newsminer.com

FAIRBANKS — The start of the Yukon Quest 300 is more than 100 days away, but the field is already full — and it includes one former 1,000-mile champion and the third-place finisher from 2007.

With 17 entrants a year ago, Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race organizers anticipated a popular Quest 300 race in 2009 and for the first time capped entries at 25 teams.

“It was important to consider the capacity of the shared checkpoints such as Braeburn and Carmacks,” the Quest said in a press release issued Monday.

The Quest’s 300- and 1,000-mile races both start Feb. 14 in Whitehorse, Yukon.

As of Oct. 21, only 10 teams had signed up for the Quest 300, but word of the interest quickly spread and 15 more mushers entered in less than a week, according to the release. The 25 entries is a record.

“We knew early on that the 2009 YQ 300 would be popular,” said Wendy Morrison, the Quest’s Whitehorse office manager and Quest 300 liaison, in the press release. “By August, we started a list of mushers who had begun to contact us about entering. Since then, the list just kept growing.”

Highlighting those entered is 63-year-old Bill Cotter of Nenana, the 1987 Quest champion, who was the final musher to sign up; and Gerry Willomitzer of Whitehorse, Yukon, who has finished third, fifth and sixth in the full-length race.

In addition to Cotter, three Alaskans are entered — Lucy Tyrrell of Healy, Tamara Rose of Fairbanks and Jillian Rogers of Fairbanks.

Rogers, a photojournalist who was first introduced to the Quest as a journalist in 2000, is among those using the Quest 300 as a qualifying race for a future 1,000-miler. The full Yukon Quest requires mushers to complete a 300- and 200-mile race in advance.

“This will be my first 300-mile race, and I wanted it to be significant,” Rogers, the second-to-last musher to sign up, said in the release. “I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Yukon Quest, but this time on the back of a dog sled. I hope that this will be (my) first of many Yukon Quest races.”

The rest of the field includes Yukoners Jocelyne LeBlanc, Manuela Albicker, Susie Rogan, Ryan Kinna, Moe Boksa, Kyla Johnson and Rene Lapierre of Whitehorse; Crispin Studer and Maren Bradley of Carcross; Cristy Willett and Ed Hopkins of Tagish; Martin Jahr of Haines Junction; and Kyia Bouchard of Dawson City. Studer and Hopkins are Quest 1,000 veterans.

Other Canadians include Craig Houghton of Fort St. James, British Columbia; Karen and Mark Ramstead of Perryvale, Alberta; and Irvin Wai of Bezanson, Alberta.

There are also three Europeans: Mark Sleightholme of Mossley, England; Roland Waldispuehl of Kriens, Switzerland; and Rudi Niggemeier of Salzkotten, Germany.

The Quest 300 shares the 1,000-mile trail as far as the Stepping Stone hospitality stop 32 miles past the Pelly Crossing checkpoint. From there, the main race continues northward while the 300 teams turn south toward the finish line at Minto Landing, Yukon.

In 2008, nine mushers started the Quest 300 and five finished. Josh Cadzow, then a 20-year-old from Fort Yukon, drove his team faster than all the 1,000-mile mushers from Fairbanks to Circle City, and reached the relocated finish line in Central 17 hours before Niggemeier, the runner-up.

For 2009, the winner of the Quest 300 will earn $1,875, while second place gets $1,125 and third place receives $750.

The Quest has set up a waiting list for mushers who are still hoping to run the 300-mile race.

For the 1,000-mile race, 30 teams have signed up so far. Entry is possible until Jan. 9 and the 50-musher limit appears not to be in jeopardy.