2020 Commentary & Updates
Finishing Banquet at the Jackson Conference Centre Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-09-2020 at 7:09 pmHello Race Fans. Last night the 25th Edition of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race concluded with the awards ceremony a the Jackson Convention Centre. Race Director Dan Carpenter led the evening. All mushers had a chance to come to the podium to thank their sponsors and tell stories from the trail. That included everybody including… Read more »
2020 Champion Anny Malo from Quebec Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-08-2020 at 6:28 pmAND WE HAVE A CHAMPION for the 25th edition of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race. ANNY MALO from Quebec. She has run the race twice and won 2 for 2. More so, she has also won 6 of 7 Stages this year. That shows very clearly the depth her team has. Especially considering that the… Read more »
Tough day on Stage 7, Lower Slide Lake Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:05 pmGood Morning Race fans. Wind is the theme of the day for the 7th Stage at lower slide Lake. And lots of it!!! Luckily temperatures hovered right around freezing. Everybody got off to a good start after being led to the starting line by Snowmachine. While it was blustery at the starting ( finish )… Read more »
Pictures from Stage 7, Lower Slide Lake. Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 12:35 pmDang that was a windy one. Specially from about Mile 5 to 8 on the outbound leg ( and again Mile 27 to 30 on the return leg ). Going out it was not that bad with a tail wind. Coming home, those Mushers are sure ” having some fun “. Good leaders are a… Read more »
Anny Malo on Stage 6 in Driggs, Split times Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-07-2020 at 7:33 pmBefore todays 6th Stage during the mushers meeting, the yellow bib changed hands again. Anny Malo had earned it back with her stellar run in Lander 2 days ago. It is interesting to compare the 2019 and 2020 runtimes. Whereas Alpine and Pinedale pretty much saw identical runtimes both years ( within seconds ) Kemmer… Read more »
Stage 6 Driggs Idaho recap Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 6:27 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. Stage 6 in Driggs in Idaho is in the books. And what a stark contrast to the sunny and calm Stage 5 in Lander Wyoming, 2 days prior. It started snowing yesterday and basically has only let off for a few hours here and there. That meant definitely not… Read more »
Dropping dogs while traveling Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-06-2020 at 3:38 pmThere is a lot of traveling involved with the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. And dropping dogs is a big part of that. The other day I caught up with Anny Malo ( and Elliot and Marco ) dropping their dogs at the school parking lot in Lander. There were many other dogtrucks around, and plenty… Read more »
Dr MONICA PACHECO DURAN explaining a vet check Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 8:26 amGood morning Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. Today is a travel day. And it looks like we can use it. It is snowing…. and supposed to snow all day. Likely we have to go the long way to Driggs, with Teton Pass being closed. The Mushers pulling trailers, would have to go through Alpine regardless,… Read more »
Lander Day 5, Lina Streeper passing 3 teams before finish line Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-05-2020 at 7:51 pmHello Pedigree Stage Stop Race fans. Day 5 in Lander is in the books. Another stellar day of racing. South Pass behaved weather wise. It could not have been nicer. Here is a selection of videos from the trail. This 1st one is about 1.5 miles before the finish line, where there was a bit… Read more »
Lander Stage 5, Anny Malo reclaimed the yellow bib Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:57 pmWhat a stellar day to race. South Pass can be a real windy spot. Just looking at the trees leaning all to one side, says it all. The Mushers were lucky today. Next to no wind and great temperatures to run dogs. At least early in the morning, it did heat up throughout the day…. Read more »
Day 5, good Morning from Lander Wyoming Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 6:19 amGood Morning from Lander Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. It is 6 a.m. and Mushers have already been busy caring for their teams for a while. With the amount of driving needed from and to the trailheads, these are truly long days. Not quite the same as Distance Mushing and sleeping out on the trail,… Read more »
Recap of Day 4, Big Piney / Marbleton Stage Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-04-2020 at 9:48 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. Day 4 is a wrap. What a fun day this was. It started of cold in Big Piney. On the 45 minute drive to the Race Site we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise. Up high it was about 20F warmer than in town. The trail had set up… Read more »
Big Piney/ Marbleton, 2 Top Teams, Lina Streeper, Anny Malo moving on the Trail Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 3:10 pmHello Pedigree Stage Stop Race fans. Here are 2 fun videos of the 2 Top Teams moving right along on the beautiful Trail in Big Piney / Marbleton. Trailboss Matt Redwine and his crew did stellar job with all that fresh snow from yesterday: First up, Lina Streeper at Mile 8.9 Second Up, Anny Malo… Read more »
Big Piney, 5 Pre Race Interviews Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 3:09 pmThe Mushers were in a good mood this morning, happy to talk. Who would not be on such a stellar day. Here is what Lina, Bruce, Anny, Rachel and Alix had to say: ( Time to hit the road to Lander, more updates to follow later today )
First Impressions from Big Piney/Marbleton Stage Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:18 pmHello Pedigree Stage Stop Race fans. What a stellar day to run dogs. The trail was excellent! It was cold, minus 26F in town this morning and minus 10F at the race start. Once the sun came up, it got warmer quickly. Yet it stayed perfect dog running temperature with only going up to 10… Read more »
