2024 Yukon Quest (Canada) musher roster

Whitehorse is gonna be busy this weekend as it sees the start of the 2024 Yukon Quest (Canadian side). Cold temperatures and icy conditions have modified the start plans and played a role in roster changes. Still, there's a strong list of teams in the 450 and 100 races. The 250 saw the largest drop in names with just two remaining. There are two mushers still trying to make it to the race - given special permission to be late - as their dog truck died on them shortly after entering Canada and they had to be towed back to Tok, Alaska. Fingers are crossed the Squids make it to the starting line (as such they do not have bib numbers as they missed the draw.)

As stated on the previous roster for the Alaskan Quest you kinda wonder what the races would look like if the boards would combine efforts, find a common ground, and put on another 1000 mile race crossing the border... with a 300 and 100 in the mix as well. Pipe dreams...

The YQ250 originally had 4 names on the roster, but two dropped out last minute so the two teams still in it were given two bibs (guessing due to sponsor commitments). 

But you're just here to learn about the teams, not to get all the random details of drama. Let's get to it.

YQ450

Bib #	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
1	Misha Wiljes	WW Kennel	Website	Facebook
2	Normand Casavant	Casaventures	Website	Facebook
3	Connor McMahon	Feral Racing		Facebook	Instagram
4	Kailyn Olnes	ReRun Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
5	Michelle Phillips	Tagish Lake Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
6	Mayla Hill	Elevation Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook

YQ250

Bib #	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
30/33	Louve Tweddell	Echoes Kennel	Website	Facebook
31/32	Crystal To	Elevation Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram

YQ100

Bib #	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
45	Amelie Janin	Northern Escape Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
46	Claudia Wickert	Fox Creek Kennel		Facebook
47	Nathaniel Hamlyn	Step Up Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
48	Silas Godber	Elevation Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook
49	Jonathan Lucas	Snowpigs		Facebook
50	Vico Fauveau	StinkyPup Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
51	Sean de Wolski	Bouncing Bumbles	?	?	?
52	Jimmy Lebling	??		Facebook	Instagram

Edited Feb 2, 2024 @ 10:14pm.

So who are you rooting for? Any surprises on the roster? Predictions for who wins? Comment below with your thoughts!

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).

2024 Yukon Quest Alaska musher roster

It's a big weekend. The Yukon Quest is still split in two with the two boards choosing to once again hold two separate races, one on each side of the border. Last year they were kind enough to mushers and fans to hold them on separate weekends. This year? Nope, we get them at the same time. Tracker lurkers be prepared! You'll need multiple screens for this one.

Rosters for the races are small. In fact the smallest rosters of all the mid-distance big races. In Alaska there's the YQA 300, YQA 200, and YQA 80. Because of the small rosters we'll keep them all in one place. As with all of the roster posts, this is a resource to have all of the web links in one place. As always this will be edited with bib numbers as soon as they are published.

YQA 300

Bib #	Musher	Kennel Name	Link	Link	Link
1	Keaton Loebrich	Star Gazer Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
2	Deke Naatkgeboren	Nautique Sky Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
3	Rohn Buser	Susitna Sled Dog Adventures	Website	Facebook	Instagram
4	Josi Thyr	There & Back Again Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
5	Jonah Bacon	Nautique Sky Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
6	Sydnie Bahl	Dream a Dream Kennel	Website	Facebook
7	Kristy Berington	Seeind Double Sled Dog Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
8	Brent Sass	Wild and Free Mushing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
9	Joey Sabin	VOA Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
10	Jason Mackey	Mackey's TopNotch Comeback Kennel	Website	Facebook
11	Benjamin Good	Good Alaska Mushing		Facebook	Instagram
12	Anna Hennessy	Shameless Huskies	Website	Facebook	Instagram
13	Matthew Schmidt	Sawtooth Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
14	Eddie Burke	Off the Rails Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
15	Steve Humes	Hardly Workin Sleddogs		Facebook	Instagram

YQA 200

Bib #	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
18	Abbey VandenBerg	Cloudberry Kennl/Dew Claw Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
21	Ashley Franklin	Orange Blossom Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
22	Jody Potts-Joseph	Raven Clan Kennels	Website	Facebook	Instagram

YQA 80

Bib #	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
24	Jennifer Nelson	ATAO Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
25	Carolyn Miller	Dogs & Bones	Website	Facebook	Instagram
26	Alyssa Gilmour	Kennel on a Hill		Facebook	Instagram
27	Joe LaMagna	Kennel Bebop		Facebook	Instagram
28	James Shawcroft	Snowy Birch Kennel		Facebook
29	Laura Allaway	Runner Dance Kennel		Facebook
30	Lane Keck	Misfit Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
31	Blake Matray	Abide Siberians		Facebook
32	Juliah DeLoach	Oilwell Kennel		Facebook
33	Arien Sanderson	Midnight Howlers Racing		Facebook
34	Spencer Waddell III	Ryno Kennel		Facebook
35	David McConnell-Booher	Kennel Bebop		Facebook	Instagram
36	Hannah Wappett	Snow Drift Kennel	?
37	AddieAnn Randall	Rock On Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram

Edited Feb 2, 2024 @ 10:10pm. Emily Robinson, Lauro Eklund, and Joanna Weber have all withdrawn due to concerns about the extreme cold. Other mushers are also considering WDing.

