Commentary by Jerry Bath
Mushers, handlers, dogs, and race staff awoke to several inches of new snow this morning as they prepared to depart Jackson, WY.
Good morning Wyoming!
As we prepare to depart for destinations near and far we look back at the magnificent last week of Pedigree Stage Stop Race activities.
Imagine if we’d had this little dump of six inches of wet, heavy snow with warm unseasonable temperatures on a race day. The snow came after the Wyoming State Trails groomers would have made their nightly run, so it would have changed things up yet again. I know of a few teams that would have excelled in these conditions as well as a few who would have struggled. This just goes to show you that Mother Nature really smiled on us this past week. Remember this when we return in 2020 for the 25th running of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race next January.
Congratulations to all the competitors who came and gave it their all this year. We wish them all the best of luck on their upcoming races this season. Some will come back, some will not. I believe that we will have a full field come signup time of returning veterans and a few newcomers.
Congratulations to our 2019 Pedigree Stage Stop Champion, Anny Malo, who proves to be a tough competitor and an asset to any race roster.
A special thank you to Race Director Dan Carter and Race Marshal Warren Palfrey who kept the glue together during a few tense moments during this year’s events. We thank them for keeping the mushers’ and dogs’ best interests always in mind.
Huge thanks also go to Fremont Toyota for their vehicle sponsorship.
Yesterday may have brought this year’s race to a close but I can guarantee the race organization has already compiled a list of improvements for next year’s quarter century mark. As this year’s changes to the race have met many’s expectations, one can only imagine and anticipate next year’s race schedule.
