Jackson Wyoming—January 16, 2003—The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race will bring a full roster of world-class mushers to Jackson Hole, Wyoming this year, says Race Director Frank Teasley. The largest sled dog race in the lower 48 states begins in Jackson Hole then travels through nine other Wyoming towns, January 25 through February 1, 2003.
“As of January 15, we had 25 teams registered for the race and I’m confident entries will come in until the last minute, to give us 30 teams,” Teasley said. “Some of the changes we made to this year’s race, like shortening it to 8 days and changing the purse payout to include day money, have been very attractive to the teams.”

In October, Teasley announced the change from 12 days to eight, to make the race more efficient for the towns, mushers and race organization. In addition to this alteration of the course, the $100,000 purse payout was changed, with $50,000 split among the top 15 overall winners and $50,000 among winners for each of the eight days’ stages.

Now in its eighth year, the 2003 race begins in Jackson Hole, and travels through Dubois, Lander, Evanston/Mountain View/Lyman, Kemmerer/Diamondville, Alpine, and Pinedale before finishing at Teton Village in Jackson Hole.

With its unique “Stage Stop” racing format, the race stops in a different Wyoming community each night. Each town hosts festivities for mushers and spectators ranging from junior dog sled races for children, dog parades and ice sculpture contests, to banquets, carnivals and fishing derbies.

The IPSSSDR is limited to 30 teams. Previous IPSSSDR champions include Rick Swenson, Alaska, 1996; Hans Gatt, Austria, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001; Jeff King, Alaska, 1999; and Melanie Shirilla, Montana, 2002. Shirilla, the first woman to win the race, will return in 2003 as the defending champion.

Pedigree Food for Dogs is the title sponsor of the IPSSSDR. The Pedigree brand actively supports a wide range of programs that promote responsible pet ownership and highlight the contributions dogs make to society. Such programs include Homeward Bound, a national pet adoption support program to encourage adoption of the nation’s 12 million homeless animals; the National Association for Search and Rescue; police canine units; and non-profit organizations that train and place service dogs for hearing and visually impaired people. During the 2003 IPSSSDR, Pedigree will host “Postcards from the Trail” with photographs posted on its web site, pedigree.com. Through Homeward Bound, Pedigree will make a donation to animal shelters for each visitor to the site during the race.

The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race was founded in 1996 by Frank Teasley to make sled dog racing more accessible to the public. For more information, visit the race web site at www.wyomingstagestop.org; the race can be contacted via e-mail at wystagestop@blissnet.com, or call (307) 734-1163, or visit www.pedigree.com.

Updated 1/15/03

1. Jacques Philip, Nenana, Alaska; age 46

2. Rachael Scdoris, Bend, Oregon; age 17

3. Dan Carter, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; age 32

4. Joe Armentano, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; age 24

5. Tim Hunt, Skandia, Michigan; age 37

6. Grant Beck, Yellowknife, NWT; age 54

7. Mike Salvisberg, Bear Creek, Yukon Territory; age 43

8. Warren Palfrey, Yellowknife, NWT; age 28

9. Lloyd Gilbertson, Chatham, MI; age 54

10. Sam Perrino, Yellowknife, NWT; age 26

11. Gregg Dubit, Hesperus, Colorado; age 39

12. Joe Loveless, Roy, Washington; age 45

13. Leslie Martin, Sheridan, Wyoming; age 40

14. Coulter Francis, Cave Junction, Oregon; age 32

15. Melanie Shirilla, Lincoln, Montana; age 30

16. Doug Swingley, Lincoln, Montana; age 49

17. Buck Church, Christmas Valley, Oregon; age 60

18. Jessie Royer, Ennis, Montana; age 26

19. Matt Weik, Outing, Minnesota; age 31

20. Bill Cotter, Nenana, Alaska, age 55

21. Ken Anderson, Fox, Alaska, age 30

22. Gwen Anderson, Fox, Alaska, age 27

23.Bill Pinkham, Glenwood Springs, Colorado; age 44

24. Rose Fisk, Jackson, Wyoming; age 38

25. Cliff Wang, Beaver Bay, Minnesota; age 45