The Women Dominating The Idaho Sled Dog Challenge – SnowBrains

CASCADE, Idaho (Feb. 3, 2023) — With Montana mushers Jessie Royer and Nicole Lombardi successful this yr’s 300-mile and 100-mile races, respectively, a development officers have noticed persists: Girls proceed to dominate the Idaho Sled Canine Problem. Based on ISDC founder and organizer Jerry Wortley, girls have gained eight of the ten races they’ve staged for the reason that occasion’s debut in 2018.

Royer gained the inaugural race in 2018 — a sole 237-mile course, then known as the McCall Extremely Sled Canine Problem — and the 300-mile race in 2020. Canadian musher Jennifer Campeau gained the 150-mile race in 2019, when the identify was modified to the Idaho Sled Canine Problem and it joined Oregon’s Eagle Cap Excessive and Montana’s Race to the Sky to type the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown. Idaho musher Laurie Warren gained ISDC’s 100-mile race in 2020. Montana musher Josi Thyr gained the 300-mile race in 2022, and Lombardi gained the 100-mile race.

Montana musher Brett Bruggeman and Idaho musher Kevin Daugherty are the one males to ever win Idaho Sled Canine Problem races — the 300-mile race in 2019 and the 52-mile Heat Lake Stage Race in 2023, respectively.

The competitors was cancelled in 2021 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

The ultimate race standings for this yr’s 300-mile race (266.5 whole race miles) are:

1. Jessie Royer (Seeley Lake, MT) — bib #6 — 50:21:16 — 8.07 mph avg.

2. Josi Thyr (Olney, MT) — bib #8 — 51:03:31 — 8.24 mph avg.

3. Jed Stephensen (Sandpoint, ID) — bib #7 — 52:03:42 — 8.41 mph avg.

4. Erik Oline (Missoula, MT) — bib #2 — 53:12:00 — 7.73 mph avg.

5. Bryce Mumford (Preston, ID) — bib #3 — 69:24:42 — 6.80 mph avg.

6. Rex Mumford (Huntsville, UT) — bib #5 — 69:24:42 — 6.84 mph avg.

7. Anna Bolvin (Porcupine Plain, Sask.) — bib #4 — N/A (scratched) — 7.92 mph avg.

The ultimate race standings for this yr’s 100-mile race (102 whole race miles) are:

1. Nicole Lombardi (Lincoln, MT) — bib #21 — 16:09:57 — 10.03 mph avg.

2. Jesika Reimer (Emigrant Hole, CA) — bib #11 — 16:39:58 — 9.79 mph avg.

3. Wade Donaldson (Coalville, UT) — bib #12 — 17:11:31 — 9.19 mph avg.

4. Dallin Donaldson (Coalville, UT) — bib #13 — 17:15:59 — 9.21 mph avg.

5. Kevin Daugherty (McCall, ID) — bib #15 — 17:52:01 — 8.78 mph avg.

6. Trevor Warren (Council, ID) — bib #20 — 17:57:32 — 8.56 mph avg.

7. Thomas Blackham (Terreton, ID) — bib #10 — 18:34:04 — 8.14 mph avg.

8. Bino Fowler (Bend, OR) — bib #17 — 19:35:27 — 7.60 mph avg.

9 Maddie Longpre-Harrer (Calumet, MI) — bib #18 — N/A (scratched) — 8.45 mph avg.

Thyr and Stephensen captured first and second place, respectively, within the 2023 Eagle Cap Excessive’s 200-mile race two weeks in the past. And Lombardi, Reimer, and Fowler completed first, second, and third, respectively, within the Oregon occasion’s 100-mile race. The Idaho Sled Canine Problem, Eagle Cap Excessive, and Montana’s Race to the Sky Feb. 11-14 comprise the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown.

The ultimate race standings for this yr’s Heat Lake Stage Race (two 26-mile phases with the winner having the most effective common time):

1. Kevin Daugherty (McCall, ID) — bib #7 — 4:15:39 — 10.33 mph avg.

2. Ryan Roberts (Stevensville, MT) — bib #3 — 4:25:21 — 9.95 mph avg.

3. Craig Anderson (Enterprise, OR) — bib #2 — 4:30:48 — 9.75 mph avg.

4. Jana Roberts (Stevensville, MT) — bib #4 — 4:35:14 — 9.59 mph avg.

5. Maddie Longpre-Harrer (Calumet, MI) — bib #1 — 4:41:36 — 9.38 mph avg.

6. Jane Devlin (Bend, OR) — bib #6 — 4:50:00 — 9.10 mph avg.

7 — Liz Nevills (Middleton, ID) — bib #5 — 5:23:46 — 8.15 mph avg.

Race marshal Rick Katucki defined how a number of mushers who completed later reached increased common speeds than some who completed earlier.

“The common pace is calculated utilizing operating time,” Katucki mentioned. “In a continuous-format race, which the Idaho Sled Canine Problem makes use of, mushers might relaxation their groups so long as they need. A quicker crew that stays within the checkpoint longer can end later than one which rests much less. Sled canine racing has a big administration and technique element, and on this occasion the mushers with the quicker groups completed later as a result of they miscalculated how lengthy they wanted to remain or maybe their checkpoint routines weren’t as environment friendly they usually didn’t return to the path as rapidly as they could have. That is much like a race automotive spending an excessive amount of time at a pit cease.”

This yr’s Idaho Sled Canine Problem, the fifth annual incidence, attracted groups from eight states and one Canadian province. There have been a number of household connections among the many competing mushers, together with a married couple (Jana and Ryan Roberts within the Heat Lake Stage Race), a father and son (Rex and Bryce Mumford within the 300-mile race), and two brothers (Dallin and Wade Donaldson within the 100-mile race).

The Idaho Sled Canine Problem options world-class mushers. It’s the solely 300-mile Yukon Quest qualifier within the decrease 48 and one in every of solely three such occasions for the Iditarod within the contiguous continental U.S. The Iditarod and the Yukon Quest are thought of the longest and the hardest sled canine races on this planet.

Based on ISDC co-founder and trails coordinator Dave Looney, the Idaho race is taken into account some of the grueling mushing competitions on this planet as a consequence of its topography.

“Mushers will inform you this can be a very, very atypical race,” Looney mentioned. “Our elevation change is 39,000 toes, which is bigger than the Iditarod. They name it a 500-mile race packed into 300 miles. So the canine care and the pacing and the eye they should pay to the terrain is admittedly vital, as a result of there’s lots of up and down. One musher mentioned the Idaho Sled Canine Problem is like climbing Mt. Everest — twice.”

The sixth annual Idaho Sled Canine Problem is already on the calendar, with the Heat Lake Stage Race slated for Jan. 24-25, 2024, and the 300-mile and 100-mile races scheduled for Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2024. The races function underneath a particular use allow from the U.S. Forest Service and is the recipient of an Idaho Journey Council grant secured by the McCall Space Chamber of Commerce & Guests Bureau.

Race organizers mentioned the occasion couldn’t be staged with out the beneficiant help of its many sponsors and volunteers. Go to idahosleddogchallenge.com to enroll as a sponsor or volunteer for the 2024 race.

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