by Sally Simon, Finalist for Target® Iditarod 2011 Teacher on the Trail™, New York
One has an infectious smile, the other wears a kilt. Both received a lot of attention at this year’s Iditarod. Newton Marshall, from Jamaica, and Wattie McDonald, of Scotland, are two rookies for the 2010 race–and, boy do they have a great deal of pride for their homelands. On the morning of the ceremonial start it may have been only 20 degrees, but neither musher would’ve been anywhere but on the snowy street in Anchorage.
Newton Marshall, a most unlikely musher, gained media attention all year. Last year he became the first Jamaican musher to complete the Yukon Quest. Many said it couldn’t be done, but he proved them wrong. This year he’s been training with none other than Lance Mackey, 3-time Iditarod champion. Because there are still naysayers, Newton is determined to finish the Iditarod race and set the record straight once and for all.
This persistence and drive is not new to Newton. Born in St. Ann, Jamaica, Newton didn’t have much schooling. He had to work to help support his family. He’d always dreamed of running horses at Chukka Cove Farm. Newton started working there as a gardener eventually moving up to horse guide. Chukka Farms offered reading and writing lessons to its employees, so Newton overcame his illiteracy. When Chukka Farm started to offer dog sledding as an activity, Newton was asked to take on that task. One thing lead to another and Newton found his way to Alaska competing in dog sled races. He even gained the attention of major sponsor Jimmy Buffet of Margaritaville fame. The inspirational story of the Jamaican Dogsled Team can be seen in a documentary movie called Sun Dogs. (Click here to watch a trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1384907033 )
Even people who’d never heard of Newton before this March couldn’t help but notice the Jamaican flag, (watch short video clip here: http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=4359&CID=291226 ), the “Rootin for Newton” buttons and t-shirts, and the vivacious young black man with a huge grin on his face. Certainly not a normal sight in downtown Anchorage or Willow. Those who were lucky could even hear him sing reggae to his dogs while waiting for the race to start.
Wattie McDonald may not have gained media attention as early as Newton, but he made up for that on start day. The reason being–Wattie didn’t come from Scotland alone. His entourage contained several kilt-wearing bagpipe-playing Scots, and they didn’t seem to mind the cold either. But, the Scottish fanfare didn’t stop there. A huge Scottish flag waved from behind his sled and his dogs wore plaid coats as they trotted down 4th Avenue. In comparison, John Stewart, a second rookie from Scotland, merely wore the country’s flag like a cape for the ceremonial start. I almost expected bagpipe music to start playing from the speakers.
Wattie, a Siberian Husky breeder back home, also gained the attention of a major sponsor, Northern Outfitters, and a production company who is filming his challenge. On his website (http://www.wattiesgreatrace.com/) he describes himself as a man who is “slightly past his prime and given to wearing a kilt whenever possible who wants to cross 1,000 miles of the Alaskan wilderness with just a dog team and a sense of adventure.” He trained with Dean Osmar last winter and completed his qualifying races to make that dream a reality.
From reggae to kilts, this year’s Iditarod took on an international flair that it hadn’t seen before. It was fun for the spectators and added to the wonder of the Last Great Race. While Iditarod fans hail from all over the world, I’m sure this year the website will see more hits from Jamaica and Scotland than ever before. So, join me in “Rootin’ for Newton” and cheering on Wattie as they cross the finish line in Nome.
And, who knows from where the next international musher will come? I know of one musher in training from New Zealand, and dog mushing is becoming more popular in South Africa. I guess we’ll have to wait until the Musher’s Picnic in June to find out.
For More Information:
*Jamaican Dogsled Team Website: http://www.jamaicadogsled.com/
*Newton Marshall Profile (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKMsI1lm9nk
*Newton Talks to the AP (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF_DiDpuY_w&feature=fvw
*Meet the Rookie: Wattie McDonald: http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/01/21/meet-the-rookie-wattie-mcdonald/
*Wattie at the Ceremonial Start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_0GMEQLV3k
*Wattie’s Restart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs8c1U80oRI&feature=youtube_gdata
Also, check out the Iditarod Insider for video clips of both mushers (some videos require subscription): http://insider.iditarod.com/
Lesson Plan Ideas:
*Research Jamaica and Scotland. Compare and contrast the two countries. Draw conclusions about which country would be the easiest to come from as an Iditarod musher.
*Use the race statistics from Iditarod.com for Newton and Wattie and translate the military time (Alaska time zone) into the times in Jamaica and Scotland.
*Wattie McDonald doesn’t have a t-shirt for sale on his website. Design a t-shirt (or other items) for him to sell to his fans to raise funds for future races.
*Watch the documentary “Sun Dogs,” and write a movie review or make a web of the character traits exhibited in the movie.
*Research dog sled associations around the world. What countries have them? Mark them on a map of the world.
*Learn about reggae music. Write a reggae style song about Newton Marshall.
*Learn about Scottish food. Create a meal for Wattie to take on the trail so he feels like he’s back home.
