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 香蕉视频直播� mushers who have completed the race in past years 香蕉视频直播� 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.
Here香蕉视频直播檚 a look at the mushers representing the Yukon:
Hans Gatt
There are only two people on the planet who can say they香蕉视频直播檝e won the Yukon Quest 1,000-mile race four times.
One of them, Hans Gatt, is returning to the Quest this year after 香蕉视频直播渟emi-retirement.香蕉视频直播�
By his own admission, Gatt isn香蕉视频直播檛 out to make a statement with his return.
香蕉视频直播淥bviously, I used to race to win for the last 30 years, but this is a little different,香蕉视频直播� said Gatt. 香蕉视频直播淚 mean, I haven香蕉视频直播檛 raced it for like eight years and I don香蕉视频直播檛 have that drive anymore. I don香蕉视频直播檛 have to prove anything.香蕉视频直播�
This go around, he said he香蕉视频直播檚 hoping to see what his team can accomplish.
Rob Cooke
For veteran musher Rob Cooke, this year香蕉视频直播檚 Yukon Quest will be special.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a bittersweet race for me,香蕉视频直播� said Cooke during an interview at his Mount Lorne home.
香蕉视频直播淢y five main dogs 香蕉视频直播� Maddie, Skits, Loonie, Nutter and Psycho 香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檝e been racing with me since 2011 and they香蕉视频直播檝e done pretty much every race with me since 2011. 香蕉视频直播� This is going to be their final race.香蕉视频直播�
The only time Cooke didn香蕉视频直播檛 have that core group of Siberian huskies was in 2016, when Maddie had a litter of puppies.
香蕉视频直播淭hat makes me really sad 香蕉视频直播� that I香蕉视频直播檓 never going to be racing with them again after this. But it is also really exciting that I香蕉视频直播檓 going to have this one final race with them and share the Quest trail with them one final time. I香蕉视频直播檓 really looking forward to that.香蕉视频直播�
Nathaniel Hamlyn
Nathaniel Hamlyn was one of six rookies to finish last year香蕉视频直播檚 Quest.
He was the red lantern winner after finishing last in the race, 13th, in a year that half the field, another 13 mushers, didn香蕉视频直播檛 make it to the end.
Hamlyn is up front about last year香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淢y rookie year was basically, literally, survival,香蕉视频直播� said Hamlyn during an interview at his home and kennel near Mount Lorne. 香蕉视频直播淚 wasn香蕉视频直播檛 really interested in racing, I was just wanting to finish.香蕉视频直播�
Michelle Phillips
Yukoner Michelle Phillips is putting the final touches on preparations for her seventh Yukon Quest 香蕉视频直播� her first in nearly a decade.
That香蕉视频直播檚 not to say she hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been racing, just not in the Quest.
香蕉视频直播淚 ran the Yukon Quest six times and then I started running the Iditarod,香蕉视频直播� said Phillips. 香蕉视频直播淚 decided that I wanted to revisit the Quest 香蕉视频直播� do something different 香蕉视频直播� 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.香蕉视频直播�
Together, Phillips and Hopkins run Tagish Lake Kennel, home to more than 60 dogs, and 香蕉视频直播� among other things 香蕉视频直播� 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 Media香蕉视频直播檚 .
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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