Marathon
Odin Jorgenson . Grand Marais
Odin was born into a mushing family. He has run dogs his whole life with the family business, Arleigh Jorgenson Sleddog Adventures, but in the last few years has taken up racing. In the summer he works as a carpenter and in the winter splits his time between race training and running his sled building business, Sawtooth Mountain Sledworks, sawtoothmtnsleds.com.
Matt Groth . Colvill
Matt and his wife Hope’s kennel, Oomingmak Kennels has 19 dogs. Matt has been racing since 2004. When Matt is not mushing, he is employed as a carpenter with Nace Hagemann—who in turn helps out as a handler for Matt. Matt is starting the race with only 13 dogs, so his goal is to finish the marathon with his young dogs. Matt said, “It is a very challenging race and we will be running a conservative race.”
Frank Moe . Hovland
Frank and his wife, Sherri, recently moved to the Hovland area from Bemidji, MN to spend more time training their 27 sled dogs. Frank has raced the 2008 White Oak 130, the 2008 Mid-Distance Beargrease, the 2008 Wolftrack Classic and the 2009 Red River Sled Dog Derby in Halstad, MN. This will be Frank’s first marathon.
Rita Wehseler . Tofte
Rita grew up on a dairy farm in a small town in southern Minnesota called Greenwald and started mushing when she helped Paul Ellering at a race. She loved it so much she never looked back! In 2001, Rita made history by being the first woman to cross the finish line in the Can-Am Crown 250 in Fort Kent, Maine. Rita says that finish was her proudest moment in mushing. When she is not racing, she works as a baker at Coho Café.
Rita and Bill now own 45 dogs and run a dog sled touring business on the North Shore at www.stoneycreeksleddogs.com.
Mark Black . Hovland
Mark’s Beargrease musher page biography is succinct. “I have run more Beargreases than anyone. This year will probably be my last one.”
Mark has run 16 Beargrease Marathons and was the winner in 2005. Mark and his wife, Mary, operate Black Magic Kennel and they offer “Off the Beaten Path” dog sled rides and “Mushing 101” weekends when they are not racing. Visit their website at www.BlackMagicKennels.com.
Mid-Distance
Robin Beall . Colvill
Robin has been racing for 10 years and has many top five finishes including “Best Kept Team” in 2005. Along with her husband Greg and son Wade, she operates Amarok Kennel of huskies in Colvill. As to being the only Cook County musher in the mid-distance race, Robin laughed, “What can I say— they can’t keep up with me!”
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