Recap Day 3 and looking at Big Piney/Marbleton Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 6:37 amGood morning Pedigree Stage Stop Race fans from Big Piney. Dang, it is cold out, 15 below F. That is a big change from the 1st day of the race, where Temperatures climbed above freezing. Mother Nature pretty much has thrown different conditions at the teams each day, with yesterdays snowfall adding some excitement. Looking… Read more »
Kemmerer, not everybody had a clean run Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-03-2020 at 3:56 pmConditions were windy and snowy in Kemmerer. With those conditions comes very flat light. It is hard to see where the trail is, specially with snow blowing into your face. In sunny conditions there would have been quite a bit more local Snowmachine traffic on the trail. In todays condition we only saw one group… Read more »
Race Videos including Leaders Anny Malo and Lina Streeper Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:45 pmHi Race Fans, these videos should give you some impressions of todays trail conditions: Here a video of Anny Malo who had just passed Austin Forney and is followed by Lina Streeper: Slowmotion Allan Berge:
Day 3 Kemmerer first impressions Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:36 pmHello Pedigree Stage Stop Fans. The Kemmerer Stage is known for beautiful vistas and sometimes challenging conditions. It delivered on the latter. Trail Boss Matt Redwine and Cody had gone out early to establish a base trail and were able to give a trail report at the 8. A.m. Mushers meeting. Challenging, yet doable conditions… Read more »
Day 3, Kemmerer Stage pre race Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 7:03 amGood morning Pedigree Stage Stop Race fans. The sunny and nice weather has come to an end and Wyoming weather is showing some teeth. Yup, it is snowing and blowing out. Here a quick view from the Motel Room. Mushers have been busy feeding and massaging their dogs for a while. Linda Pierce’s Team is… Read more »
Looking at some numbers after Day 2 Pinedale Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-02-2020 at 8:46 pmHello Pedigree Race fans. Day 2 in Pinedale is a wrap. The Stage Stop family since has traveled to Kemmer and enjoyed a great welcome dinner there. What a nice drive down that was today! Anny Malo is still wearing the Yellow Bib. Matter of fact she has widened her lead today to 4 minutes…. Read more »
Pinedale Stage, Selection of videos from the Trail Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:43 pmHere is a selection of videos from the Pinedale Stage. The computer is getting cold, my fingers too….. ( sitting outside the Pinedale Library for Internet ) and time to hit the road to Kemmer. More tonight! Enjoy:
Day 2 Pinedale, report from the Start Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:17 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. After a 45 minute drive from Pinedale to the Kendall River Valley, Teams were greeted by cooler temperatures, about 10F above. Perfect dog running temperature. At 8 a.m. sharp was the mushers meeting, where teams were given a quick overview over todays stage. 34 miles total. Out and back… Read more »
Trail Video Pinedale Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:12 pmWould you like to see some of the hill climbing the teams have to to on the Pinedale Stage?Here you go: Enjoy!
Recap Day 1, looking at 2nd Stage Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 6:27 amGood morning from Pinedale Pedigree® Stage Stop Race fans. The Start of the 25th Pedigree® Stage Stop Race in Downtown Wyoming saw a record crowd for spectators. The weather was near perfect. The same can be said for the start of the first Stage in beautiful Alpine. Running along the Greys River was a real treat…. Read more »
Stage 1 Photos from the Starting Line Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 02-01-2020 at 8:48 pmNow that we have good internet, here a few more photos of todays Race Start at Alpine:
A selection of 4 Teams finishing in Alpine Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 3:44 pmHere is Raphael Nelson, running dogs for Jerry Scdoris coming into the finish line: Next up is Maria Torgerson running 8 Streeper dogs, finishing in Alpine And here comes Bruce Magnusson ( we earlier mistook Linda Pierce ): Here is Benjamin Barrett, all the way from Vermont:
Finish Line Interview with first 4 Teams into Alpine Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 3:17 pmHere is what the first 4 Mushers ( in returning order, not finishing place ) had to say after they finished their 1st run in Alpine: Jeff Conn while preparing dog food: Austin Forney while giving out Snacks: Anny Malo while Marco was preparing the meal for the dogs: And last, but not least Lina… Read more »
The 2 youngest Mushers on the Trail Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 3:03 pmThere is always races within the race. Bruce Magnusson and JR Anderson have had one of those races for years. Ever since last year, where both ran the 8 dog class, Elliot Rivest and Maria Torgerson have another race going. Maria won the 8 dog class last year. Elliot came 2nd. They have both upgraded… Read more »
Report from Day 1, Alpine Stage Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:44 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. Finally. RACE DAY The real deal, the time the 18 Mushers have been training for all fall and winter. After the mushers meeting at 8 a.m. the 1st team to hit the Starting Chute was Lina Streeper from Fort Nelson, followed by Austin Forney. Teams left in 3 minute… Read more »
The famous Antler Arch Shots Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-31-2020 at 3:40 pmVet checks done. Musher meeting done. Time for the famous Antler Arch Shots in downtown Jackson Wyoming with the whole race crew for the 25th Anniversary of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race:
Pictures from the 2020 Vet check Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:32 pmHere is a selection of pictures from the 2020 Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Vet Check:
