2010 QUESNEL 200 SLED DOG RACE
PRESS RELEASE
February 1, 2010
The inaugural Quesnel 200 sled dog race has become a part of history. The race was a grand success. The Quesnel 200 is a 200-mile continuous dog sled race with mushers running teams of 12 dogs. The teams started from Umiti Pit Road at 4pm on Friday January 29, 2010. The mushers ran a course over mountainous terrain with runs ranging from 53 to 55 miles between three checkpoints to complete a large loop. The weather was one of extremes. After a warming trend during the weeks before the race, the beginning part of the race had hard, icy trails with not much snow cover. Then on Saturday the weather turned cooler and the snow began to fall and it did not stop for the rest of the race. The final legs of the race were slow hard pulling for the dogs with mushers dealing with wet equipment and clothing.
The seven teams in the race came from British Columbia and Alberta. The finishers in order of placing were:
1st - Jerry Joinson of Fort St. James, B.C., finishing at 1:29 pm.
2nd - Craig Houghton of Fort St. James, B.C., finishing at 1:48 pm.
3rd - Warren Palfrey of Quesnel. B.C., finishing at 2:29 pm.
4th - Randy Mackenzie of Fort McMurray, AB., finishing at 2:45 pm.
5th - Abram Perry of Kansas via Grand Prairie, AB., finishing at 6:30pm.
6th - Ross Adam of Grand Prairie, AB., finishing at 7:30 pm.
Kim Verge of Quesnel, B.C. scratched at the 3rd checkpoint.
The race was sponsored by NorthernStar Kennels of Quesnel, B.C. owned by Warren and Kate Palfrey. They would like to thank all the volunteers involved with the race, particularly Troll Ski Resort for hosting the 1st and 3rd checkpoints and Danny Thorsen and Lorraine Kozar for hosting checkpoint #2 in Wells. Thanks to Kipmik Products for donating dog booties for the mushers and their dogs.
This will become an annual event here in Quesnel. The Quesnel 200 will introduce more people to the spectacular scenery this area has to offer and offer a distance race to mushers.
For more information about the race, to volunteer for next year’s race or to become a sponsor, go to www.northernstarkennels.com or contact Warren and Kate Palfrey at 250-983-9799.
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Warren and Kate Palfrey
www.northernstarkennels.com
250 983 9799
