Posts Categorized: Uncategorized

#19 – Dennis LaBoda-Archive 2019

#19 — Dennis Laboda from Hovland , MN Dennis is a self-employed contractor. Sled dogs were a neighborhood activity for him when he was growing up in Minnesota. His older brother, Dale, started mushing as a teenager and raced IPSSSDR in the early years of our event. Following in his brother’s “footsteps in the snow,”… Read more »

#18 – Emilie Entrikin-Archive 2019

#18 — Emilie Entrikin from Fairbanks, Alaska. Emilie was first introduced to the dog mushing at age 21 working for a mid-distance kennel in Minnesota. She then moved to Alaska and began skijor racing with her own two dogs. Not quite satisfied with the challenge of skijoring, Emile bred her first litter of pups and… Read more »

#17 – Lina Streeper-Archive 2019

#17 — Lina Streeper from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Lina grew up in a small community in northern Sweden and became fascinated with sled dogs at a young age. Since moving to Canada in 2007, she has focused on professional sled dog racing. She’s part of “the famous mushing dynasty” known as Streeper Kennels…. Read more »

#16 – Katherine Scheck-Archive 2019

#16 — Katherine Scheck from Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada. Born and raised in the Yukon, Katherine started running dogs in 2011 when introduced to skijoring. In 2012, she bought a litter of pups — the six-and-a-half-year-olds in this year’s race team are from that litter. Katherine lives near Whitehorse with her 5-year old daughter, 3-year… Read more »

#15 – Erick Laforce-Archive 2019

#15 — Erick Laforce from Lanoraie, Quebec, Canada. Erick is a Montreal firefighter who grew up in a small town at the edge of the country. He spent his teenage years in Montreal where a husky he later named Max came to him in the school yard one day. He says that the magic of… Read more »

Monica Magnusson

8-DOG CLASSIC LINEUP #12 — Monica Magnusson from NOVI, MICHIGAN. Last year, Monica place finished in a hotly contested second place in last year’s 8-Dog Classic just ONE SECOND OVERALL! She’s been hooked on racing since the day her father-in-law invited her and husband Bruce to watch a race he was competing in. Although better… Read more »

Jeff Adkins

8-DOG CLASSIC LINEUP Jeff Adkins from SAND COULEE, MONTANA. Around the age of 5, Jeff started mushing with his grandfather Terry Adkins’ dogs. “My Dad then got a few dogs of his own and eventually we started giving dog sled tours from Montana to Utah. In other words, he’s been mushing most of his life…. Read more »

# 14 Greta Thurston-Archive 2019

#14 — Greta Thurston from Oak Creek, Colorado. Greta is from Oak Creek, Colorado and is currently attending school at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. She’s been mushing her whole life alongside her dad, Tom Thurston. She says that while she loves her time in Boston, her heart is always with her dogs in Colorado…. Read more »

#13 Bruce Magnusson-Archive 2019

#13 — Bruce Magnusson from Manchester, Michigan. 2019 marks Bruce’s 14th consecutive Stage Stop Race — more consecutive races than any other competitor in the 24-year history of our event! Bruce’s father trained black labs for national competitive field trials and, fatefully, met a professional sled dog racer, Lloyd Gilbertson. That’s when Dad brought home… Read more »

#12 Allan Berge-Archive 2019

#12 — Allan Berge from Glenrock, Wyoming. A health and safety supervisor for Chesapeake Energy in Wyoming, Allan began his mushing career in 1998 with a few Siberian Husky rescues, mentored by Pam Dunn who started the Casper Mountain Dog Sled Race in 1995. “I’m married to my best friend, Tabetha, who introduced me to… Read more »

#11 Jeff Conn-Archive 2019

#11 — Jeff Conn from Ester, Alaska. Jeff is a retired USDA research scientist who began mushing in 1983. Sled dog racing was a part-time venture for Jeff while employed, but after he retired in 2012 he became a fulltime participant, determined to compete in the Wyoming Stage Stop. Jeff has run in each consecutive… Read more »

#10 Chris Adkins-Archive 2019

#10 — Chris Adkins from Sand Coulee, Montana. Chris is a lumberyard worker and dispatcher who began running dogs as a four-year-old working with his dad’s team. As a boy he competed in dog races in Alaska. Since then, he’s entered the Iditarod which he describes as his “great accomplishment so far,” especially seeing the… Read more »

# 9 Laura Daugereau-Archive 2019

#9 —Laura Daugereau from Port Gamble, Washington. Laura’s interest in sled dogs started when she got her first dog as a ten year old. She’s been hooked ever since. This led to a life of working summers in Washington state for my family’s construction company, then relocating dogs and myself to Montana for fall and… Read more »

#8 Fernando Ramirez-Archive 2019

#8 — Fernando Ramirez from Peoa, Utah Fernando Ramirez has been running dogs since his elementary school days and says that his love for sled dogs has not faded in all the years since. He and his wife Dana own and operate a sled dog touring operation, Rancho Luna Lobos, on their rancho just minutes… Read more »

#7 JR Anderson-Archive 2019

#7 — JR Anderson from Buyck, Minnesota A native Minnesotan, JR Anderson has dedicated over 20 years to the sport of endurance canines. Through research, extensive training, and competitive racing, he’s developed a keen knowledge of the canine’s ability to perform at accelerated levels. He and wife, Anna ‘Chapman’ Anderson, own River Rock Kennel in… Read more »

#6 Alexandra Rochat-Archive 2019

#6 — Alexandra Rochat from Whitehorse, Yukon. Alexandra moved from her native Switzerland to the Yukon in 2008 and started her kennel the following year. She has enjoyed racing many competitions including the Percy Jr. (2010, 2011, 2017), Percy DeWolfe Memorial Race (2015, 2016, 2018), Yukon Quest 300 (2015), as well as both the Tustumena… Read more »

#5 Justin Fortier-Archive 2019

#5 — Justin Fortier from Saint-Raymond, Québec, Canada. Justin started mushing at the age of 12 and says he “immediately fell in love with this life style.” He first enjoyed shorter ten-mile sprint races, and raced in the Québec circuit for several years. In 2015, Justin decided to try something new, loaded up 24 dogs,… Read more »

#4 – Linda Pierce-Archive 2019

#4— Linda Pierce from Okanagen, Washington. Linda started running dogs with two dogs for a skijor team after she retired from a 28-year career in law enforcement. Her kennel has grown to 18 dogs and includes 15 Alaskan Huskies and three Hound Cross team members. Linda lives in Okanogan, Washington with her husband, a ranch… Read more »

#3 Dan Phillips-Archive 2019

#3 — Dan Phillips from Snowmass Village, Colorado Dan started his dog sledding career in 1999. He worked as a handler for an Iditarod team from 2000 until 2005. In 2005, he started an expedition company taking groups into Idaho’s Selkirk Wilderness. Dan and his family own and operate a large touring kennel in Colorado… Read more »

#2 Alix Crittenden-Archive 2019

#2— Alix Crittenden from Bondurant. Wyoming Alix and husband Sam own and operate Sleeping Indian Outfitters in Bondurant, Wyoming where they guide horseback, fishing, and hunting trips. Alix runs the team for Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dogs. Last year Alix ran the Pinedale Sled Dog Classic, Ashton Dog Derby, Open North American Championship, Cross Lake… Read more »