Thread: Iditarod

Completely off hunting but interesting - the Iditarod started today in Alaska. Although some of the earlier breeds did/do have pointer/setter in their background

You would have to wonder why people would put themselves and dogs through this gruelling 1000+ miles.

A book I read about it (after reading 'A Far Distant Place') was entitled 'My Lead Dog was a Lesbian' by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue. He had covered the race as press then decided to compete. He started first and came in last a couple of weeks after the winner.

The background is:

"The most famous event in the history of Alaskan mushing is the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the "Great Race of Mercy." A diphtheria epidemic threatened Nome, especially the Alaska Native children who had no immunity to the "white man's disease", and the nearest quantity of antitoxin was found to be in Anchorage. Since the two available planes were both dismantled and had never been flown in the winter, Governor Scott Bone approved a safer route. The 20-pound (9.1 kg) cylinder of serum was sent by train 298 miles (480 km) from the southern port of Seward to Nenana, where it was passed just before midnight on January 27 to the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the package 674 miles (1,085 km) from Nenana to Nome. The dogs ran in relays, with no dog running over 100 miles (160 km).

The Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto arrived on Front Street in Nome on February 2 at 5:30 a.m., just five and a half days later. The two became media celebrities, and a statue of Balto was erected in Central Park in New York City in 1925, where it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions. However, most mushers consider Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo to be the true heroes of the run. Together they covered the most hazardous stretch of the route, and carried the serum 91 miles, the single farthest of any team."

The dogs welfare is put well ahead of the handlers and after reading accounts of the race you would have to be mad to take part!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditaro..._Sled_Dog_Race