Iditarod 2023
March 3, 2023 2:11 PM Subscribe
The 51st Iditarod starts this weekend. With just 33 mushers it has the smallest starting field since the race began in 1973.
Reasons for the reduced roster include climate change, impact of the pandemic, inflation, several veteran mushers retiring or taking a break and loss of some sponsors.
Despite the travails it promises to be a competitive and challenging race, with just two former champions, 20 other veterans and nine rookies on the trail, this could be the race where the next generation of top mushers begin to emerge and shape the future of the sport.
Ways to follow
Iditaexpert Toni Reitter on Twitter or her excellent blog. Toni is also a cohost on Mushing Radio, a podcast with daily coverage of race.
Anchorage Daily News coverage, Alaska Public Radio's Iditapod, including dog profiles, and of course the ongoing video coverage on the official race website .
Build your dream team on Fantasy Mushing.
Mushers to watch
Reigning champion Brent Sass
2019 winner Pete Kaiser, who is one of four indigenous mushers on the trail this year. The others are Ryan Redington, whose grandfather started the Iditarod in 1973, Richie Diehl and Mike Williams Jr.
Twin sisters Kristy and Anna Berington who stick close on the trail and camp out together instead of racing to be first to Nome, which can perplex those who don't yet understand that the journey is the point.
Jason Mackey, who returns to the race after a years long break and mourning his brother, Iditarod legend Lance Mackey who passed away last year.
KattiJo Deeter who is the only musher to have made it all the way to Nome in a previous race but still be deemed a rookie. She (and her husband Jeff, who is not running this year's race) needed to take assistance due to a blizzard and so were not credited with an official finish.
Iditarod previously on MeFi
Ways to follow
Iditaexpert Toni Reitter on Twitter or her excellent blog. Toni is also a cohost on Mushing Radio, a podcast with daily coverage of race.
Anchorage Daily News coverage, Alaska Public Radio's Iditapod, including dog profiles, and of course the ongoing video coverage on the official race website .
Build your dream team on Fantasy Mushing.
Mushers to watch
Reigning champion Brent Sass
2019 winner Pete Kaiser, who is one of four indigenous mushers on the trail this year. The others are Ryan Redington, whose grandfather started the Iditarod in 1973, Richie Diehl and Mike Williams Jr.
Twin sisters Kristy and Anna Berington who stick close on the trail and camp out together instead of racing to be first to Nome, which can perplex those who don't yet understand that the journey is the point.
Jason Mackey, who returns to the race after a years long break and mourning his brother, Iditarod legend Lance Mackey who passed away last year.
KattiJo Deeter who is the only musher to have made it all the way to Nome in a previous race but still be deemed a rookie. She (and her husband Jeff, who is not running this year's race) needed to take assistance due to a blizzard and so were not credited with an official finish.
Iditarod previously on MeFi
Thanks for heads up roolya-boolya - off to dive into links.
posted by whatevernot at 3:42 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by whatevernot at 3:42 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Isn’t this institutionalized animal abuse, akin to horse racing and greyhound racing?
never change, metafilter
posted by fluttering hellfire at 4:37 PM on March 3, 2023 [24 favorites]
never change, metafilter
posted by fluttering hellfire at 4:37 PM on March 3, 2023 [24 favorites]
That feels like a kind of disingenuous hot take, fluttering hellfire. I think there’s probably a better way to frame that question, but given the stories of abuse that come out of most animal-related sports, it’s not a wild question. The post is framed with a lot of “intro” info, but it’s 2023 and a link at least ACKNOWLEDGING controversies seems appropriate for Metafilter.
In fact, doing a Google search for “Iditarod controversy” comes up with a lot of stories on the subject.. but that’s also a bit self-selecting. I’d love to read some nuanced writing on the subject if anyone has a good link (has Braverman written about the subject?).
posted by curious nu at 4:59 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
In fact, doing a Google search for “Iditarod controversy” comes up with a lot of stories on the subject.. but that’s also a bit self-selecting. I’d love to read some nuanced writing on the subject if anyone has a good link (has Braverman written about the subject?).
posted by curious nu at 4:59 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Sled dogs absolutely love running. It’s what they live for. Dogsled racing is indulging these dogs in their favorite activity. Sure, there’s more risk of injury on a race than staying home in a kennel, but that’s just life.
posted by sanedragon at 5:11 PM on March 3, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by sanedragon at 5:11 PM on March 3, 2023 [10 favorites]
"with just 33 mushers", the story of my cooking utensil drawer
posted by allegedly at 5:22 PM on March 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by allegedly at 5:22 PM on March 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
has Braverman written about the subject?