Who are you excited to watch? Predictions on who comes in first? How about all of those junior mushers in the 80?! Comment below with your thoughts.

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).

Another re-PETE champion

Pete Kaiser giving post race interview. 
Screenshot from KYUK Radio LIVEfeed.

The Kuskokwim 300 welcomed in its Champion a little before 9:30am Alaska time as Pete Kaiser and his team of 12 frosty Alaskan huskies came into the finish. Kaiser took over the lead late Saturday night and never looked back gaining miles on his friend and competitor Matt Failor from the last checkpoint into the finish. The two had traveled a lot of the race together and once again battled for the top spot in Bethel.

Kaiser is the only musher to have maintained all twelve dogs in the team from start to finish. With the hard, fast trail many mushers had concerns on sore wrists playing a main factor, but also with teh cold temperatures some teams just couldn't withstand the long hours in the cold (several teams scratched with concern of frostbite for either dog or musher). 

Pete reported at the finish line that the trail was good and fast and sections they expected to be difficult were "the best [he] had ever seen". The champion musher was also grateful that the winds predicted never hit. "I'm looking forward to some warmth," Kaiser said when asked how he felt coming in first. With air temps at -35 this morning in Bethel the team was covered in a good layer of frost, and the musher had ice buildup on his fur ruff.

Matt Failor will be the next team in followed by Travis Beals and Hunter Keefe in third and fourth respectively. KattiJo Deeter passed Ryan Redington earlier this morning and has pulled away looking to claim a fifth place finish. Keefe slingshotted his way into fourth and should be ROTY for the Kusko. 

Bethel's about to get busy. You can follow all the action LIVE on KYUK Radio's facebook page.

Pete Kaiser racing for 8

We're looking at a musher solidly in position to re-PETE his win for an 8th time in just under an hour as Pete Kaiser is running with a strong team of 12 dogs. Kaiser has grown his lead on Matt Failor all night and into this morning and it looks like Failor is solidly in 2nd.

KYUK will go live for the finish so keep your eye and ear out for that. Kaiser is reported to be on the GWEEK river so it won't be long now. Temp is reportedly at -37 this morning so they may have technical difficulties, be gracious and understanding folks.

Kaiser passes Failor to lead Kusko

In a surprising turn that even caught race officials off guard, Peter Kaiser slipped into Kalskag Inbound checkpoint ahead of Matt Failor Saturday night. Kaiser, with all 12 dogs still on the line, spent just five minutes in the checkpoint before taking off down the trail. Matthew Failor was right behind Kaiser, clocking into the checkpoint came in two minutes behind the 2019 Iditarod Champion. Both Kaiser and Failor have finished their mandatory rest on the outbound trail and just have one final four hour mandatory rest to complete. 

Meanwhile the front runners from Aniak to Kalskag, Ryan Redington and KattiJo Deeter, are completing their mandatory rests with Redington getting ready to leave 47 minutes after Kaiser's departure. Kaiser ran the leg from Aniak to Kalskag about 90 minutes faster than Redington. The run from Aniak to Tuluksak (where the final mandatory rest of four hours must be taken by all teams) is about an 80 mile run. It may well be that Kaiser and Failor will choose to make this their big push and hope there's more than enough gas in the tank to keep Redington behind them and that their teams bounce back after 4 hours rest. 

Travis Beals ran Aniak to Kalskag just 10 minutes slower than Kaiser. He is also finished with his mandatory rest and is now chasing down Kaiser and Failor. Beals, like Redington, has 9 dogs in harness.

This is still anyone's dog race, and as promised the finish is going to be an exciting one. Will we have a repeat champion or will we have a new champion this year?

Redington leads, chase pack several hours behind

Ryan Redington was lone man on the trail for most of Saturday as he blew through Aniak to complete the loop before planning to rest in Kalskag inbound. The Iditarod Champion is known for running fast and aggressively out of the gate and with the trail reports of hard packed icy trails it was no surprise to see Ryan blast off down the trail. 

KattiJo Deeter blew through Aniak two hours behind Redington and is not really running to win. The chase pack behind Deeter, however, have a lot of teams that plan on racing down Redington -if they have to- to the finish. 

Matthew Failor and Pete Kaiser have both completed their 6 hour mandatory rest (while in the loop) and can now run straight on into their mandatory 4 hour at the final checkpoint. Redington and Deeter (both Deeters, actually) still need to take 3 hours in the Kalskag checkpoint.

Travis Beals is also in the mix, completing his rest and is using the highly successful strategy of resting dogs in the sled/trailer while running. It seems to be paying off as he has had very strong runs thus far. 

Redington is about 4 miles to Kalskag and his three hour rest. Kaiser and Failor look to be about two hours behind Redington at this stage. There's still plenty of race left and it's anyone's guess who will take the lead out of Kalskag.