Matt Groth of Grand Marais Sled Dog Adventures is spending the summer raising a new crop of racers.
The snow is long gone and local dog sled racers are land training their canine athletes. It’s a good time to reflect on what Cook County mushers did in the 2015 racing season.
Apostle Islands Sled Dog Races.
Bayfield, Wisconsin celebrated the 20th year of hosting the Apostle Island Sled Dog Races on February 7-8. Finishing first in this 20th running, Rita Wehseler of Schroeder claimed first place in the 85-mile, 10-dog race with a time of 7:19:24.
Reached this spring, Wehseler said she had a disappointing Beargrease race, but she felt better after the showing at Apostle Islands. She said it’s one of her favorite races and it’s a great puppy training race.
Which is what Wehseler is focusing on now, training some puppies. “We take small teams out with ATVs,” she said, “But everyone does it a little different.”
There is a lot to keep her and her handler-husband Bill Wehseler busy. She said they have been “playing catch up.”
Above: Rita Wehseler took first place in the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race in February. Wehseler said the Apostle Island race is a great puppy training race.
One of the first things to be done when the ground thaws is to replenish straw in the dog houses. “We get it all cleaned out once the ground is no longer frozen,” she said.
The couple has been working on getting tie-outs fixed and replaced; replacing boards on dog houses; and processing/packaging dog food, such as beaver obtained from a local trapper.
Mary Manning of Doodle Dog Kennel of Hovland also participated in the Apostle Islands 10-dog race and finished 4th with a time of 8:43:39.
Matt Groth of Grand Marais Sled Dog Adventures and Nancy Lang of Snowy Ridge Kennels of Hovland also participated in the Apostle Islands race in the 59-mile, 6-dog Sportsman event.
Groth said he ran the Apostle Islands race with a friend who was participating for the first time ever. “I ran a lot of 1-year-olds in the Sportsman event. The youngsters did well,” he said.
Groth said he will be back racing the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon next year, but these days he is busy with a new litter of puppies.
Left: Dennis LaBoda of Night Train Racing was the first place finisher in the Copper Dog 150 in February.
UP 200
The UP 200, promoted as “The excitement of Alaska, without the airfare!” was held February 13-15. The weather was certainly Arctic-like, with reports of -15 degrees made colder by 40 mile per hour winds. The race which starts in Marquette includes a leg that stops in Grand Marais, Michigan.
Frank Moe of Moetown Kennels of Hovland competed in the Upper Peninsula race after taking a year off. In 2013, Moe and his team collided with a truck at a road crossing. One of his dogs, Pony, was killed and two others injured.
Frank and his wife Sherri returned to the UP 200 this year and not only had a safe race, but finished 3rd in the 240-mile, 12-dog race with a trail time of 14:30:12.
Also competing in Marquette were Matthew Schmidt of Grand Marais with Nuannaarpoq Kennel who finished in 10th place at 15:27:38 and Odin Jorgenson of Colvill with Jorgenson Kennels who finished 12th with at time of 16:40:52.
WolfTrack Classic
Ely hosted the seventh running of the WolfTrack Classic on February 21- 22 with festivities in Ely and Tower. The 6-dog, 8-dog and 10-dog races traverse the scenic, but rugged Taconite Trail. According to the Ely Timberjay, the temperatures on race day, February 22, dropped to -24 degrees.
Andrea DeBoer of Amarok Kennel of Grand Marais finished 14th in the 30-mile, 6-dog race with a trail time of 2:46:45.
Gearing up for the WolfTrack Classic, DeBoer shared this in her musher biography, “One thing that I have learned on the trail is that some days your dogs will do exactly what they need to and other days they do exactly what they want to!”
Moetown Kennels had two teams in the 50-mile, 8-dog race. Frank Moe finished in 4th place with trail time of 4:59:52. Also racing for Moetown was Mark Luttinen with a time of 5:09:13 and a 5th-place finish.
Mary Manning also participated in this race, finishing in 10th place.
International Pedigree Stage Stop
Stage races are a different type of racing, a sort of Tour de France of mushing with teams stopping in different towns each night. One of the premier stage races is the International Pedigree Stage Stop, held January 30 – February 8.
The International Pedigree Stage Stop passes through Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, spanning eight days and nearly 400 miles. The scenic race travels through the Bridger and Teton National Forests.
Dennis LaBoda of Night Train Racing in Hovland traveled to Wyoming to take part in this challenging race. LaBoda and his team finished well, placing 7th overall.
The only other Minnesota racer was JR Anderson of Buyck, Minnesota, a familiar name at North Shore races, who took 4th place.
Copper Dog 150
The Copper Dog 150 starts in Calument, Michigan and travels to Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor and back to Calumet for a total of 150 miles. This year’s Copper Dog was held February 27 – March 1.
Competing in this year’s Copper Dog was Rita Wehseler of Schroeder who finished 13th.
Apparently used to the stage race format, LaBoda’s Night Train Racing teams upped their game from 2014. Last year LaBoda finished in 8th place—this year, he was the champion, taking the first place finish.
In an interview with the Marquette ABC affiliate, LaBoda said, “I’ve been racing for 40 years and I’ve come in last and I’ve come in first and I love racing and I came here with the idea if we can be in the top five we would be happy. There’s a bunch of great racers here.”
See the full interview at: abc10up.com/copperdog-150-crowns-new-champion/.
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