21 Sled Dog teams compete for 2013 IPSSSDR purse
by International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race
January 26, 2013
Jackson, Wyoming – January 25, 2013 – The Jackson Public Works Department hauled in truckloads of snow to create a perfect track for the start of the 18th International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR). For the first time in the event’s history, the track was double-wide to accommodate two teams at a time racing from the starting line. Crowds seven people deep at times lined both sides of the track to get a close-up first look at the 23 teams who will be competing over the next eight days for the race’s $100,000 purse.
The race began with three dignitary teams, followed by the 21 teams of competitors off Jackson’s Town Square starting line on a course that wound through the streets to end at Snow King Resort. Ulf Hahnemann, Vice President of People and Organization for Mars Petcare North America, drove the first dignitary team from the starting line, followed by Lisa Campbell, Senior Brand Manager for Pedigree, title sponsor for the race. Jackson’s Public Works Director Larry Pardee, who was instrumental in building the Jackson course, drove the third dignitary team from the starting line.
With the dignitaries leading the way, teams left the starting line two at a time in three-minute intervals. After the run through town, Pedigree hosted a free-to-the-public reception at Snow King Resort. Race Director Frank Teasley and Bank of Jackson Hole CEO Pete Lawton presented the annual Old Stager Award to this year’s honoree, Race Judge Ray Gordon. The event concluded with music, fireworks, and a torchlight parade down the ski slope.
Following the Jackson stage, teams will depart on a new route this year to West Yellowstone, Mont., and Alpine, Pinedale, Lander, Big Piney/Marbleton, Alpine, Kemmerer Evanston, and Mountain View, Wyo., over the next week. The race trail’s Montana and Wyoming stages also cross into Idaho and Utah, making the IPSSSDR the first sled dog race to span four states, according to Race Director Teasley.
The IPSSSDR concludes on Saturday, February 2 in Uinta County outside of Evanston, Wyo. After the big finish, mushers will partner with select students from participating race communities for the Jr. Stage Stop fun race. The kids’ race will be held at 2 p.m. at the IPSSSDR’s North Slope Road Trailhead finish line, 30 miles south of Evanston. The IPSSSDR awards banquet will take place that night at 6 p.m. in Evanston at the Machine Shop. The banquet is open to the public; adult tickets are $17, children $10.
The race’s "stage stop" racing format allows the IPSSSDR to stop in a different community along the race route each night, allowing Wyoming’s host towns to show their hospitality: Festivities for mushers and spectators alike include pancake feeds, dog parades, banquets, carnivals, and snowshoe softball.
With its unique stage stop format, the IPSSSDR has become a popular mushing event attracting the world’s top competitors.
Pedigree® Food for Dogs is the title sponsor of the IPSSSDR. The Pedigree® brand actively supports a wide range of programs that promote responsible pet ownership and highlight the contributions dogs make to society.
The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race was founded in 1996 by Frank Teasley to make sled dog racing more accessible to the public. In addition, the race works to spread the word in support of the need for childhood immunizations—and each year the race makes a contribution to communities on the race route with many communities using the funds for childhood immunization programs. For more information, visit the race website at www.wyomingstagestop.org or contact the race at 307-734-1163.
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