Vet Checks completed Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 2:20 pmThe Vet Checks are completed. Conditions were perfect for dogs, mushers and vets alike. Cloudy, slightly below freezing temperatures, no snow or rain. Perfect. No frozen stiff Stethoscopes at 30 below, no blowing snow neither. Most Mushers did bring a few extra dogs and took advantage of the Veterinarians expertise to have each and every… Read more »
Dr Kim Henneman on Vet Check Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 9:52 amComing to these races is always like a big family reunion. Seeing Dr. Kim Henneman brings back memories from Iditarod. That is where we first met. At the time Dr Henneman was working on a project with thermal imaging on dogs. Over the years we have bumped into each other during quite a few races… Read more »
Austin Forney explaining different runners Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 9:13 amAs Mushers are pulling in for the 2020 Vet check, I caught up with Austin Forney. Noticing 4 sets of runners for his Danler Sleds, I asked him to do some explaining:
25 years of Pedigree Stage Stop Race Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-30-2020 at 11:18 pmTonight the 25th edition of the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race kicked off at the Jackson Wildlife Museum. We could not have asked for a more spectacular setting. Several very special people were recognized in the festivities. Of course Frank Teasley and Jane Ottman, who were the founders of the race, as well as Dan Carter who… Read more »
Alix Crittenden talking at Jackson Elementary School Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 10:42 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. It is always fun to see children eyes light up, when they meet the sled dogs. Here are a few shots of Alix Crittenden meeting up with school children at Jackson Elementary School:
Linda Pierce talking to Afton Elementary School Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 1:56 pmThis is Linda Pierce‘s 2nd year to come to Afton for a school talk. She brought her first ever dog , called ” BoyDog”. He is 9 now and has developed into her main leader. The children were eager to meet him. Quite a few kids in the crowd had dogs at home. When Linda… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree Stage Stop Race Dogs Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 11:08 amHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans, here a few videos of some of the Stage Stop dogs. The real stars of the show! Here is Zeus from Tim Thiessen: And next up is Juneau from Tim Thiessen And here are Doug Butler and Ben Barret bantering about who is running ” Coors “
Fernando Ramirez giving presentations at Coulter Elementary school. Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 9:17 amHello Race Fans. Here a few more fun pictures of school talks. Fernando and his wife Dana brought one of their dogs ” Miss Ophra ” along. They are talking about goals in life. Fernando started running dogs when he was 8 years old and it was his goal to get into racing. He talks… Read more »
School Talk and training time, Chris Adkins in Driggs Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-29-2020 at 4:51 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. The days prior to race start ( Friday Jan 31st ) are filled with last training runs and also giving back to the communities. Light snow fell in the area over night which made for great training conditions. Before heading over to Driggs Elementary school Chris Adkins went on a… Read more »
Travel time Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-28-2020 at 6:27 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. One of the major fun part of Dog Racing is that people from all walks of life, and all corners of the world are coming together be it race staff or be it the mushers. It is traveling time for everybody. As for part of the race staff, after a… Read more »
Catching up with 2019 Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Champion Anny Malo Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-23-2020 at 9:17 amHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. In these days, where races have existed for a long time, there is usually a steep competition for being the coveted ” Rookie of the Year “. It is very rare that the Rookie of the Year is also the Champion of a race. Exactly that happened in 2019 during… Read more »
Austin Forney is back for his 5th Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted at 9:44 amHello Race Fans, Austin Forney is back for another shot at the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. He first ran the 8 Dog Class in 2015 and then moved up to the full stage in 2016. To date his best finish was 9th place in 2018. And from the sounds of it, he likes to improve on that… Read more »
Crunch time for Benjamin Barrett and Doug Butler Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-22-2020 at 8:46 amHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. There have been a few changes in the 2020 lineup, which currently sits at 18 mushers, from 21 who had originally signed up. A lot can happen from signing up for a race mid summer to race time. Be it personal injury, training not going well, or as in the… Read more »
Time to hit the road! Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-21-2020 at 5:17 amHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. I am still trying to catch up with 5 more of the mushers signed up for this years race, some of them could already be on the road. Time is drawing closer for the race to begin. That means it is travel time for some of the teams, hailing from… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Tim Thiessen Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-20-2020 at 11:06 amHello Race Fans, Tim Thiessen seems to be a busy man. It does not help that he works out of cell range and also lives off grid, no cell service there neither. That lifestyle actually sounds pretty good to me. I have lived the same way for more than a decade in the Yukon and… Read more »
