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 4^th 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.

Over the next few days we will watch mushers cross the finish line in Nome triumphantly securing their places on a very elite list.  Some of them have done this before, others have accomplished the dream of a lifetime for the first time and it wasn’t easy.  In fact it may have been the hardest thing they had ever done and it took money they didn’t have, strength they didn’t know they had and faith they couldn’t have done without.

The stories these rookies have to tell may be much more revealing about the challenge of the Iditarod, the real tasks and adventures of the trail because they have not met them before, they have not solved the complexities of the situations and must take it step by step through the problem solving process each time.  The Martin Busers of the world have dealt with all these problems and have developed a step by step procedure to address the human error in all of them, to avoid the difficulty before it arises; but rookies, though they are not rookies to mushing having completed the pre-requisite 500 plus miles of grueling trail miles and hardship have not yet faced the Iditarod and its unique conquest.

One of the first unique projects associated with the Iditarod is money.  The race itself is costly enough and though not the only really long race in existence, it is the only one of its length that does not have access to a road system for supplies delivery.  Everything must be shipped by air to checkpoints instead of trucked in, maybe by a musher’s own crew.  This is expensive.  Try funding that with your day job.

The issue of money threads its way through many other aspects of preparing for the race as does time.  If you are a musher that has bred, raised and developed his/her own kennel you have incurred even more expense and forgone the luxury of time while gaining the pride and confidence of working your own dogs.

And then there is the issue of practice time and the access to the right kind of trails for the right kind of practice.  All while going to work each day to feed the family, keep the kids in the right schools and close to family.  That family makes sacrifices too, but I see for the most part those families that are also devoted to the courage of these rookie mushers as well as the dogs and the race.

Just getting to the start line is a monumental accomplishment of its own.  That is why some veteran mushers have taken it upon themselves to offer mentorships of a sort to get the rookie musher to the start line.  In these packages there are teams of dogs, some Iditarod experienced, training and mentorship in both mushing and trail readiness preparation.  In this way the future of dog mushing is both prepared and preserved.

Comparing one veteran to another is a fairly relative activity, but often comparing one rookie to another is like comparing apples and oranges.  Crossing the finish line in Nome for the first time is still a monumental accomplishment, but what it has taken to get there this time may be a story of very high contrast.

At the restart in Willow this year a video journalist approached rookie Scott White from Woodinville, WA.  He asked him if he saw running the Iditarod as a character building experience.  Scott’s answer was that it certainly was, but that more character building than the race itself was preparing to run the Iditarod.  In many ways, I think that says it all.

Good Luck and Congratulations to all the rookies of Iditarod 2010!  Our hearts are  be with you every mile of the trail.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Back from the Iditarod Trail, out of the hospital after his crash and scratch from the 2010 Iditarod, Pat Moon and one of his lead dogs wandered around the hotel visiting with race fans.

This year’s race is over but Pat remains confident and hopeful to race Iditarod again.  He is planning to go to Nome to see the finish of this year’s race.

By Sanka W. Dog

John Stewart, 23 years of age from Scotland, will be running to Nome as a rookie in Iditarod XXXVIII. Having grown up in Scotland, very near to where the king of dog team drivers, Scotty Allan lived, John is thrilled to have the opportunity to travel the trails that made his hero, Scotty, famous. To learn more about the legendary Scotty Allan and his famous lead dog, Baldy, read my previous stories – Scotland to Nome, Scotty Allan and Baldy of Nome – Hero.

Since the age of six, John has been around sled dogs. He started out by going on training trips and overnight camping adventures with his father, Alan. At the age of 10, John accompanied his father to remote mountainous Argentina where he helped during races by handling dogs. Now here’s where coincidence takes over. John and Alan met a fellow in Argentina by the name of Mark Nordman. Nordman is the Iditarod Trail Boss. From that moment on, it was young John’s dream to run the Iditarod! So how did John make it to the threshold of accomplishing this great dream?

