie is a master at dog training and is quite capable of getting a large team to the finish line. Expect Jessie to run a smart race but be right in the mix and able to take the prize. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle kind of owns the Quest now that isn't not the beast it once was. Even before she was well known for being in the top five consistently. She's won the 450 twice and is looking for a three-peat. She's nearly a shoo-in.

Mille Porsild - Tenacious is a word often used to describe Porsild. The woman ran the Iditarod with a bout of pancreatitis that nearly derailed her race in McGrath last year. Even with the medical setback that forced her to change her scheduled rests to compensate, Mille managed to come in seventh in a highly competitive field. But, right, we're talking the Quest. Mille is no longer a newbie to this race and she's a quick study. She has decades of experience running dogs. Don't count their fierce musher out.

The 175 is a little harder to tell who may be the best chance to win it all. However with most of the readers of this blog being part of the UglyDog community I would be in the dog house without fleecelined jeans if I didn't mention Quince Mountain as someone to watch just because he's just so gosh darn nice! (But I'd also keep an eye out on Nathaniel and Miriam.)

How to Watch

Official Website
As with all races, the best way to get information about the race is by visiting the official website. The race's website is full of information on the race including rules, musher bios, and checkpoint information. This is where armchair mushers will be able to keep up with the race's press releases.

GPS Tracker
The trackleaders link is already live! The YQCanada is on the ball getting that info to the right people. The only "problem" is it gives the Aliens that much more time to decide where they are going to cause trouble.

Social Media
The race's Facebook page is where the race is most active on social media. They do have an X (Twitter) account but they haven't posted since 2024. They also have an Instagram page. The race plans to do live feeds of the bib draw, start, and possibly finishes on their Facebook page.

Schedule of Events
(times are local time)

Thursday, January 30
6:15pm - Meet the Mushers
7:00pm - Bib Draw

Saturday, February 1
1:00pm - Meet the Dogs

Sunday, February 2
1:00pm - Race Start (450 first, 175 following)

Monday, February 3
2:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 175

Wednesday, February 5
5:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 450

Friday, February 7
5:30pm - Finisher's Banquet


Who are you cheering for? Comment below!



And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.