This is cool. "Jamaican musher begins Yukon Quest" sled dog race.

[Blue_In_AK]

This story is totally not political, but it made me smile, so I'm sharing it with you all. The moral of the story? Live your dreams. :)

Newton Marshall was working as a horseback-riding guide for Chukka Caribbean Adventures in Jamaica when a phone call changed his life in 2005.

Jamaican dog musher Newton Marshall, 25, got started giving cart rides using shelter dogs in his home country.

The person taking care of some dogs Chukka had adopted from a shelter was leaving. The tour company needed someone to fill in right away.

"They said, 'Newton, can you look after some dogs' '' Marshall said. "I said, 'No problem.' "

Before long, Chukka began giving cart rides using the shelter dogs. Not long after that, company chairman Danny Melville formed the Jamaica Dogsled Team, and Marshall, who drove the cart-pulling dogs, was among those chosen to work with sled-pulling dogs.

These days, Marshall is about as far away as a person can be from Jamaica, at least in latitudinal respects. On Saturday he became the first Jamaican to race in either of mushing's premier distance races, joining 28 other mushers in Whitehorse for the start of the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Championship.

Watching from afar will be Jimmy Buffet, the singer-songwriter who is one of the team's biggest sponsors. Watching more closely will be Hans Gatt, the three-time Quest champion who has coached Marshall for a year. Gatt is providing him with a team of huskies and a detailed race plan for the 1,000-mile journey to Fairbanks.

<snip>

Edit to add link http://www.adn.com/sports/mushing/story/691765.html

[Bobbieo]

1. Neat kid! Neat story!

[Blue_In_AK]

2. He's got a million-dollar smile, doesn't he?

[krispos42]

3. I just had a "Cool Runnings" flashback...

...the scene when they arrive in Calgary... :D

[malaise]

12. Here's a nice story about Danny Melville

http://www.sunheraldja.com/article/show/85

His partner was in our group on campus. They're a progressive bunch who genuinely love their island.

[Fireweed247]

4. I love that story!

I hope he wins:loveya:

[Blue_In_AK]

5. It would be fabulous.

At least I hope he can finish. I always feel bad for the teams that have to scratch.

He'll definitely be a fan favorite, though, I'm guessing. :)

[MrSlayer]

6. Yeah it's cool as long as you aren't one of the dogs.

Then it's not so cool.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I wondered how long it would be before a wet blanket would show up.

I have this argument with people every year, but I'm not going to get into it this mushing season. I'll continue to be a fan and you can be a critic.

[MrSlayer]

8. Good enough.

Enjoy.

[ConsAreLiars]

9. If you know anything about dogs or humans, you would know some like doing things and even

working hard, running hard and such. It's one of those evolution things that you may not quite get. Go see of Blue's Iditerod pics: http://northernvisions.smugmug.com/gallery/4505567_7BzzX . See any sad abused animals? You may feel more affinity with the decorative class of canines and prefer their lifestyles, but working people and working dogs prefer and value their lives over those of the parasites and could live better without them. The parasites, on the other hand, wouldn't last a week.. It's the core difference between us and them.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

13. Yep, my Border Collies literally shake with excitement when they get out of the car to herd some

It's actually amazing to watch how much they love it. We can't even have sheep on TV in our house, because it gets the dogs too excited.

I imagine sled dogs get excited much the same way.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. The dogs seem to love it

I mean, my dogs do sheepherding and every once in awhile you hear about a dog getting hurt or killed doing that, but I wouldn't quit herding with them because of it. They love it too much.

[cobalt1999]

16. As somone who actually owns Huskies

You obviously don't know these dogs. The worst thing you can do to a sled dog is leave it behind.

[Blue_In_AK]

17. Cobalt, my husband and I are going out to Nome

for the Iditarod finish this year. Keep an eye on the website in my sig line toward the end of March and I'll have some photos posted of the beginning and end of the race.

[cobalt1999]

19. Have fun & I'll look for the pictures.

Hope the weather cooperates.

[MrSlayer]

21. No, I suppose I don't.

I've only read the most negative things about dog sledding. Tales of running dogs to death and whipping them and neglect. I have been looking some on the other side of the issue and it may not be as bad as all that. I withdraw my apparently hasty judgment.

[scarletwoman]

22. Whipping them?!?! Wow! You are SO misinformed! NO one uses whips on sled dogs!

That's just so stunningly wrong -- where'd you get that bit, from watching old Sargeant Yukon serials?

The dogs run because they LOVE to run to run. I lived in Alaska and had lots of musher friends. Those dogs were the most well-cared for and loved dogs I've ever seen. Mushers do more for their dogs than ANY pet owner I've ever come across. Those dogs are given the highest quality care and feeding and training -- all of it requiring enormous sacrifice and time and effort and caring on the part of their human team mates.

On the trail during a big race, the dogs ALWAYS come first -- at every stop the musher puts all her or his efforts toward feeding and examining each and every dog FIRST. Only after the dogs are seen to will the musher rest and eat her or his own meal.

