Ryno Kennel -- 4th Place in Yukon Quest 300!
/After 51 hours and 9 minutes, ten amazing athletes and one incredible musher, Ryne Olson, finished the Yukon Quest 300 in 4th place! Stay tuned for a rundown of the race.
Congratulations Ryne and pups!
Ryno Kennel into Circle!
/Ryno Kennel has just pulled into Circle. Still no communication from the team, but from the Yukon Quest website looks like 10 pups are cruising right along. Have not heard who was dropped, though from the Yukon website looks like Ryne left Two Rivers with 11 dogs and Central with 10.
From the Yukon's facebook posts: looks like Jesse Holmes is in the lead and headed out of Circle back to Central. Aliy Zirkle pulled into Circle about an hour ago and Joanna Jagow arrived soon after.
Maliko, also running with 10 dogs having dropped 2 at Mile 101 , looks to be running strong, too. Last check Maliko's team was at mile 171, about 37 miles out of Central.
What a race! Go Ryno Kennel go!
Appears Ryno Kennel first into Central
/Tough not having any reception with any one out on the course, but as we hope you are, we are following the Yukon Quest 300 tracker, and Ryno Kennel appears to be first into Central! Way to early to know how this will all play out -- but oh so exciting!!
Live tracker can be found here:
http://www.yukonquest.com/race-central/yq300-live-tracker
Central is the only mandatory stop, 6 hours, where start time differentials and penalties will be processed. Plus the pups will all have a thorough vet check followed by rub downs, meals, rest, and lots of love from the musher.
Maliko's team is cruising right along, having made it over Eagle summit! Down hill into Central and a nice rest for some strong pups.
Today Begins the Quest 300!
/At 3:21 today Ryne and Team will leave #8 (wearing bib #58) for the Quest 300 Sled Dog Race! Maliko and Team will be the 13th team leaving at 3:36 wearing bib #63. The team lineups are as follows-
Ryne's Team- Fire and Cartel, Ham and Katy, Lefty and Perm, Kindi and Supai, Rucu and Jana, Drummer and Drake
Maliko's Team- Goblin and Niagra, Derby and Pirate, Belle and Fenton, Sally and Charley, Brant and CJ, Eider and Coot
You'll notice a few changes to the team lineups from Copper Basin with Lefty and Drake (both two years old) bumping up to the "A" squad. Both youngsters have been doing fantastically well in training and earned a chance to strut their stuff with the big dogs.
We have a few Ryno Recruits joining the ranks for the Quest 300. You'll probably recognize the four athletes from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel (good friend Amanda Gecas) who have been with us for two seasons now. Jana, Charley, Drummer, and Pirate have been rock solid these past two seasons. In addition, Goblin will be joining Maliko's team from Sebastian Schnuelle's Blue Kennels. Goblin is a rockstar leader that will provide leadership and direction for Maliko's young team. Thank you to Sebastian for allowing Goblin to join us for the Quest 300!
There are only three adults not racing the Quest 300 from Ryno Kennel: Fez, Boone, and Amy. Fez's "bad" wrist from this summer's encounter with the porcupine flared up slightly after a long run a few days ago. She's sitting out the Quest 300 as a precaution so that hopefully she'll be 110% for the Iditarod. This will be the first Ryno Kennel race that Fez will not be with me (and finished). She will be DEARLY missed. Boone has appeared healthy ever since Copper Basin with the exception of a small bump on the top of her wrist. Though it caused her discomfort only one day, a veterinarian diagnosed the problem as a torn tendon, which takes months to heal. Torn tendons aren't necessarily painful, but given the amount of time it takes to heal properly and the fact that these dogs are extreme athletes, Boone is most likely out for the rest of the season. She'll rest up and be back stronger than ever next year! Amy...oh Amy. She's adorable, playful, super sweet, leads, and is one of my favorite dogs due to her cuddly personality, but after three years, I've finally accepted that Amy just isn't competitive. She's healthy and happy right now, but long miles just don't sound fun to her. Every dog has their own personality, and Adorable Amy would prefer not to race 300 miles.
