“This is going to be an extremely competitive race,” says Teasley, who recently sized up many of the teams at the Attaboy 300 in Oregon.  “Some of the teams I saw in Oregon are considered the fastest in the world.”

World champion sled dog sprinter, Blaine “Buddy” Streeper, winner of the Attaboy 300, will race in the 2004 IPSSSDR.  Streeper, from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, has won more than 50 first place titles during his five-year professional career.

Along with Streeper, other teams include four-time Iditarod Champ Doug Swingley from Lincoln, Montana;  2002 IPSSSDR Champion Melanie Shirilla from Lincoln, Montana--the first woman to win the IPSSSDR; and three-time Alpirod winner Jacques Philip from Nenana, Alaska. 

With its unique “Stage Stop” racing format, the race stops in a different Wyoming community each night. Towns host 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. New to the 2004 line-up of race events in Jackson, at the start of IPSSSDR, is the Skijor Challenge  Ten skijor teams will compete on the three-mile route in Jackson at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, prior to the IPSSSDR teams departing on Stage One.      

Pedigree®  Food for Dogs is the title sponsor of the IPSSSDR.  The Pedigree brand is passionate about dogs and committed to providing them with a lifetime of health and eating enjoyment from foods that are best suited to a dog’s true nature.   This superior dog understanding insures that the Pedigree brand supports activities and events in which the welfare of dogs always comes first.  The dog-friendly nature of the IPSSDR is one of the prime reasons the brand has chosen to support this national competition.  During the 2004 IPSSSDR, Pedigree will host a daily web cast on its web site, pedigree.com that will feature video footage of the race.  To support local pet adoption efforts, Pedigree will make 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 a complete schedule of events, visit the race Website at www.wyomingstagestop.org hosted by Jackson Hole Net, contact the race via e-mail at wystagestop@blissnet.com or telephone at (307) 734-1163, or visit www.pedigree.com.

2004 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race

1. Robyn Smith, Forest Lake, MN, USA
2. Sam Perrino, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
3. Michael Salvisberg, Haines Junction, YT, Canada
4. Stacey Hazen, Angora, MN, USA
5. John Wood, Willow, AK, USA
6. Grant Beck, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
7. Warren Palfrey, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
8. Wendy Davis, Chatham, MI, USA
9. Robert McAlpine, Fairbanks, AK, USA
10. Jacques Philip, Nenana, AK, USA
11. Blaine “Buddy” Streeper, Fort Nelson, BC, Canada
12. Dan Carter, Jackson, WY, USA
13. Katie Davis, Jackson, WY, USA
14. Doug Swingley, Lincoln, MT, USA
15. Melanie Shirilla, Lincoln, MT, USA
16. Bill Pinkham, Glenwood Springs, CO, USA
17. Steve Madsen, Toutle, WA, USA
18. Nigel Hill, Grandor, Sask., Canada