Mushing Media Round Up - July 17

It's that time again. Let's do a little bit of a mushing social media round up. Alaska is in full swing of fishing season, so many of the mushers have gone dark as they prepare to stock up for the winter months so the humans can eat, too. However, some made sure to share with fans this week.

If you aren't following Kailyn and Justin Olnes on social media you really should. The owners of ReRun Kennel have a hybrid kennel of sled dogs that they rescue from shelters/rescues plus a few they get from top kennels. They keep fans updated with all the dogs in their kennel on facebook and have started to do dna testing on their rescues to find out just who these pups are.

Bridgett Watkins has written a book. Her father is a Yukon Quest champion. Her step mother is not only a Quest champ (the only woman to do so) but also one of the most beloved mushers of all time by fans (and she's been retired a few years). Watkins is a mom, a nurse, and a second generation dog musher. As she gets to share her story and memories in book form, she took to her kennel page (Kennel on a Hill) to share a few photos of growing up sled dog.

Iditarod Champion/Mushing Legend Jeff King's Husky Homestead gave us the timeline cleanse we all needed this week with a cute puppy nap picture.

Keeping with the theme of puppies, the August Fund has had a very puppy summer as five litters hit the rescue at once. Several kennels took in the puppies and their mamas for their tours. Squid Acres has shared the progress of the pups along the way. Now, it's time to name them.

Sticking with good news, 2024 Iditarod Rookie of the Year Josi Thyr said YES! and announced her engagement!

On a more serious note, there are some updates to the CDC rules going into effect on August 1 regarding taking dogs across the US-Canada border. 

Brenda Mackey and Will Rhodes have had an excellent time with puppies and dogs and creeks and woods this summer. Beating the heat, and Will recovering from hip surgery, there's been a lot of time for exploration in the Interior.

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A post shared by Mackey’s Alaskan Distance Dogs (@mackeys.alaskan.distance.dogs)

Jesika Reimer of The Reimer Pack is sharing her adventures of a paddle trip with some of the sled dogs in tow.

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A post shared by Jesika Reimer (@jesreimer)

And a quick jump over the twitter has Blair Braverman freaking out about wasps as her sled dogs look on and howl in laughter (so she says). Here's hoping no one gets stung.

help there’s a wasp nest above the front door and I want Q to take care of it in his bee suit so until then I’m hiding under a bathrobe every time I go out and the dogs think it’s hilarious pic.twitter.com/tvTW95y1JB

— Blair Braverman (@BlairBraverman) July 17, 2024

And finally, take a look at Megan Moberly's crew enjoying their new umbrellas giving shade to keep cool under that hot summer sun.

A good friend's work was able to part with two umbrellas which I use for shade in the dog yard - Joe and Astral say thank you auntie Alison! pic.twitter.com/CxVYQi3lQB

— Megan Moberly (@YukikazeSibes) July 17, 2024

And with that, this concludes a weekly round up. This is by no means the full list of mushers posting to their socials this week, just a smattering.

Mushing Social Media Round Up returns!

 It's been a while since this blog has done a "round of" of mushing news/social media posts, but it's back by popular demand (well, semi-popular, some of y'all have asked!) This will by no means be an exhaustive search of each and every kennel out there, but just a taste of what's being shared on a week to week basis (or about that). If you find something interesting, or if you're a musher/race director who wants to spread some news - contact me! We'll all work together to keep up with each other during the busy summer.

So let's take a look at what the world of Mushing Socials has been up to lately.

First, and possibly most importantly, you have have heard the new rules for traveling with animals across borders thanks to the CDC. This has been a very hot button topic within the mushing community as it would make things more difficult for teams traveling through Canada to get to the Lower 48 or Alaska. Races are now in jeopardy for some teams, and the young dogs and new puppies doing tours on the Alaskan Panhandle are looking at being stranded because they won't be able to travel easily. Many mushers in Canada AND the US have spoken out. 

 

Jr. Iditarod sign ups are in full swing and they had two more mushers sign up over the American holiday weekend.

Speaking of Iditarod... THE Iditarod made a few announcements this week. The big one being today (Tuesday, July 9). As you might know, the fame Burled Arch that stands over the finish line in Nome broke apart this spring (thankfully AFTER the race had come and gone). Soon after it was made known that Iditarod finisher and skilled craftsman Ramey Smyth would have the honor of creating a new arch (every 25 years or so a new one seems to need to be made). Now the Iditarod has announced how fans and supporters can join in and raise funds for the arch.

Girdwood's Forest Fair took place this past weekend and "history was made" as the parade to kick off the event was led by a team of sled dogs driven by fan favorite Hunter Keefe. Hunter is part of the team of mushers who run the Girdwood Sled Dog Tours and is having a fantastic summer. (Also amusing is dogs are not permitted to enter the "fair" so to have them lead the parade gave many a good laugh.)

Jr. Musher Thale Randall did something he hadn't done before, he raced the Jr. Mount Marathon race in Seward on the 4th of July. He placed extremely well as a rookie. Thale's dad is running the Iditarod as a rookie in 2025 and his sister has made a name for herself on the junior circuit. The family resides with their sled dogs in the Interior and own Rock on Racing Sled Dogs kennel.

Matt Failor announced that his tour company isn't just dogs anymore, they are now offering ATV tours as well! You can even combine and create a package of both dog and machine. Failor and crew run an excellent establishment that gets high praise from tourists and locals alike.

Dallas Seavey gave an update on the seriously injured dogs from his team (snowmachine incident in November, and homicidal moose on the Iditarod). You may want some kleenex.

As stated, this is by no means all that was posted this week on social media, it's just a sampling. Check back next week for the next round up!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).