Hmmm, you could purchase her book, Dogs on the Trail.
You can also read what she has to say in this Twitter thread. Excerpt:
I’ll just say it: I think that a lot of public concern about the welfare of sled dogs comes from a culture that doesn’t trust the fact that the sport is based in rural communities, is largely working class, and has deep roots in Indigenous traditions.
There ARE mushers who abuse their sled dogs, just like there are pet owners who do. The problem is the abuse, not the mushing. But it’s much easier for “activists” to paint those tragedies as universal to the community when the community they’re scapegoating is already othered.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:58 PM on March 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
Hmmm, you could purchase her book, Dogs on the Trail.
You can also read what she has to say in this Twitter thread. Excerpt:
I’ll just say it: I think that a lot of public concern about the welfare of sled dogs comes from a culture that doesn’t trust the fact that the sport is based in rural communities, is largely working class, and has deep roots in Indigenous traditions.
There ARE mushers who abuse their sled dogs, just like there are pet owners who do. The problem is the abuse, not the mushing. But it’s much easier for “activists” to paint those tragedies as universal to the community when the community they’re scapegoating is already othered.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:58 PM on March 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
In other words: there's nothing inherent in the sport of mushing that is abusive unless you think human-animal interactions are inherently abusive (which, maybe you do). But the dogs run because they want to run.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:01 PM on March 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by oneirodynia at 7:01 PM on March 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Metafilter: I don't like "cracking a whip at dogs to make them run", but on the other hand it's an "Indigenous tradition".
FWIW after living in Alaska and knowing people involved I do think it's generally a healthy and fun thing for both canine and homo sapien. Though I completely respect lookouts for animal welfare.
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:29 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
FWIW after living in Alaska and knowing people involved I do think it's generally a healthy and fun thing for both canine and homo sapien. Though I completely respect lookouts for animal welfare.
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:29 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I slept in the Iditarod camp in Sqwentna in 1988, a few yards from the dogs. It was the coldest night I ever spent outside, sleeping on a frozen river, but who gets to ATTEND the Iditarod?
During the night Joe Reddington Sr. came down to check his dogs. Very cool. Like ten below cool.
posted by Repack Rider at 9:10 PM on March 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
During the night Joe Reddington Sr. came down to check his dogs. Very cool. Like ten below cool.
posted by Repack Rider at 9:10 PM on March 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
While the Iditarod itself may not be problematic, I think it's worth pointing out that the dog sledding industry as a whole has had a number of animal welfare scandals, including the abandonment of dogs once the tourist season is over. Post the Vancouver Olympics there was a series of especially grim stories from Whistler.
It's like greyhound racing. Sure greyhounds love to run and at the high end some get treated well, but there's a hell of a lot of injury, cruelty and tossing aside of dogs who don't make the grade.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 9:43 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's like greyhound racing. Sure greyhounds love to run and at the high end some get treated well, but there's a hell of a lot of injury, cruelty and tossing aside of dogs who don't make the grade.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 9:43 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sure greyhounds love to run and at the high end some get treated well, but there's a hell of a lot of injury, cruelty and tossing aside of dogs who don't make the grade.
Couldn't this be said about many human sports, including at junior and amateur levels?
Greyhound racing is is hugely profitable and therefore provides a lot more incentive for rank exploitation. As I outlined in a comment in last year's Iditarod thread mushing, even at the elite level, is not a profitable sport, and mushers overwhelmingly do it because they love being with dogs.
Iditarod gets a huge amount of scrutiny regarding dog care (which is completely appropriate) and as a result pays a lot of attention and is working to constantly improve standards. At this point they are probably drivers of improvement in standards across the sport and industry. There is one veteran musher who was (rightly) refused entry to the race this year due to previous issues with the health of his dogs.
The Iditarod website has a section on their dog care standards.
American Animal Hospital Association page on veterinary care at Iditarod.
posted by roolya_boolya at 12:32 AM on March 4, 2023 [10 favorites]
Couldn't this be said about many human sports, including at junior and amateur levels?
Greyhound racing is is hugely profitable and therefore provides a lot more incentive for rank exploitation. As I outlined in a comment in last year's Iditarod thread mushing, even at the elite level, is not a profitable sport, and mushers overwhelmingly do it because they love being with dogs.
