The current list of the Mushers signed up for the 2007 Wyoming race is now online
go check it out, by December the field will grow and get pretty competitive like every year !

Look foward to be in Beautiful Wyoming and see all our friends Mushers and our Host Families.

Friday, November 10, 2006 8:19:50 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Byron won 3 Alpirods in lead

In a couple of words, Byron was the best dog I ever owned.
He was born in the summer of 1987 out of an accidental breeding.
His father Rhino who was the first sled dog I owned, coming from Whitehorse in the Yukon, was a Siberian Husky. He was a good leader but was missing some physical ability to be a top notch sled dog. He did finish the Iditarod placing at the end of the pack. He was my pet dog as well as being a sled dog.
Byron's mother Devil was a top leader for me, finishing several Iditarods and Alpirods, she came from Joe Redington out of one of Joe's leaders called Manley, we never knew who her mother was.
Rhino died of pneumonia one month before Byron was born, so I adopted Byron as my new pet dog as soon as he was a few weeks old, not knowing if he was going to be a good sled dog or not.
When he was about 3 month old, I harnessed him, running behind him and from then on, he ran and never looked back, he was born to be a leader.

Byron, 1/2 Siberian, 1/2 Alaskan

When he was one and a half year old, he ran the Alpirod in swing in the second team, so I decided to take him in the Iditarod and he finished the race in 11th place.
Having him as a pet besides his phenomenal physical ability really helped him mentally in his first Iditarod because it is a lot of pressure for a young dog to run an 1100 miles race. After a few days, the unexperienced dogs don't know if there will be an end to this trail; The trust in their musher is the one thing that makes them overcome their doubts and keep going.

Later he made me win 3 Alpirods and one Kobuk 400 and finished several other Iditarods.
In the Alpirod where there were a lot of intersections and trails in towns, he was awesome at steering the team without even slowing down. If I missed a turn, he would jump over a snow burm or anything to get back on the right trail.
He retired from racing after the last Alpirod in 1995 and went to live at home until he was 17 years old.
Sometimes he would lift his leg on the video cabinet in the leaving room and Magali would get mad at him, I would respond: "This dog paid for the house by making me win races, so he can pie on it once in a while if he wants"

Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:43:01 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

I recently updated this blog to version 1.9 of DasBlog with some custom macros.
It allows paging in category views and multiple contributors with their own profile and user view.
We also put a new banner on the pages.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 10:31:26 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Today I decided to try out Mempis again in Harness.
She was fine loose playing crazy with the pups. so I took my chance.
I hooked up a small 6 dog team and we went 5 miles. I was ready to stop at any signs of her been hurt.
But no she was perfect 200% herself... she came back happy running aorund like nothing happen...
I am very please I will train her on 5 miles one more time then put her with the Yearling and see.
here's some photo of her back to work.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 7:55:45 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Hello
7 below here this morning (-22°c) .
Yesterday I created a new album in  our galery just for the "snow training" photos

06-07 Training Photos

Enjoy....

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 7:35:02 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Today we went for a 35 miles run with on of the two team of the main adult dogs.

We had 16 dogs with Loly and Yankee in lead and they did an outstanding job opening the trail in the tall grass in the swamps.
It took us about 6 hours total, with 1h30mn stop at the turn around.

here's some photos:
  The 10 mile lake.

  Swamps near the river.

  Jacques checking the dogs at a short stop.

   Yankee and Loly

    Smile for the photo



I will upload photo in the gallery tomorrow probably, I also took some movies today so I have first to compress them to put them on line.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006 9:19:53 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

The temperatures dropped few days ago it is about 0f at night at home and 10 above during the day. Sunny and beautiful we just wish for more snow.

We are training study on 20 miles and soon we will start going 35, we just have to go check the "lake".

