Winter 1999-2000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Frank Teasley, Race Director, (307)734-1163
Darla Worden, Media Relations, (307)672-3818

Pedigree® Joins International Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Sled Dog Race as Title Sponsor

Jackson Hole, Wyoming-November 15, 1999-- Pedigree ® food for dogs joins the 2000 International Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR) as title sponsor, announced Frank Teasley, Race Director. The IPSSSDR, largest sled dog race in the lower 48 states, is slated for January 29 through February 9, 2000 beginning in Jackson Hole and traveling through 14 Wyoming communities.

"We are extremely excited about our new relationship with Pedigree," said Teasley. "As the race enters its fifth year, we have produced a track record as the largest sled dog event in the lower 48 states, and continued to attract the top international names in mushing. Our new partnership with Pedigree ®, the county's #1 brand of pet food, allows the race to continue our growth and advance our work to make sled dog racing more accessible to the public."

A qualifying event for the Iditarod, the IPSSSDR hosts thirty champion teams from France, Japan, Canada and the U.S. who compete for the race's $120,000 purse, traveling nearly 500 miles during 11 days through Wyoming's backcountry. The 2000 race begins in Jackson Hole, and travels through Moran, Dubois, Pinedale, Lander, Atlantic City, Mountain View, Lyman, Evanston, Kemmerer/Diamondville, Afton, and Alpine before the finish in Jackson Hole.

The Pedigree brand actively supports a wide range of programs including animal shelters' efforts to promote responsible pet ownership, 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. Pedigree Food for Dogs is 100% complete and balanced for the intended lifestage and also highly palatable. Developed with veterinarians and recommended by breeders of champion dogs, Pedigree products contain the Champion Skin & Coat System that provides all the nutrition required to give dogs the healthiest skin and shiniest coat.