Shirilla Posts Fastest Time in Stage Three of the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race

Alpine, Wyoming—January 27, 2004—Melanie Shirilla from Lincoln, Montana, won Stage Three of the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race with a time of 3:51:26.  Blaine “Buddy” Streeper from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, was second with 4:00:35; Jacques Philip from Nenana, Alaska, came in third with 4:02:18.

            In overall times, Streeper leads with a time of 11:44:25.  Shirilla is second with 12:07:32, and  Wendy Davis from Chatham, Michigan, is third with 12:11:36.

At 9:00 a.m., teams departed on the 54-mile Stage Three course beginning in Alpine. Following Stage Three, mushers headed to a reception and dinner in Pinedale.

Stage 4 begins Wednesday, January 28, 2004, at 9:00 a.m. outside Pinedale at the Green River Lakes parking lot.

With its unique “Stage Stop” racing format, the race stops in a different Wyoming community each night.  Following Pinedale, the race continues to Lander then finishes at Teton Village in Jackson Hole on Friday, January 30.

         Pedigree® Food for Dogs is the title sponsor of the IPSSSDR. During the 2004 IPSSSDR, Pedigree will host a daily web cast on its web site, www.pedigree.com, that features video footage of the race. To support local pet adoption efforts, Pedigree makes a donation to animal shelters nationwide 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 Website at www.wyomingstagestop.org hosted by Jackson Hole Net, or contact the race via e-mail at wystagestop@blissnet.com or telephone at (307) 734-1163. For complete times from today’s race, visit the following links: Daily:http://www.wyomingstagestop.org/daily.htm

Stage 3

Tuesday, January 27

Alpine