Monday, January 11, 2016

CB300 winding down

Although the trailing mushers will straggle in for some time the winners are long in and the middle of the pack has mostly crossed the finish line. Allen and Aliy came in 3rd and 4th. Considering that they are integrating a lot of younger and less experienced dogs into the teams as they develop their plans for the big races, that is pretty amazing. Allen dropped two of the twelve dogs he started with and Aliy finished with all twelve she had chosen. As always, they put the welfare of their dogs first and will not push on with a dog that might not be quite up to par.

The first place winner was a relatively new young musher whose name was previously unknown to me. It appears that he will be one to watch--Matt Hall is his name. He placed 7th in the CB300 last year they say.

From the fact that mere minutes, almost seconds, separated the top four places, you can get a feel for how tight this race was. The second place winner was Ryne Olson, a newer young woman musher who served her apprenticeship as a dog handler at Allen and Aliy's SP kennel and has some dogs they raised. I know she has not yet run the Iditarod and I think finished the YQ last year as a rookie. I will research her since all the female mushers are on my radar She sounds like one to follow. There were a couple of other names that I will watch for too!

The top four came in as follows: Matt at 1:22.42, Ryne 1:22.59, Allen 1:23.24 and Aliy 1:23.49. The remaining of the forty eight racers are making their way down the trail, a number now across the line and resting. For the season's first major race, it was a good one and the weather mostly cooperated. It was a little warm but not too bad.

In passing, I note that Cowboys and Indians magazine had a short feature this month on Women of the Iditarod. At the risk of sounding like sour grapes, I was not impressed. The author featured Deedee Jonrowe which I cannot argue with but his other choices are arguable. His main mention of Aliy, for example, was how she broke a female spectator's arm last year in an arm wrestling bout after the race in Nome! That has hardly a dang thing to do with sled dog racing!! And he did not even mention Cindy Abbott who is the only female and perhaps only person to both climb Mount Everest and complete the Iditarod. Oh well, any publicity for these ladies and their sport is positive unless it is really slamming them.

More 300 milers coming soon and maybe other news from SPK, Deedee's camp and other female mushers so watch this page!

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