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Yukon Quest: The Toughest Sled Dog Race In The World
By:
Published: June 28, 2007
One athletic event that doesn't often get the kind of media coverage of other major sports is dog racing. However, professional dog racing has been around in some form for centuries, and anyone who follows or participates in the sport knows that it takes great skill and determination to finish one of the grueling races, from both the dogs and the drivers.
One of the classic races in dog racing is the Yukon Quest. Taking place over the span of almost two full weeks, the Yukon Quest is a true challenge of determination.
The Yukon Quest is held every February along the 1,000 mile run between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon, the same route taken by prospectors and mail carriers during the Klondike Cold Rush. The race has been held every year since 1984, carries a cash prize of $40,000 for the winner, and is open to mushers of every nationality and gender. The first female winner traversed the frozen rivers and mountain ranges in 2000.
The Yukon Quest purports itself to be the The Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World, though fans of the Iditarod would probably argue. Still, the Yukon Quest course is incredibly difficult, and it attracts some of the top sled dogs in the world. In the course of the 1,000 mile run, several frozen rivers must be traversed, and the trail crosses four mountain ranges that reach elevations of over 1,000 miles.
Dog mushing in The Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World, is hard enough for the drivers, but for the sled dogs, it can be brutal. There are ten stops along the route for drivers and dogs alike to rest. At these stops, trained veterinarians look the dogs over, and dogs can be dropped out of the Yukon Quest and replaced. Other than these checkpoints, the dog mushing riders are left to their own devices to survive in the wilderness, and must have the proper provisions for themselves and their dogs.
The Yukon Quest is probably best known for its reputation among dog sled fans as a sort of anti-Iditarod. It has avoided the commercialism and media hype in which the other famous sled dogs race revels. While some Iditarod racers come out of the race as mini-celebrities, at least in their own corner of the world, Yukon Quest riders take their satisfaction from their ability to tough out the elements and cross the finish line with their dogs. Of course, a share in the winner's purse doesn't hurt.
Anyone who is curious or fascinated by the sport of sled dog racing would do well to check out the Yukon Quest. It might not carry the same glitz or glamour as some of the other great sporting events around the world, but it is a very interesting picture of the determination and heart of both human and dog. It is challenging, it is fun, it very well may be the toughest sled dog race in the world, but maybe more importantly, the Yukon quest is a triumph of man and animal working in harmony to achieve a pretty amazing goal.
Sources:
2007 Race Summery. Yukon Quest. 2007. 20 June 2007. http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/viewnews?id=814.
Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race. Working Dog Web. 26 April 2005. Heritage North Press. 20 June 2007. http://www.workingdogweb.com/Quest.htm.
Johnston, Laura. "The Yukon Quest." Salon.com. 2000. 20 June 2007. http://www.salon.com/wlust/feature/1997/12/16featu re.html.
“Yukon Quest.” Wikipedia. 5 June 2007. 20 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_Quest.
The Yukon Quest is held every February along the 1,000 mile run between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon, the same route taken by prospectors and mail carriers during the Klondike Cold Rush. The race has been held every year since 1984, carries a cash prize of $40,000 for the winner, and is open to mushers of every nationality and gender. The first female winner traversed the frozen rivers and mountain ranges in 2000.
The Yukon Quest purports itself to be the The Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World, though fans of the Iditarod would probably argue. Still, the Yukon Quest course is incredibly difficult, and it attracts some of the top sled dogs in the world. In the course of the 1,000 mile run, several frozen rivers must be traversed, and the trail crosses four mountain ranges that reach elevations of over 1,000 miles.
Dog mushing in The Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World, is hard enough for the drivers, but for the sled dogs, it can be brutal. There are ten stops along the route for drivers and dogs alike to rest. At these stops, trained veterinarians look the dogs over, and dogs can be dropped out of the Yukon Quest and replaced. Other than these checkpoints, the dog mushing riders are left to their own devices to survive in the wilderness, and must have the proper provisions for themselves and their dogs.
The Yukon Quest is probably best known for its reputation among dog sled fans as a sort of anti-Iditarod. It has avoided the commercialism and media hype in which the other famous sled dogs race revels. While some Iditarod racers come out of the race as mini-celebrities, at least in their own corner of the world, Yukon Quest riders take their satisfaction from their ability to tough out the elements and cross the finish line with their dogs. Of course, a share in the winner's purse doesn't hurt.
Anyone who is curious or fascinated by the sport of sled dog racing would do well to check out the Yukon Quest. It might not carry the same glitz or glamour as some of the other great sporting events around the world, but it is a very interesting picture of the determination and heart of both human and dog. It is challenging, it is fun, it very well may be the toughest sled dog race in the world, but maybe more importantly, the Yukon quest is a triumph of man and animal working in harmony to achieve a pretty amazing goal.
Sources:
2007 Race Summery. Yukon Quest. 2007. 20 June 2007. http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/viewnews?id=814.
Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race. Working Dog Web. 26 April 2005. Heritage North Press. 20 June 2007. http://www.workingdogweb.com/Quest.htm.
Johnston, Laura. "The Yukon Quest." Salon.com. 2000. 20 June 2007. http://www.salon.com/wlust/feature/1997/12/16featu re.html.
“Yukon Quest.” Wikipedia. 5 June 2007. 20 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_Quest.
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