The final three rookie mushers you’ll meet in this segment have all called the lower 48 home.  Jennifer LaBar grew up in Tennesse while Greg and Bailey Vitello currently reside in Milan, New Hampshire.  LaBar has since moved to Healy, Alaska.

Jennifer LaBar has hiked 1,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail and is now ready to sled 1,000 miles on the Iditarod Trail.  Jennifer grew up in east Tennessee with bird dogs.  With her love for working dogs and long distance adventures, Iditarod seems like a given.  LaBar was introduced to Sled dogs and long distance racing in 2007 when she and her husband, Andrew, moved to Alaska. Her dream of running Iditarod was born.  

The couple travelled around Alaska for 4 years then landed in Healy where they established Rockin’ Ridge Kennel.  While working for long-distance mushers to hone her dog care, sled driving and winter survival skills, Jennifer acquired a few dogs.  Their kennel got started in 2014 with five dogs and has been growing ever since.  She’s been raising her own dogs and has completed several mid-distance races including her qualifiers for Iditarod – Copper Basin 300, Yukon Quest 300 and the Two Rivers 200 & 100 where Jen was awarded the Vet’s Choice Award for exemplary dog care. 

She’ll be running the 2023 Iditarod with dogs she has raised and trained herself.  Andrew is an Iron Dog enthusiast and together they dream up adventures and make turn then into reality.  While finding new places in Alaska to explore, they have done several multi-week trips  but enjoy camping in comfort.  The LaBars operate a dog mushing tour business. 

Two generations of Vitellos will be participating in the 2023 Iditarod, father Greg and son Bailey.  Twenty-five years ago, Greg began mushing.  He enjoyed spending time in the wilderness accompanied by his dogs and his wife and three sons.  Youngest son, Bailey really took to mushing from the time he was little and rode in the sled on training runs with his parents. 

Bailey participated in his first one-dog race at the age of two.  As Bailey showed his natural talent with the dogs, father and son began building a race team.  When Bailey turned 14 and became eligible to participate in the Jr. Iditarod, he and his father took a year off from school and work to prepare for the race.  Bailey raced the Jr. in 2012 finishing in 7^th place.  About that experience he said that it was amazing and eye opening in that he’d never been around so many who loved mushing as much as he did.

Bailey has raced throughout New England and Montana.  Internationally, he has participated in the La Grande Odyssee in the French Alps and the Winter World Championships in Huliburton, Canada and Bessan’s, France.  His Iditarod qualifiers include the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge 300, Montana’s Race to the Sky 300 and the Can Am Crown 250.

Bailey is passionate about sharing his love of working dogs and dogs sledding.  During the off season, Team Bailey travels to schools and community events across New England to educate people about dog sledding sports and what it takes to become a musher.

Greg describes his partnership with Bailey in building a racing team as one of the most gratifying things he’s done in his life.  He characterizes his team as a bunch of goofy ad happy-go-lucky Alaskan Huskies.  Greg says that half of his team has some experience on the Iditarod Trail which he thinks will be helpful as the trail and Mother Nature offer up challenges. The dogs, ranging in age from 3-7 years, are more than happy to take on any trail that lies ahead.   The elder Vitello says, “I am looking forward to experiencing the Iditarod Trail not only with my dogs but with my son and finally being able to accomplish this long time dream.”