Iditarod gets a huge amount of scrutiny regarding dog care (which is completely appropriate) and as a result pays a lot of attention and is working to constantly improve standards. At this point they are probably drivers of improvement in standards across the sport and industry. There is one veteran musher who was (rightly) refused entry to the race this year due to previous issues with the health of his dogs.
The Iditarod website has a section on their dog care standards.
American Animal Hospital Association page on veterinary care at Iditarod.
posted by roolya_boolya at 12:32 AM on March 4, 2023 [10 favorites]
Couldn't this be said about many human sports, including at junior and amateur levels?
Can and does. I posted an obituary for a football coach a few months ago, and half the comments were “I’m glad he’s dead”.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:46 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Can and does. I posted an obituary for a football coach a few months ago, and half the comments were “I’m glad he’s dead”.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:46 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Some photos from the ceremonial start from Anchorage Daily News
And some more from Alaska Public Media
the lil booties on their dog feets!
posted by the primroses were over at 5:35 PM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
And some more from Alaska Public Media
the lil booties on their dog feets!
posted by the primroses were over at 5:35 PM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you don't like te Iditarod or mushing as a sport, you really don't want to know why Roald Amundsen correctly chose dogs and sledges instead of horses like Shackleton to reach the South Pole and how it helped him make it there.
It's because horses need hay and feed and they won't eat other horses. It's totally appalling but in you can cull the weaker dogs as food for the remaining dogs (and people, probably) as your total loads lighten over the trek.
I'm also incidentally reminded of my housemates giant Tibetan Mastiff, who is technically a working breed. His "work" is mainly to be sociable, warm and very fuzzy and occasionally bark - and only bark - when there are intruders threatening the livestock herd and tribe in camp.
And he basically never barks. In over three years the only times I've ever heard him bark is when there's been coyotes getting too close or some other threat. But when he barks you definitely know it because it's just one gigantic woof like a cannon shot that echoes off the whole valley and it wakes up the whole house and probably the neighborhood. If we hear him bark at all the whole house basically goes on alert.
Aaaand he just appeared for - ugh - very wet scritches because I'm 99.9% certain that not only does he understand English but he's also telepathic and heard me thinking and talking about him. He seems to understand full sentences like "Stay here, we're going to the park later!" and he'll just smile and kick it instead of wandering off to explore the property, but also doesn't totally freak out at the word "park!" or "walk!" until you have a leash in your hand and say "We're going for a walk, now!"
And, well, he has an intense need to be around people and know he has his tribe around and his mom is out of town and I'm on dog sitting duty. But to be honest he just takes care of himself and all I have to do is feed him and hang out and let him in and out of the house when he wants it. Good dog.
But it's not like a stressful or fearful attachment kind of need to be around people I've seen in smaller breeds, he just needs to know the family/tribe is here and he can curl up next to them or near them.
Anyway, I'm really glad we don't live somewhere with nosy neighbors in a suburb or city because they would likely report us for animal abuse because of how much he likes to be outside in all kinds of weather, especially bad weather.
He practically needs it because of how thick his coat is and being outside on watch is part of his job hardwired into his breeding and genetics. He's absolutely at his happiest when it snows, and likes to sleep outside in it a lot like a husky. He can curl up in heavy rain all day and his undercoat stays warm and dry and fluffy.
And getting him to go inside when he doesn't want to go inside is basically impossible because he's like a 140 pounds of orange floof and mane and he'll just grin at you and roll around in the rain or snow. He will actually shake his head "no" and do this weird snort-growl-sneeze kind of thing when he wants to say no, and you can't even bribe him inside with food or treats. He'll let us know when he wants to go back inside.
He's also definitely smart enough to knock on doors and how to find people to be let in or out. And he's really smart about it. He just gently paws at a door once and waits a few minutes, then will paw again a few minutes later until someone lets him in. He pretty much knows the exact amount of volume and pressure to paw at my outside door to wake me up if it's the middle of the night and I'm asleep. No whining, no scratching at the door constantly. He just knocks once like a human and politely waits.
Heh, I just tried to get him to go inside because he's getting soaked in the rain and he just rolled his eyes and snorted at me and went back to his hollowed out grass and dirt perch in the front of the house.
I'm bringing this anecdotal working dog story up because many of our "crimes" against dogs really happened decades or centuries ago when we started selecting, breeding and training them for certain tasks, behaviors and traits.
And this issue is really complicated and a huge part of human history.
And I'm really not sure what the solution is unless we decide to stop breeding huskies or other working dogs. (Which doesn't sound right to me at all.)