When he finished school, he lived in Alaska and trained with Egil Ellis. He’s also worked/trained and raced with current Yukon Quest champion Hans Gott. For the past couple of years, he’s been training and racing dogs out of four-time Iditarod Champion, Doug Swingley’s Montana Kennel. With a great team of Swingley dogs in front of the sled, John has already done well in Montana races this season.

John’s father, Alan took him to the USA, Argentina, Chili and other European countries as a handler for the race team because he was good with dogs, not because John was his son. So to speak, John earned his position as a dog handler because of his talents, not just by inheritance. Now Alan says that John has far more experience with racing than he has and he’s thrilled to switch roles and be a handler for John’s racing activities.

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn a little about Iditarod rookie, John Stewart, I hope you’ll be watching him and cheering him on as he heads to Nome. Handler leaves for the race in just a couple of days. She’ll get to actually meet John and his father. Stay tuned, as I’ll be sharing more about John, his life with dogs and his run to Nome. I also predict that there will be a more recent picture of John and Iditarod Trail Boss, Mark Nordman coming soon.

Born to Run,
Sanka

Read Sanka’s follow up article on John Stewart at this link.

Sanka W. Dog is a K 9 Journalist, working with Zuma at Zuma’s Paw Prints.

Visit Zuma’s Paw Prints at this link and read interesting behind the scenes articles by the K9 Team of Reporters, Zuma, Gypsy, Libby, and Sanka W. Dog. This K9 Team works before, during, and after the race to provide information that fans, students, and teachers need to know.  Leave comment messages at Zuma’s Paw Prints or email the reporters.  Don’t miss a minute of the race coverage.   Visit Zuma’s Paw Prints often.

Dan Kaduce of Chatanika, Alaska moved to Alaska in 1990 for a job and fun. It looks like he found it. Five years later he got hooked on mushing. He said that he has learned by trial and error on how to become a better musher. Dan feels that experience is the best teacher.

Living in a rustic area forty miles from town gives Dan the opportunity to work with his dogs without distractions. Dan and his wife, Jodi, currently have 40 dogs. Many of these dogs have been raised by the couple since they were puppies.

While the Iditarod is a new adventure, distance racing is not unfamiliar to Dan. He has been a handler in the Yukon Quest. That experience got him to think about racing. He has competed in the Quest six times; four times he finished in the top ten.

A typical day during the race season consists of watering the dogs, cleaning the dog yard, training runs, feeding the dogs, and chopping lots of wood. In the off-season (April to October) Dan works for TJ’s Land Clearing in Fairbanks. TJ’s is also a sponsor of Dan and his team. While sponsorship is extremely important to a musher, it doesn’t cover all of the costs involved to maintain a race kennel. Dan said that much of his salary and his wife’s salary goes to support the kennel and associated race fees. Besides his sponsor, TJ’s Land Clearing, Dan has had some help along the way. The classrooms of Ms. Thompson and Ms. Koble in Minnesota have been busy making foot ointment for Dan’s dogs.

Currently, Dan is in the midst of preparing drop bags for the Iditarod. Everything that he will need has to be planned. He has to anticipate what he will need at the various checkpoints. Dan said that he has heard it said that the race is half over when all of the drop bags are completed. While mandatory items are required in the sled, Dan plans to travel with the necessary items to be safe in arctic conditions. These items will include dog coats, sled repair kit, and a first aid kit for the dogs. He describes himself as a minimalist, so he won’t take items that are not needed for his or the dogs safety.

Dan is looking forward to the challenge of the Iditarod. Even though veteran mushers talk about the trail, it does present an obstacle or challenge (depending upon the musher’s attitude) to those who are unfamiliar with it. Dan’s goal is to finish the race with happy and healthy dogs.

Please visit Dan’s website at www.dewclawkennel.com.

Safe trails, Dan.

Nancy and Nigel

We all have dreams.  Sometimes we are able to pursue our dreams.  Sometimes life has other plans for us.  Nancy Yoshida volunteered at the race for 2 years.  Nancy got involved with the dogs when her son, Mike, began his interest in mushing when they moved to North Dakota in 1996.  Nancy said, “When Mike quit mushing, I started mushing and continued with the friendship of Vern Halter and Susan Whiton.”

