Journal

Rivers is a retired Alaskan sled dog. On Rivers’ blog he explains:

I am a real live dog who went blind and then ran the Iditarod twice. I was born in Kotzebue, Alaska and then moved to Knik, Alaska in 1998. I currently live in Palmer, Alaska. I am an Alaskan Husky and was born in June 1995. I weigh between 60 and 65 pounds; 2 feet high and about 2 ½ feet long. I am black, brown, and white.

Rivers has a free e-mail newsletter where he “barks’ to over 1000 subscribers about his adventures. He lives not too far from us with his best friends, Mike and Mary Dillingham, and several other Alaskan huskies. Mike has written three books about Rivers’ adventures, and he explains:

Teachers, nationwide, are using the Rivers’ books for encouraging their students to read and cope with their individual challenges because both books contain many positive messages for both young and old alike. Book 2 and our web site contain a letter from a Special Education teacher in New York City regarding Rivers’ books and how Rivers influenced her class.

We were delighted when Mike wrote a nice review for our new video, Appetite & Attitude, ending with:

If you buy this video to learn Lance’s secrets of being a dog team driver, you are wasting your time. However, if you want to listen and in some cases feel a part of a one-on-one dialogue with a true champion, this video is a must have.

High praise from one who’s “been there and done that!”

Photo of Mike and Rivers by Mary Dillingham ©2008

Lance Mackey. Photo ©2008 Donna Quante.

For Immediate Release: March 10, 2008

For more information contact:
Helen Hegener, Northern Light Media
helen@northernlightmedia.com
907-354-3510

“Appetite and Attitude: A conversation with Lance Mackey,” is a 45 minute video about the world’s preeminent long distance sled dog racer - and an Alaskan legend in the making! Crossing major mountain ranges, travelling down wide frozen rivers, across most of Canada’s Yukon and half the state of Alaska, this intrepid musher and his incredible “Super Dogs” have blazed over the trails, breaking record after record in some of the world’s most demanding climate and terrain.

In 2007 Lance Mackey made racing history when he won two 1,000 mile races back-to-back, the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, with most of the same dogs - an incredible feat of endurance, long considered almost impossible. For his achievements Lance was nominated for a 2007 ESPY - Excellence in Sports Performance Award. His indomitable lead dog, Larry, is the only dog in the world to win the coveted Golden Harness Award from both of these grueling races.

In February, 2008 Lance won an unprecedented fourth Yukon Quest title, also winning the Veterinarian’s Choice Award for excellence in dog care throughout the 1,000 mile race. At press release time Lance is in the first place position with only 200 miles to go in the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Two weeks after the end of that race he’ll compete in the Centennial running of the famous All Alaska Sweepstakes race from Nome to Candle and back to Nome, Alaska. The purse for that 400 mile race is the richest in sled dog racing history: $100,000.00 winner take all!

Lance, a cancer survivor, comes from a family of sled dog racing champions. His father Dick Mackey helped create the world’s most famous race, the 1,049 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, in 1973. Five years later his father won that race by one second in a world-famous photo finish. Lance’s brother Rick also won the race, in 1983, wearing bib number 13 - the same number worn by Lance in 2007, and their father in 1978!

Lance, his wife Tonya, and their family make their home - Comeback Kennels - near Fairbanks, Alaska. In this video Lance talks about his dogs, his races, his family legacy and his dreams for the future!

“Appetite and Attitude: A conversation with Lance Mackey,” High Definition DVD, 45 minutes. $20.00 plus $5.00 for Priority shipping and handling from Northern Light Media, PO Box 759, Palmer, Alaska 99645; info@northernlightmedia.com. http://northernlightmedia.com

The Last Great Race on Earth is underway!

What a wild weekend this has been, with all the pre-race festivities and events with friends, interviews with Lance before the race, the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage on Saturday and then meeting Lance at Campbell Airstrip with his truck (Mark drove it out there as Tonya headed back to their motel room to pack), more festivities with friends on Saturday evening, and then the real start of the race yesterday in Willow, just up the road from us! We got tons of good video footage and I’ll be posting some pictures here and at our Iditarod blog.

It was a bit of a relief to see the teams heading off across the lake… now life can return to normal for a little while, at least until things shake out and the front runners get on up the trail a ways and start the serious juggle for position…

Lance Mackey’s “Larry” - Photo ©2008 by Donna Quante

“A good dog is so much a nobler beast than an indifferent man that one sometimes gladly exchanges the society of one for that of the other.” ~William Francis Butler

Quote found on Swanny’s Stardancer Freight Dogs site

There’s a great article about Jessica’s winning of the Jr. Iditarod on Sunday in today’s Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

And the Jr. Iditarod site has a nice photo of Jessica now, with a news update about her race.

Jessica Klejka held onto her lead and eked out a two second win over Cane Carter, crossing the finish at 8:49:00 to his 8:49:02! Quinn Iten came in third three minutes later at 8:52:00 and Wade Marrs at 9:05:00. A thrilling end to a well-run race! Congratulations to Jessica and to all our Jr. Iditarod mushers - for a complete listing see the Jr. Iditarod Current Standings page.

Jessica Klejka raced through the Eagle Song Lodge checkpoint at 4:39 am - in front of previous leader Cane Carter. Right behind her was musher Wade Marrs at 4:43 am. For updates visit the Jr. Iditarod’s Top Five Leaders page.

The first mushers rolled out of Yentna Station in the wee hours of the morning for the return trip to Willow.

The Sunday morning Anchorage Daily News includes a short report on the Jr. Iditarod.

All but two of the Jr. Iditarod mushers are into Yentna Station Roadhouse, where they take a mandatory “8 to 12 hour layover depending on trail conditions and experience camping out with and caring for their dogs and themselves.”

Cane Carter is leading Quinn Iten and Wade Marrs by a slim one minute margin - the Top Five Leaders page at the Jr. Iditarod site includes their photos, number of dogs, time in and other information.

The first dozen mushers are through the Susitna River checkpoint. Race Updates can be found on the Jr. Iditarod site. At the Iditarod site a map of the entire Iditarod Trail includes this description of the Willow to Yentna Station by the late Don Bowers:

“The trail begins on Willow Lake and winds through typical northern forests, consisting of alternating birch woods and spruce swamps. Most of the trail is flat to gently rolling hills. Most of the hills are around the Susitna River. The Yentna Station Checkpoint is located at the confluence of the Susitna and Yentna Rivers.”