Huskies and sled dogs in general are a fine example of this. They really, really want to run and pull. Ask any husky owner. They're basically impossible to train to not pull at a harness or leash because it's like it's hard wired into their genetics that "harness" means "go time!" so asking a husky to not pull while on a leash or lead is like, I don't know, putting a mountain of cocaine in front of someone fresh out of rehab.
I'm not really a proponent nor a detractor of the Iditarod and am about as neutral and uninterested in it as I can be in it as a sport, but some of those dogs are probably living their absolute best dog life and doing what they do best.
If anything, abusing a husky more likely entails keeping one in a city apartment or even a house with a yard and not taking it out for plenty of exercise and running time, and there's a whole lot of that happening and it doesn't get the kind of scrutiny that the Iditarod does.
If you really care about the welfare large working dog breeds to me that seems like a much more logical and rational place to start placing your worries and care.
Yep, sure, there are documented abuses in dog sledding, but on balance it would be reasonable to assume there are way more huskies cooped up in small apartments or homes than there are huskies that are actually pulling sleds.
But of course if you tried to legislate a ban certain dog breeds from private ownership just because their caretakers lived in a city or apartment or something the outrage and pushback about that would be immediate, energetic and terrible.
It's always kind of rubbed me the wrong way when someone has a large working breed like a husky in a small apartment or house because they think they're cute and wolfy or whatever and then they wonder why their dog has ongoing behavioral problems and needs to go to a whole lot of dog training and behavioral therapy classes because it keeps doing things like tearing up an entire couch or chewing its way right through an interior door or wall. (Which I've seen happen with huskies. They'll go right through drywall and framing studs if you keep them cooped up too much.
Yo, that dog needs to be able to run for most of the day. It needs exercise and lots of it. Taking it outside a couple of times a day isn't enough. Having a dogwalker or dog sitter stop by and take it for a 30 minute walk while you're at work isn't enough, either. It's basically physically impossible for a human to walk or run enough in a day to keep up with a husky unless they're getting pulled on a skateboard - or sled. That husky doesn't want to be cooped up in a 60-70 degree home, either, it wants snow and cold and real weather.
Anyway, I'm definitely not in favor of the takes that a team of huskies pulling a sled is inherently animal abuse, because I don't really think it is.
posted by loquacious at 5:39 PM on March 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's because horses need hay and feed and they won't eat other horses. It's totally appalling but in you can cull the weaker dogs as food for the remaining dogs (and people, probably) as your total loads lighten over the trek.
I'm also incidentally reminded of my housemates giant Tibetan Mastiff, who is technically a working breed. His "work" is mainly to be sociable, warm and very fuzzy and occasionally bark - and only bark - when there are intruders threatening the livestock herd and tribe in camp.
And he basically never barks. In over three years the only times I've ever heard him bark is when there's been coyotes getting too close or some other threat. But when he barks you definitely know it because it's just one gigantic woof like a cannon shot that echoes off the whole valley and it wakes up the whole house and probably the neighborhood. If we hear him bark at all the whole house basically goes on alert.
Aaaand he just appeared for - ugh - very wet scritches because I'm 99.9% certain that not only does he understand English but he's also telepathic and heard me thinking and talking about him. He seems to understand full sentences like "Stay here, we're going to the park later!" and he'll just smile and kick it instead of wandering off to explore the property, but also doesn't totally freak out at the word "park!" or "walk!" until you have a leash in your hand and say "We're going for a walk, now!"
And, well, he has an intense need to be around people and know he has his tribe around and his mom is out of town and I'm on dog sitting duty. But to be honest he just takes care of himself and all I have to do is feed him and hang out and let him in and out of the house when he wants it. Good dog.
But it's not like a stressful or fearful attachment kind of need to be around people I've seen in smaller breeds, he just needs to know the family/tribe is here and he can curl up next to them or near them.
Anyway, I'm really glad we don't live somewhere with nosy neighbors in a suburb or city because they would likely report us for animal abuse because of how much he likes to be outside in all kinds of weather, especially bad weather.
He practically needs it because of how thick his coat is and being outside on watch is part of his job hardwired into his breeding and genetics. He's absolutely at his happiest when it snows, and likes to sleep outside in it a lot like a husky. He can curl up in heavy rain all day and his undercoat stays warm and dry and fluffy.
And getting him to go inside when he doesn't want to go inside is basically impossible because he's like a 140 pounds of orange floof and mane and he'll just grin at you and roll around in the rain or snow. He will actually shake his head "no" and do this weird snort-growl-sneeze kind of thing when he wants to say no, and you can't even bribe him inside with food or treats. He'll let us know when he wants to go back inside.
