WARREN PALFREY — RACE MARSHALL 2023 marks Warren’s fourth consecutive year as Race Marshall. After a 30-year career racing in North America including multiple Iditarod's and Yukon Quest, Warren retired from dog mushing in 2015. He’s raced the Stage Stop many times, initially to test his dogs — “To be the best, you have to beat the best. Racing against the best is the only way to truly measure your dog team,” was Warren’s mantra. “Frank Teasley’s vision of excellence in competition, coupled with an “A-Team” of veterinarians, makes the Pedigree® Stage Stop Race a showcase of the best in the sport. Without a doubt, the best teams in the world are coming to race this year’s Stage Stop!”
	DOUG AICHELE — RACE JUDGE Doug lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he maintains a small ranch and dog kennel. He is a retired mathematics professor at Oklahoma State University (OSU) where he taught for many years. Currently, his retired racing sled dogs in Stillwater are Vulcan, Vixen and Rico. Gumbie is the father of Vulcan and Vixen; he is an Iditarod and Yukon Quest veteran (2010 Pin and Patch Dog). Doug has handled sled dogs for Warren and Kate Palfrey’s Northern Star Kennels at the Iditarod, Canadian Challenge, and Pedigree Stage Stop Race. He has served as a Pedigree Stage Stop Race Judge since 2015. Doug is an Army (ROTC) veteran and climbed or guided more than 40 of Colorado’s Fourteeners.
	KATIE DAVIS — RACE JUDGE Katie attended her first Stage Stop race in 2002 when she was running tours for JHI Sled Dog Tours. The next year she decided to join the fun and went on to race it a few times before transitioning to mid- and long-distance events. After completing both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest, Katie turned in her mushing jacket for a lab coat and studied to become an Environmental Engineer. She now lives in Boise, Idaho with her retired lead dog, Shilo, works as a wastewater engineer, and rides mountain bikes and skis as much as possible. "Being part of the Stage Stop race crew is coming home to the community that made me. I love being able to help support this awesome event and spending a week with old friends, making new friends, and getting my annual dose of sled dogs. See you in Wyoming! Let it snow!"
	LAURA DAUGEREAU — RACE JUDGE Laura has been involved with some aspect of sled dogs since she was 10 years old, “putting my time around the sled runners just shy of 30 years.” After many years of distance racing all across North America, she started racing the Pedigree Stage Stop in 2016. “I fell in love with it!,” Laura admits. “After a year away from the sport, I was missing my ‘Stage Stop Family’ and was overjoyed when I got a call asking me to help judge the 2022 event. I’m proud to be part of this world class event. I love the highly competitive field it draws from all over the world, and yet remains a family friendly event — one where our beloved dogs are always first!”
	BILL HASTINGS — CHIEF TIMING OFFICIAL Bill’s background includes Wildlife Biology, log furniture building and a dream to be a full-time musician. Along the way, he began an IT career when dial-up was the norm in Wyoming. Starting in Wyoming as a website developer and systems administrator working for local companies, IT has taken him to such far flung places as Kansas and Ireland for multi-year stints with a software development company and back to Lander, Wyoming to continue learning about all things IT. He has been managing the Stage Stop website for a few years and this will be Bill’s second year as Chief Timing Official.