Nancy’s qualifying races were the Race to the Sky and the Seeley Lake.  She learned to sleep out and prepare for all types of weather conditions.  In addition to the required equipment she carried with her lots of gloves, long johns, and wool sweaters.  Her husband has been her main financial supporter.  She also has had the help of family and friends.  Her expenses to prepare for the 2009 race were approximately $60,000.

Unfortunately, a broken sled between Finger Lake and Rainy Pass in 2009 caused Nancy to withdraw from the race.  Of the 2009 race Nancy stated, “I think the most challenging aspect is not getting discouraged.  There is so much to do that it takes all your time for days.  That is not only during the race but for months prior to the race.  I guess you need to be able to survive with a little sleep while doing a lot of physical work.”

In preparation for the 2010 race Nancy was having the challenge of completing the work by herself.  Nancy said, “Last year working out of Vern’s there was a lot of help.  I started this year with a great handler I was training and then her husband got sick.  I was doing it all by myself for 2 months and found out I needed eye surgery again.  It had become such a struggle, it just couldn’t keep going.  I wish I had started when I was much younger.”

Sometimes dreams just lead us on a different path in life.  Perhaps 2011 will be Nancy’s year to complete this wonderful race.  In the meantime we wish Nancy good health.

Please visit Nancy’s website at http://www.reachfortheskykennel.com

****

Nancy will be a race volunteer during the 2010 Iditarod.

Read more about Nancy’s 2009 race at A Happy Reunion.

]]> http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/02/10/iditarod-volunteer-and-future-rookie-nancy-yoshida/feed/ 0 http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/02/02/meet-a-2011-rookie-follow-the-dream/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/02/02/meet-a-2011-rookie-follow-the-dream/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:30:42 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/?p=2557 Meet a Angie Taggart, a teacher in Ketchikan, Alaska.  Angie has completed her qualifying races and intends to sign up for the 2011 Iditarod.  Get to know Angie now.  Follow her dream for the next year as she sets her goals, creates her plans, and dreams her Iditarod Dream.

My Dream . . .  by Angie Taggart, Alaska

I grew up and have lived most of my life in Ketchikan, Alaska.  I will be the first person from Ketchikan to run the Iditarod.

I am a teacher at Houghtaling Elementary School and have been teaching school for 10 years.  Some of the community activities I am involved in are: Master’s Swimming, assistant-coaching for the Killer Whale Swim Team, sailing with the Yacht Club, and co-president of Delta Kappa Gamma, a teachers’ society.

My dream to run the Iditarod began forming during 2001, the year I was a dog-handler for musher DeeDee Jonrowe.

In order to qualify to run the Iditarod, I needed to complete 500 miles in sanctioned sled-dog races. I completed my 500 qualifying miles on April 3rd, 2009. Now, it is my goal to live my dream and also help with literacy in our community schools.

I am very excited to represent Ketchikan, my home and my community, in the Iditarod.

Read more about Angie at her website.

To help you get to know the mushers, visit the Musher Listings and read the musher’s information.  Many mushers have websites that students can often visit to help them gain additional information.  To find the musher’s information, click on the 2010 Iditarod menu tab and then choose:  Musher Listings.

Get to know the rookie mushers by reading articles by our educational journalists.  At the For Teachers section of the site, choose the menu item (from the list on the right side of the page) entitled, Rookie Mushers.

To read articles about the veteran mushers, choose the menu item:  People, Places, or Dogs.

Many teachers choose to create a display to help students and faculty learn about the mushers.  Educational Journalist, Joy Davis, IN, shares how this is done at the school where she teaches:

Mrs. Davis’ classroom is learning about the mushers for the 2010 Iditarod.  We wanted to educate other students and staff as well so in the hallway we have put up a ‘Meet the Mushers’ board.  The veterans and rookies are separate as well as the men and women for each grouping.  At the right and left ends they are identified.  Then the sleds are mushing towards each other.

The individual fact cards tell a little about each musher including age, where they are from, education, previous jobs and their websites.

The poster to the right of the mushers features Martin Buser and Mrs. Davis on a pamphlet designed by one of her students.