He's also definitely smart enough to knock on doors and how to find people to be let in or out. And he's really smart about it. He just gently paws at a door once and waits a few minutes, then will paw again a few minutes later until someone lets him in. He pretty much knows the exact amount of volume and pressure to paw at my outside door to wake me up if it's the middle of the night and I'm asleep. No whining, no scratching at the door constantly. He just knocks once like a human and politely waits.
Heh, I just tried to get him to go inside because he's getting soaked in the rain and he just rolled his eyes and snorted at me and went back to his hollowed out grass and dirt perch in the front of the house.
I'm bringing this anecdotal working dog story up because many of our "crimes" against dogs really happened decades or centuries ago when we started selecting, breeding and training them for certain tasks, behaviors and traits.
And this issue is really complicated and a huge part of human history.
And I'm really not sure what the solution is unless we decide to stop breeding huskies or other working dogs. (Which doesn't sound right to me at all.)
Huskies and sled dogs in general are a fine example of this. They really, really want to run and pull. Ask any husky owner. They're basically impossible to train to not pull at a harness or leash because it's like it's hard wired into their genetics that "harness" means "go time!" so asking a husky to not pull while on a leash or lead is like, I don't know, putting a mountain of cocaine in front of someone fresh out of rehab.
I'm not really a proponent nor a detractor of the Iditarod and am about as neutral and uninterested in it as I can be in it as a sport, but some of those dogs are probably living their absolute best dog life and doing what they do best.
If anything, abusing a husky more likely entails keeping one in a city apartment or even a house with a yard and not taking it out for plenty of exercise and running time, and there's a whole lot of that happening and it doesn't get the kind of scrutiny that the Iditarod does.
If you really care about the welfare large working dog breeds to me that seems like a much more logical and rational place to start placing your worries and care.
Yep, sure, there are documented abuses in dog sledding, but on balance it would be reasonable to assume there are way more huskies cooped up in small apartments or homes than there are huskies that are actually pulling sleds.
But of course if you tried to legislate a ban certain dog breeds from private ownership just because their caretakers lived in a city or apartment or something the outrage and pushback about that would be immediate, energetic and terrible.
It's always kind of rubbed me the wrong way when someone has a large working breed like a husky in a small apartment or house because they think they're cute and wolfy or whatever and then they wonder why their dog has ongoing behavioral problems and needs to go to a whole lot of dog training and behavioral therapy classes because it keeps doing things like tearing up an entire couch or chewing its way right through an interior door or wall. (Which I've seen happen with huskies. They'll go right through drywall and framing studs if you keep them cooped up too much.
Yo, that dog needs to be able to run for most of the day. It needs exercise and lots of it. Taking it outside a couple of times a day isn't enough. Having a dogwalker or dog sitter stop by and take it for a 30 minute walk while you're at work isn't enough, either. It's basically physically impossible for a human to walk or run enough in a day to keep up with a husky unless they're getting pulled on a skateboard - or sled. That husky doesn't want to be cooped up in a 60-70 degree home, either, it wants snow and cold and real weather.
Anyway, I'm definitely not in favor of the takes that a team of huskies pulling a sled is inherently animal abuse, because I don't really think it is.
posted by loquacious at 5:39 PM on March 4, 2023 [3 favorites]
Isn’t this institutionalized animal abuse, akin to horse racing and greyhound racing?
No. See the dogs we selectively bred to love the cold. Just love being out in the cold for hours at a time. They hate being warm.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:30 PM on March 4, 2023
No. See the dogs we selectively bred to love the cold. Just love being out in the cold for hours at a time. They hate being warm.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:30 PM on March 4, 2023
'Dogs love to run' is irrelevant.
For dogs forced to race in the Iditarod, causes of death include overexertion, spinal injury and forms of pneumonia such as aspiration pneumonia, which can occur when an exhausted dog gags, then inadvertently inhales vomit. Other specific causes of sled dog death are heart attacks, asphyxiation and hypothermia.
Dogs that survive the race are likely to face serious health issues. Over 80 percent of Iditarod dogs examined in one study were found to suffer lung damage, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. A study of 28 dogs published in a 2003 issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine showed Iditarod dogs face a significantly higher rate of stomach ulcers, which could lead to further health problems.
posted by mygraycatbongo at 9:17 AM on March 6, 2023
For dogs forced to race in the Iditarod, causes of death include overexertion, spinal injury and forms of pneumonia such as aspiration pneumonia, which can occur when an exhausted dog gags, then inadvertently inhales vomit. Other specific causes of sled dog death are heart attacks, asphyxiation and hypothermia.