I worked as a dog handler for a Yukon Quest racing team. There are no dogs better cared for and better loved than sled dogs. And if you ever witnessed a team getting harnessed for a run, you would KNOW that these dogs just LIVE to run. There's nothing crueler you can do to these dogs than NOT let them race.

sw

[malaise]

11. Danny Melville was also responsible for the

Cool Runnings bobsled crew. He's a rare progressive in the tourism industry.

http://jamaicadogsled.blogspot.com/2008/12/jdt-founder-danny-melville-and-head.html

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Thanks for the link, Malaise.

Are Jamaicans following this race at all? I would think young Newton might be picking up some fans down there. :)

[malaise]

15. Some are but most people don't know him

People in the tourist industry will follow this and we'll see it on TV and radio.

[malaise]

18. Thanks for your link

I've sent it to some folks here.

[bullwinkle428]

20. Cool Runnings was the first thing I thought of when I read the headline!

Great stories all around...

[ColbertWatcher]

25. Same here! Good luck to the team! n/t

[SalmonChantedEvening]

23. The AyeMonDitarod!

Go Newton Go!! :woohoo:

:yourock:

[scarletwoman]

24. I hope he has a good time of it. The Yukon Quest is hard race.

When I lived in Alaska, I worked for a time as a dog handler for Yukon Quest racer -- which was mostly just a glorified title for being the person who cleaned up the dog shit, but I did get to help with some of the training.

The Yukon Quest has tougher trails than the Iditarod -- lots of sidehills, rest stops further apart. It's a damn grueling race.

Thanks for posting this, brings back some great personal memories. :D

sw

[madinmaryland]

26. That's a really cool story, but why was it buried in the Sports Forum?

:shrug:

Yes, it is a sports story, but I thought this was in another (more visible) forum.

:shrug:

[Condem]

27. Hey, Blue

Welcome to the Sports Forum!

[scarletwoman]

28. I totally can't believe this thread got booted out of GD! I mean, WTF?

:grr:

[Condem]

29. Hang with us for a while, scarlet

Ya might learn something.

[scarletwoman]

31. Thank you. But I really have no interest in "sports" per se. I like dog sledding because

I lived in Alaska and hung out with a lot of mushers. Even won a 5 mile sprint once. But that's pretty much it for me, sorry.

Thanks anyway,
sw

[madinmaryland]

32. Uhhmm. About the only thing you learn here is BB is not a roider.

:hide:

[cobalt1999]

30. The mods were probably worried the PETA crowd would show up

They tend to jump on topics like this.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. Egg-zactly,

which is what I just told madinmaryland who PMed me about the "move." It's fine with me -- I'd rather have the thread appreciated by people who understand the sport than dumped on by a bunch of PETA people anyway.

A couple of years ago, I posted a few pictures of just the dogs -- not a sled in sight -- in the Lounge and a huge argument ensued. I couldn't believe it. All I wanted to do was share some nice photos.

These are from last year's Fur Rendezvous world championship sprint races:

[Condem]

36. Blue.

How much sun you seeing?

[Blue_In_AK]

42. Sunrise 8:40; sunset 5:50

The increasing daylight is really starting to be noticeable.

[madinmaryland]

37. Well, while many of us do appreciate this, there are some here

who would not consider this a "real sport". I'm sure the REAL SPORTS FAN will chime in about this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=215x84768#86304

Not to embroil you in the snark of this forum, but that's what happens here. Fortunately it stays here.

:shrug:

[Blue_In_AK]

43. Not a real sport?

Oh, that's funny. I wonder if the "real sportsmen" would say that if they tried riding a dogsled for a thousand miles, through snowstorms, -40 degree temperatures, 75 mph winds, etc. etc. etc. They might change their tune.

[cobalt1999]

38. Wow, great pictures

Don't let the PETA fanatics stop you from posting. They are noisy but a small minority & they have no idea what they are talking about.

BTW, the first picture could easily be my first husky.

[Upton]

39. Man, you've got it bad for PETA don't ya?

[cobalt1999]

40. No more than any group that wants to impose their moral code on others

PETA, Pro-Lifers, anti-gay marriage supporters, religious fanatics, etc, or any group that wants to impose their personal moral code of behavior on everyone else.

Of course, being a liberal atheist in a small southern bible belt town tends to make me more sensitive to such behavior.

[Upton]

41. There's a difference

PETA, despite their occassional eccentricity, remains a worthy organization.. Any group that works to expose and put a stop to animal abuse has value.

Those other groups you mention have no redeeming value whatsoever that I can determine.

[cobalt1999]

44. The supporters of each of those groups believes they are a worthy organization too.

Anti-abortionist supporters believe they are stopping murders.
Anti-gay marriage supporters believe they are saving the family structure.
Religious supporters believe they are saving souls.

Any argument you can make for PETA is also the same argument Anti-Abortionists use. Both groups even use the same shock tactics and targeting of children.

PETA does try to expose serious animal abuses (such as factory farming), but like all fanatical groups, they go off the deep end with protests at the Westminster Dog Show or dog sled races. Then they go way over the line and start telling people what they should eat.

Having a core redeeming value doesn't excuse any groups actions.

[Condem]

33. Easy, lads.

We have (or, maybe had) a guest. Make her feel welcome.

[madinmaryland]

34. Don't worry. B_i_A provides daily updates of whats going on in Alaska.

The info she links to, my sister from Anchorage is amazed that I know before she does!

In case he reads this thread:

BTW, cboy, I'm not an UA Seawolf fan.