The race countdown is displayed as well as the rules and a map of the route.  It is an educational trip down the hall whether going to class or the water fountain.

We’d like you to share with us what you do to help students learn about the mushers!  Send us your ideas!  Email.

Pictures from Joy Davis.  Click the image for a larger view.  Advance the slide show by clicking ‘next’ to advance or ‘back’ to return to a previous image.

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]]> http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/01/28/meet-the-2010-mushers-get-ready-for-the-race/feed/ 0 http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/01/27/meet-the-rookie-quinn-iten/ http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/2010/01/27/meet-the-rookie-quinn-iten/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:09:32 +0000 Diane http://iditarodblogs.com/teachers/?p=2465 Joy Davis- Educational Journalist-IN

Photo by Jeff Schultz

Following in his father’s footsteps, Quinn Iten of Kotzebue, Alaska will be racing in the 2010 Iditarod. Quinn said that his father, Ed Iten, an Iditarod veteran has taught him everything that he needs to know about mushing. He has helped with the family racing kennel for many years. He said, “It just seemed natural to race in the Iditarod once before leaving home.” Quinn will be the youngest musher in the 2010 Iditarod.

Quinn estimates that it will cost $20,000 for one Iditarod racing team. Sponsorships will help with many of the expenses. His family will also be contributing to his adventure.

For the first part of the season Quinn was busy finishing his high school career. (Yeah! Great job!)

Training was not as effective during those months as there wasn’t enough time. Quinn’s qualifying races last year were the Kuskokwim 300 and the Don Bowers Memorial 200. Last year’s Kusko taught Quinn how to keep a tired team eating. It was just good experience. Quinn just finished this year’s Kuskokwim 300 to see how his team would run. He learned a lot about the team during this race.

Quinn feels that sleep deprivation will be the most challenging aspect of the race. He plans on carrying more than the mandatory items with him. Topping his list is a toothbrush, toilet paper, and lots of hand warmers.

Coming off of a tough Kuskokwim 300, Quinn has refocused his Iditarod goals. He has decided that he wants to just run the team the best that he can. After the race he is looking forward to a long hot shower. He plans to sleep a LOT. Then he wants to go with his friends and enjoy Nome.

Safe trails- Quinn.

Please visit his website at www.editen.com

Sometimes things just have a way of happening. Jane Faulkner moved to Soldotna, Alaska in 1990 and began mushing in 2000. In 2001, Jane started training a team with her mentor, Ed Borden, for the Norman Vaughn Serum Run. Ed passed away that year and Jane inherited the team. In 2002, she started thinking about what it would be like to run the Iditarod. As with most endeavors, this journey is not an inexpensive one. It has taken time and money to make her dream a reality. Her boyfriend, Randy Adkins, a 2 time finisher of the Iditarod, told her that he would support her decision to run. In 2009 a friend, Todd Black, offered to become her dog handler. So here she is.

Jane’s qualifying races were the Norman Vaughn Serum Run (3 times), Taiga 300 (twice), the Chatanika 200, and the Copper Basin 300. She feels that the Copper Basin provided her with similar experiences to what she will encounter in the Iditarod.

Her challenge to date is time… there is never enough of it. While working a full-time job, Jane also has to fit in time for training, cutting meat, buying supplies, and all else that goes along with distance racing. She has also made time to speak with past Iditarod mushers, gaining knowledge from their experiences. Jane’s dogs are experiencing new challenges as well. “My dogs are not used to traveling around so many teams,” she said. To get them socialized to this experience she has entered several races this season including the Excursion 120, Copper Basin 300, and T-100.

Jane’s current training plan is running from checkpoint to checkpoint with a 4-6 hour rest in between. Her goal is to finish in the middle third of the pack. Along the way she hopes to see Randy who will be volunteering for the race.

With Jane’s busy schedule, she’s had to adjust to less sleep. She feels that sleep deprivation will present the largest challenge between reality and hallucinations. And after reaching Nome? Jane and Randy will be relaxing on a sunny beach in Hawaii (minus the dogs!)

Safe trails-Jane.