Dogs that survive the race are likely to face serious health issues. Over 80 percent of Iditarod dogs examined in one study were found to suffer lung damage, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. A study of 28 dogs published in a 2003 issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine showed Iditarod dogs face a significantly higher rate of stomach ulcers, which could lead to further health problems.
posted by mygraycatbongo at 9:17 AM on March 6, 2023
Has Braverman written about the subject?
Nope, she's too busy making life difficult for people here in the UK
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:34 AM on March 6, 2023
Nope, she's too busy making life difficult for people here in the UK
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:34 AM on March 6, 2023
'Iditerod legend' LANCE MACKEY:
Police arrested Lance Mackey (winner of the Iditarod’s “Most Inspirational Musher” in 2002) for driving under the influence. The Iditarod didn’t let this–or the fact that he ran two young dogs to death in the 2015 race–stop the musher from continuing to race. In 2020, the Iditarod disqualified Mackey after he tested positive for meth while on the course.
posted by mygraycatbongo at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2023
Police arrested Lance Mackey (winner of the Iditarod’s “Most Inspirational Musher” in 2002) for driving under the influence. The Iditarod didn’t let this–or the fact that he ran two young dogs to death in the 2015 race–stop the musher from continuing to race. In 2020, the Iditarod disqualified Mackey after he tested positive for meth while on the course.
posted by mygraycatbongo at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2023
Nope, she's too busy making life difficult for people here in the UK
Could you explain this statement? I don't understand the reference.
posted by roolya_boolya at 10:52 PM on March 6, 2023
Could you explain this statement? I don't understand the reference.
posted by roolya_boolya at 10:52 PM on March 6, 2023
Do you have links to the cited studies mygraycatbongo? I'm curious to read more.
posted by roolya_boolya at 10:54 PM on March 6, 2023
posted by roolya_boolya at 10:54 PM on March 6, 2023
@roolya_boolya It's a reference to a much loved UK politician, who happens to share the same surname.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:13 AM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:13 AM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Defending champion Brent Sass has scratched from the race at Eagle Island as he didn’t feel he could care for his team due to current concerns with his periodontal health.
The (paywalled) Iditarod Insider video update said he would be flown to Unalakleet for medical treatment with most of his dogs (and the other others to follow on another transport later). They had pretty sombre tone and it sounds as though Sass has a fairly serious infection.
posted by roolya_boolya at 9:50 AM on March 11, 2023
The (paywalled) Iditarod Insider video update said he would be flown to Unalakleet for medical treatment with most of his dogs (and the other others to follow on another transport later). They had pretty sombre tone and it sounds as though Sass has a fairly serious infection.
posted by roolya_boolya at 9:50 AM on March 11, 2023
After defending champion Brent Sass withdrew from the Iditarod citing health concerns, four teams emerged in a tight pack at the front of the field with a strong shot at vying for the win. The four left Kaltag within about two-and-a-half hours of one another to make their way toward the first coastal checkpoint of Unalakleet.
...
All four mushers have impressive resumes. Redington has three top-10 Iditarod finishes, the highest seventh, and is the grandson of Iditarod founder Joe Redington, Sr. Pete Kaiser of Bethel won the Iditarod in 2019, the last time it was run on the southern route, and has won the competitive Kuskokwim 300 seven times. There’s also Richie Diehl of Aniak, who finished sixth last year and won the Kusko 300 in 2021. Jessie Holmes is a reality TV personality who finished third in last year’s Iditarod and made an impressive recovery from a construction accident this fall that left him with a broken wrist.
Three of the top four teams — Redington, Kaiser, and Diehl — are Alaska Native.
posted by roolya_boolya at 8:24 AM on March 12, 2023
...
All four mushers have impressive resumes. Redington has three top-10 Iditarod finishes, the highest seventh, and is the grandson of Iditarod founder Joe Redington, Sr. Pete Kaiser of Bethel won the Iditarod in 2019, the last time it was run on the southern route, and has won the competitive Kuskokwim 300 seven times. There’s also Richie Diehl of Aniak, who finished sixth last year and won the Kusko 300 in 2021. Jessie Holmes is a reality TV personality who finished third in last year’s Iditarod and made an impressive recovery from a construction accident this fall that left him with a broken wrist.
Three of the top four teams — Redington, Kaiser, and Diehl — are Alaska Native.
posted by roolya_boolya at 8:24 AM on March 12, 2023
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