T200 this weekend! | Golden Skate

T200 this weekend!

Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
The dogs are so gorgeous.

Somehow (please excuse silly comment from an Eastern city slicker) I expected them to be sturdier, even a bit shaggier. They're so svelte.
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
you can thank Hollywood for the misguided look of the RACING sled dog... the teams that use Siberians in races rarely come close to winning. They have too much fur and overheat... Alaskan Huskies won't win any dog show awards (they are, after all, mutts) but they can kick your butt in long distance races (I don't know how they'd do against a greyhound lol)
 
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Awesome! I have to find out more about these exquisite beasts. No wonder you love this sport so much. What are Alaskan Huskies mixes of? What are their temperaments like?
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
sorry there haven't been updates,. been busy and I am COLD! finally putting the camera away for the night and am posting pics on the Tustumena 200 Facebook (and others are posting for me as well!)

to answer your questions, they're a mix of a little bit of everything. The original "modern" sled dogs were native dogs bred with any sort of big dog the gold rush guys brought up. Then as they became more for racing so you have a lot of greyhound being bred in and other race types... but really I couldn't tell you. Each team has it's own line/breed of mutt that they run...

poodles have run the iditarod, just as an extra tidbit.

sled dogs are bred with a pulling instinct and they have a a pack like mentality when they're hooked up... they are insane. They are energetic. SUPER high energy. they are not couch potatos... well most arent... but they do like their creature comforts.

first mushers just pulled into the "halfway" point... not shooting, sent my dad with the camera. It's too cold and I'm exhausted and trying to post pics.
 
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
They have greyhound as part of their heritage? Awesome.

And I'm delighted to hear about the poodles. I am quite fond of standard poodles: they're smart and yet have some of that large-breed steadiness of temperament. Also, not being so popular these days, they're not overbred.

Enjoy your tasks today.
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I'm home and I'm SO COLD! I have well over 1500 pictures (at least) to go through and edit down to a reasonable amount. I had a lot of fun, there are still several teams out, but my dad was driving me around and he has to work in the morning. Cim Smyth won, with Jeff King (most winning musher in HISTORY) close behind. I like both of these guys but I found myself really bummed that Jeff didn't win. I've never been at a race where he's won even though he is the Champion of Champions. *shrugs* oh well... there's always the next time! :)

My friend is still out on the trail, and will be in late tonight early tomorrow morning... so excited for her, it was her first race and a last minute entry at that! :rock:
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I'm still so tired but I have to get these photos edited... on a "break" I went to youtube and found that Dallas Seavey's race sponsors - JJ Keller (I think they're a law firm? LOL) - uploaded more videos sent in by Dallas and his racing team. If you want to learn about mushing/racing/lifestyle/thedogs this is a great resource - http://www.youtube.com/user/jjkelleriditarod

you cannot convince me that these dogs are forced to run and pull. I've seen them in action, I've watched them in training as well as racing.
 
Last edited:
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I watched one of the videos. Those dogs seem to be having (pardon the pun) a whale of a time. Wow, those trees are stunning. They're so tall and majestic.
 
Spun Silver

Spun Silver

Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Congrats on making it through the event, Toni, even though the MK, no make that the Scott Hamilton, of mushing didn't win. Look forward to the action photos... after you've rested up! I hope your friend the last-minute first-timer had a great time!

Boy, is Alaska ever different from New Jersey. : )
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Olympia said:
I watched one of the videos. Those dogs seem to be having (pardon the pun) a whale of a time. Wow, those trees are stunning. They're so tall and majestic.
Click to expand...

our trees are dinky compared to the West Coast states of California, Washington and Oregon though lol


Spun - Not sure who I would compare Jeff King to more in figure skating... his record would be like MK... his likeability may be more like Scott, though I don't know how Scott is seen by most of the skaters around him. King seems to be a love him or hate him kinda guy in teh mushing world, though no one will tell me why ( just get told I shouldn't like him, which is not enough for me ). I enjoy Jeff's antics, ignore his ego (which okay he did think he'd get off scott free for shooting a moose - which was of legal size and time - in Denali National Park - a no no - by claiming he didn't realize he was in the park), and I think he truly cares for his dogs. He was playing with them while waiting to get his check and his dropped dogs Sunday night and I was loving it! (and considering by that point only die hard mushing types were around I don't think it was for show at all...

Now, Lance Mackey I could probably put on par with Rudy Galindo in career type comparison (though Lance is a 4 time champ) because they were underdogs, whine constantly that no one likes them (though I think Rudy may have more of a point in that), and yet teh world over loves them.
 
skateluvr

skateluvr

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Joined
Oct 23, 2011
So amazing Toni, Alaska is just so beautiful, cold but such an amazing place to live and work. Lucky you!
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I don't want to ever live anywhere else (though I wouldn't mind snow birding it to florida once in a while lol)
 
Spun Silver

Spun Silver

Joined
Mar 14, 2006
You got some great shots. It looks like Norway, not the USA. You have a picture of Santa Claus patting the dogs!

I have to say the photo of the dogs with frozen slobber is distressing... but I like the booties.
 
Tonichelle

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Spun Silver said:
I have to say the photo of the dogs with frozen slobber is distressing... but I like the booties.
Click to expand...

It's not slobber, it's breath. Same amount of frost/ice is on a lot of the guy's mustaches... I had ice on my camera the morning of the race start. They'd get the same way just sitting outside in a kennel, which a lot of big dogs do that, these dogs are allowed to run (staying warm) and do what they enjoy doing.
 
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