By Joy Davis, Educational Journalist, IN

Adventure equals excitement for Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.  For those of you new to following the Iditarod, Sebastian finished second in 2009, completing the race in 10 days 5 hours 5 minutes, finishing with 13 dogs.  He has started and finished the Iditarod every year since 2005 improving his standing every year.

I asked Sebastian how he thought sled dog racing has changed since he became involved in 1998.  He said, “When I first started racing I really did not know what I was in for.  I knew so little that I did not even know how little I knew.  That was back in 1998, when I first attempted running the Copper Basin 300 trying to qualify for the Yukon Quest.  I had a pretty rough start in racing and saw it more as a big adventure and not as racing.  So I do not really know what went on racing wise when I started.  For myself over the last 5 years I have learned to pace myself, train and run slower.  Distance racing is all about patience.”

Sebastian has started the Yukon Quest 6 times.  In 1999 he scratched.  Then he finished the race in the top 10 each time in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.  In 2009 he was the first place finisher.  He set a new Yukon Quest record of 9 days 23 hours and 20 minutes.

It’s hard to believe that Sebastian used to wear a suit and tie to work.  He likes being out in the bush and has no close neighbors so the dogs can be loose when he walks them.  There is no running water or power in his cabin, which also keeps him in shape doing the necessary chores such as hauling water, chopping wood, and taking care of the dogs.  Other than that, he is not much of a fan of workouts. When training and racing, Sebastian said that he sometimes uses a ski pole behind the sled, but generally tries to help as little as possible.  He said, “I try to not run or pedal to help the dogs.  That is why I run dogs and not marathons.”

With all the work at the kennel, Sebastian doesn’t work a “regular” job.  The dogs are his job whether they are racing or working at tour operations.  The dogs exercise year round, on a glacier during the summer where they give sled rides to tourists and during the winter they are running on longer expedition type trips.  This helps to keep them in shape.

Currently there are 50 dogs in the kennel, of which 24 are trained for racing.   Four of those race dogs belong to Jon Little and one belongs to Richie Beattie.   Two handlers assist with the daily work and training.  Sebastian’s days are full.  He is up and going by 6 a.m.   By 7:30 a.m. the dogs are ready to go for training.  When the weather is warm he starts earlier.  The team is back at the kennel around noon.  The dogs get to rest while Sebastian takes care of lunch and emails.  The afternoon work is generally maintenance.  When the weather is cooler he runs a second team in the evening.  He trains his dogs to run slow and steady.  This keeps the dogs happy and healthy.  The dogs are definitely a 7 day a week job.  Sebastian said, “Once it gets closer to race time I will have a few more helping hands arriving to help with the organizing.”

Sebastian also enjoys training mushers for racing.  Other mushers have also used his dogs to race the Quest 300, Copper Basin 300, Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.  He said, “2 years ago Rudi Niggemeier came in 43rd in the Iditarod with a team of mine.  Last year Mark Sleightholme came in 11th in the Yukon Quest.”  Sebastian is planning to run two 300 milers before the Iditarod.  He would like to finish the season with the Kobuk 440.

“I thrive on challenge,” said Sebastian.  There is a line from the 2009 Iditarod DVD that says “these are people who squeeze pleasure out of misery.”  As he thrives on the uncertainty, Sebastian loves it when the going gets tough.  He said, “Last year I enjoyed myself the whole way, both in the Quest and Iditarod.  Although I did get worried on the long 15 hour run from Unalakleet to Koyuk going through that wind, I remember camping on the Yukon River close to the Kandik Cabin and thinking to myself-too bad that this trip is already over in 2 days.”

Here’s wishing Sab a season of challenges and adventures.  Please visit his websites at:  www.bluekennels.de or www.sebastianschnuelle.com

* Joy Davis is an educator in Indiana.  The Educational Journalists are teachers working with Iditarod’s Education Department to bring the stories behind the scenes to race fans of all ages.

(Photos submitted by Sebastian.)

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