Wyoming Governor Freudenthal to Drive First Team in 2005 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race
Previous IPSSSDR Champions to Vie for Title
Jackson, Wyoming—January 14, 2005— In honor of the IPSSSDR tenth
anniversary, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal will drive the first team
from Jackson’s Town Square followed by Jackson Mayor Mark Barron at 7:00
p.m. on January 28, 2005.
The IPSSSDR, the largest sled dog race in the lower 48 states, takes
place from January 28 through February 5 this year. Two previous
International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race Champions will return to
Wyoming to vie for the IPSSSDR title: Melanie Shirilla, 2002 IPSSSDR
Champion and the first woman to win the race, and Gwen Holdmann, 2003
IPSSSDR Champion, will be among the nearly 20 top teams competing in the
eight-day race.
Additional mushers in the 2005 IPSSSDR include four-time Iditarod Champ
Doug Swingley from Lincoln, Montana; three-time Alpirod winner Jacques
Philip from Nenana, Alaska; and Grant Beck from Yellowknife Northwest
Territories, ranked third in the International Federation of Sleddog
Sports Mid-Distance World Cup Program. All three mushers have previously
competed in the race, which this year includes teams from the U.S.,
Canada, France, and Switzerland.
The IPSSSDR begins in Jackson with a new evening route from Jackson’s
Town Square to finish at Snow King Resort. Teams will then continue to
Lander, Pinedale, Alpine, Kemmerer/Diamondville, Evanston, and
Lyman/Mountain View, before arriving in Park City for the final stage
and award ceremony.
With its unique “Stage Stop” racing format, the race stops in a
different community each night. The towns host festivities for mushers
and spectators ranging from junior dog sled races for children, to dog
parades and ice sculpture contests, to banquets, carnivals, and fishing
derbies.
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.
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, visit the race Website at
www.wyomingstagestop.org,
contact the race via e-mail at
wystagestop@blissnet.com, or telephone at (307) 734-1163, or visit
www.pedigree.com.
Contact: Darla Worden, International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race
307.734.5335;
dworden@dimensional.com