Welcoming back Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher JR Anderson Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-18-2020 at 11:19 amJR Anderson is no stranger to the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. This will be his 15th time! Addicted? Likely! 2005 JR raced for the 1st time in Wyoming, took 2009 off and has been back ever since. That puts him on par for number of starts with Bruce Magnusson. JR’s best finish has been 3rd. So… Read more »
Catching up with Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Bruce Magnusson Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-17-2020 at 5:41 pmTime flies. It has been a few years since I had last talked to Bruce Magnusson in person. That was back in 2009 where we both gave a talk at a sled dog symposium in Michigan. Last year Bruce finished in 9th position at the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. He has been 3 times in 3rd… Read more »
Rachel Scdoris not running, Aaron Caldwell taking spot Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-12-2020 at 10:08 amOregon Trail of Dreams Musher Rachel Scdoris was signed up for the 2020 Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. I caught up with her dad, Jerry Scdoris, which I had meant to call anyhow, to find out a bit more information about “The old days” of the Wyoming Stage Race. The days where there were still 12… Read more »
Talking to Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Grant Beck Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-15-2020 at 7:01 amHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Race fans. The next musher I caught up with is Grant Beck , a fellow Canadian, all the way from Yellowknife. That brings back some memories. Back in the spring of 1997, having survived my 1st real winter in Canada I drove from Ontario to Yellowknife is search of a new… Read more »
Catching up with Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Chris Adkins Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-13-2020 at 2:09 pmHello Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Fans. The last time I have seen Chris Adkins was 10 years ago in Anchorage for the 2010 Iditarod start. We were parked behind each other on 4th Avenue for the Ceremonial Start. Our paths did not cross much during the race with me finishing 7th and Chris coming in 50th…. Read more »
Meeting up with Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Rachel Courtney Garand Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-11-2020 at 5:08 amMeeting up with Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Rachel Courtney Garand Last year was my first time running the PSS and I finished 6th overall. I love the format going from town to town meeting so many new people in all the great communities.Also now that the Stages are shorter it is within the distance I… Read more »
Q & A withPedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Allan Berge Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-10-2020 at 6:21 amHere a short Q&A with Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Allan Berge who hails from Glenrock Wyoming. How many times have you run the Stage Stop? 1 Best finish? Finished last, but 2 other mushers scratched during the 2019 race. Why do you run it? Because of the dogs, the town people that support… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Champion Lina Streeper Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-06-2020 at 1:47 amHello Race fans, introducing Musher Lina Steeper, Lina has left her mark on the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race. Introduction is likely not the best word to use here…, catching up with Lina is more appropriate. She is pretty well known and has entered 4 times. Her first race being 2010 finishing 2nd that year ( 23 minutes behind… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Jeff Conn Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-05-2020 at 1:47 amHello Race fans, introducing Jeff Conn. This is the beginning of a series where I try to catch up with as many of the Stage Stop Mushers before the race, as possible. While introducing them, it also gives me a chance to learn a bit more about the race. The first Musher I talked to… Read more »
Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Alix Crittenden Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-07-2020 at 1:46 amIntroducing Musher Alix Crittenden. Mushers sure a different breed, when you apply the standards of “normal“ society. Their priorities are a little bit different than most peoples. This Facebook post from Alix Crittenden sums it up pretty well: “ Dog mushers are a strange sort…. We travel around with a truck full of dogs and… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Linda Pierce Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-09-2020 at 8:32 amHello Race Fans, another Musher who I was able to catch up with, is Linda Pierce from Washington. Calling mushers is definitely a hit and miss, being in a completely different time zone in Germany right now. To reach someone in the evening, US time, would mean 3 a.m. ish in Germany. I have not… Read more »
Introducing Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Musher Fernando Ramirez Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-08-2020 at 9:41 amHello Race fans, I throughly start to enjoy catching up with the 2020 Pedigree® Stage Stop Race Mushers. Some are easier to reach than others. Fernando Ramirez was fast to respond and what an interesting talk we had. He is hailing from beautiful Peoa Utah ( near Park City for geographically challenged people like me )…. Read more »
Sebastian Introduction Sebastian Schnuelle
Posted 01-02-2020 at 11:26 amHello Race Fans, This is an introduction post for the 2020 Pedigree® Stage Stop Race which is turning a quarter century this year. I have to admit, that while being a musher now turned race follower, my knowledge about the Stage Stop is pretty limited. The reason being that the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race usually… Read more »
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