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Hello Boys and Girls,
What an exciting day it has been!
Today was the start of the 2013 Jr. Iditarod!
Thirteen Jr. racers left the starting line in Wasilla today and headed out on the trail to race about 150 miles. Now that would be a long way for me to race but then, I’m not in training. For the dogs racing today, it was an easy thing to do for them because they are in condition and even had to go to a ‘vet check’ a few days before the race to make sure that they were healthy!
If you haven’t read much about the Jr. Iditarod, be sure to visit their website at this link. The Jr. Iditarod is for mushers between the age of 14 and 17. This year was the 36th Jr. Iditarod. Isn’t that something amazing to howl about? For 36 years Jr. Mushers have been racing in this event! H O W L I N G long and proud about all of those who have raced in this event!
I think this year’s race is especially neat because out of the 13 racers, 5 of them are NOT from Alaska! Here’s a chart to show you what I mean.
| Veteran | Rookie | Female | Male | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Other U.S.A. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Other Countries | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Sign-Up | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Withdrawn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mushers | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
I think it is worth howling about that racers from other places besides Alaska are ]competing in this race. It tells me that there is a lot of interest in Iditarod and mushing.
Oh, before I forget, Linda Fenton, the 2013 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ was at the start of the Jr. Iditarod today. She flew by small plane out to Yentna Roadhouse Station to observe the race. Next week, she’ll be writing about the race and her experiences It’s going to be great to hear her thoughts so be sure to check out the website and read!
Well, Boys and Girls, I think it’s about my nap time. You know how I love to take a snooze or two throughout the day. Check back soon, though, because while I’m snoozing, I’m sure to be working on my next article for you!
Lots of Tail Wags,
Zuma