Sunday, November 05, 2006 5:01:35 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

the race web site has been updated with distances for the 2007 Race as follow:

2007 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race

Friday January 26:
Jackson Hole, 3 miles

Saturday January 27:
TRAVEL DAY to Lander

Sunday January 28:
Lander to Blucher Creek check point, 48 miles
Blucher Creek to Irish Canyon, 28 miles

Monday January 29:
Cora to Pinedale Stage, 34 miles

TUESDAY JANUARY 30:
Big Piney/Marbleton Stage, 64 miles

Wednesday January 31:
Alpine Stage, 60 miles

THURSDAY February 1:
Kemmerer Stage, 53 miles

FRIDAY February 2:
Bridger Valley Stage, 45 miles

Saturday February 3:
Park City, Final Stage 17 miles

For more info go to the Wyoming race web site

Sunday, November 05, 2006 7:32:38 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Yesterday Memphis, Keops and the Jewel pups went for a walk. Keops love to run and love the snow, here's some photos of him yesterday playing and running with the puppies.

Saturday, November 04, 2006 7:51:34 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Well Memphis was hurt almost 4 weeks ago, she was on "total" rest until today various friends vet (real dog mushing vets) recommand a Rimadyl treatment to help. So I follow their advices.

Today we took the Jewel pups, Memphis and Keops for a walk.

She was AMAZING, 200% energy and unless you know about it NO SIGN of injuries or sournest in the leg. I am very happy and I will keep on taking her loose for about 2 weeks and then if all look good see on harness.

Friday, November 03, 2006 5:27:31 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

This morning we finally got cold temperature, it was 1 above at 6:AM. The lake may be frozen enough now and we may be able to use our winter trail soon.

Friday, November 03, 2006 10:14:34 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

ARGOS and ORACLE

They are now 3 years old and dogs I really like. They are easy to work with, quiet and you don’t “see” them much, they do their job, eat, drink, camp good and is nice to work with. I really like them.
Oracle only had a little problems with is “male parts” last winter so this spring he loose them and the problem will be “history”
Argos finished Iditarod last March, he raced in France with me and then in Wyoming with Jacques. As a yearling he raced Oregon and Wyoming. Oracle also race itn France with me the Wyoming with Jacques he took the start of Iditarod but he got dropped in Rainy Pass due to a little shoulder problem.
Only problem with those two is like their dad they listen when they want, we turn our dogs loose everyday before and after training when we hook them up and remove harnesses , let say they check everything before the decide to come back to their dog house…. They are both super nice and DON’T FIGHT… they are almost the only male we can put together in one kennel and don’t worry about arguments.

Their mom was a female from Joee Redington Jr that we lease for breeding and their dad is Risk one of our main race dog that we recently sold to Stephen in England.

They are both on training and on the main list for the MAIN RACE DOG…

Thursday, November 02, 2006 7:21:29 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

LOLY

She is now 4 years old. She is Jacques favorite dog. She was a single pup from an accidental breeding. Her mom was an outstanding leader for us. Her dad was ¼ saluki cross.

She is a very good leader, very very good on command. But so far never made the Main race team. She works too hard and get hurt, she always recover and manage to run in the B team.

She loves to come in the house but she is not clean and ALWAYS pee somewhere… and can’t just lay down quietly she has to get into trouble.

She is a very funny dog and a nice leader. She is Jacques’s dog for sure.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006 8:07:17 AM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

Today we started to go 20 miles we trained 46 dogs total today.

The adult dogs do the 20 miles in a little over 2 hours and my Yearlings 2hr 25mn... long and slow going but good work out.

Monday, October 30, 2006 5:22:09 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)     

This Week End was the ADMA Symposium. We had a booth to present the Antipode sleds. I had one Squall (new sprint sled) and one Sluidjack (Mid Distance) to present.

People were happy to know that the old "EXTRAPOLE" compagny was back.

Here's some photos:

This Evie (Wwendy's daughter) and Keops watching over my sleds...

Katahdin booth, Our friend George handling the symposium while his wife Sarka is in Europe with their two daughters.

Our booth of the ANTIPODE SLEDS.

Ivana and her booth for the Manmat Harnesses.

The beautiful Jewelry that Wendy make.

Sunday, October 29, 2006 6:51:41 PM (Alaskan Standard Time, UTC-09:00)