Prepping for Races
/I apologize for the radio silence this last week, but life has been busy at Ryno Kennel! The most immediate event is the Quest 300 beginning Saturday at 3:00 PM. The Quest 300 runs in conjunction with the 1000-mile Yukon Quest, which starts at 11:00 AM on Saturday. For the Quest 300, we'll follow the 1000-milers for the first 200 miles from Fairbanks to Two Rivers to Mile 101 to Central and to Circle, then we'll turn around and head back to finish in Central. Cell service and internet connection are pretty much nonexistent after the Two Rivers checkpoint, so our updates will be few; however, my incredible mom will be doing her best to update everyone following the blog. Tessa will also be posting on our Facebook page- Ryno Sled Dog Kennel- as often as possible with pictures and short video. On the Yukon Quest, Quest 300 page (http://www.yukonquest.com/race-central/yq300-live-tracker) , you can follow our trackers. We're super excited to be participating in our hometown Fairbanks race! Check back on Saturday for the final lineups for the two Ryno Kennel Teams!
In addition to preparing for the Quest 300, Iditarod Drop Bags are due February 15th, so the Ryno Crew has been busy cutting meat, making meals, bagging kibble, bundling booties, labeling drop bags, and the multitudes of other tasks it takes to prepare for a 1000-mile race. A HUGE thank you to Tessa Butterfield (chef, bootier, bagger and labler extraordinaire), Maliko Ubl (precision meat butcher, dog coach, bagger expert) and Amanda Gecas (distinguished chef and dog trainer). You ladies have made a normally tedious, overwhelming task into a not only doable, but dare I say....fun?.... production. THANK YOU!!
Highlight on Wingman and Fish
/Continuing our posts on the 2015 puppy class, let's highlight Wingman and Fish!
Wingman has very similar mannerisms to his mom Neptune (Fire's daughter and sister of Niagra and Ham). In other words, he makes weird noises, stands in awkward positions, and is just all-around adorably goofy. He's grown tall and leggy like his dad Koyuk from Matt Hall's Smokin' Ace Kennel and has an insatiable appetite.
Fish is the epitome of a "flying squirrel." Occasionally she likes to be cuddled, but more often that not she'd prefer to sprint around and get into everything. She's very smart and has unfortunately learned that she doesn't always have to come when she's called- playing loose in the yard is way more fun than getting a treat at her house. Due to her limitless energy, she's given puppy walkers the run around a couple of times. Of all the Card Game Pups, she is the least like Perm. Instead, Fish seems to take after dad Reef in appearance.
Wingman at 6 months
Maliko's Recap
/What a fun race! We had such a great time running the Two Rivers 100. This time, Ryne sat out and worked as a check point volunteer at the Two Rivers Lodge while I ran most of the A team along with a couple of our two year olds, Lefty and Belle. This was a great experience for them to be in the midst of experienced dogs and learn to deal with a bit more demanding race schedule.
It was both incredible and nerve wracking to run Ryne’s race team, on the one hand, its amazing to see a mature team in race mode, on the other hand, I felt like I should be handling them with kid gloves at all times! Our 50 mile run into the finish line was one of the most gorgeous night runs I’ve done in a long time. The moon was so bright I ran without a headlamp for half of it, and the aurora came out to dance across the sky. One of the most beautiful scenes for me as a dog musher is watching your dog team and its moonlit shadow race across the wilderness under the northern lights. And let’s not forget what a great team Ryne has here at Ryno Kennel.
Fire and Katy led us the whole 100 miles, and they are a dream in front. Literally power steering fifty feet in front of you.
Jana and Drummer (of Boundary Sled Dog Kennel owned by our friend Amanda Gecas) were two hard driving swing dogs that absolutely loved it when we passed other teams.
Supai and Kindi ran just behind Jana and Drummer and were solid team dogs. We like to call Jana and Drummer and Supai and Kindi the two sets of twins, if you dodn’t know them well, you’d have trouble telling them apart!
Pirate and Charley (also from Boundary Sled Dog Kennel) were another set of great team dogs. They’re both big and powerful and even though Charley doesn’t always like to go very fast, he stepped it up for 100 miles.
Niagra and Belle were next in the team. Belle, I think, had a little bit of a hard time mentally keeping up with our shorter rest and faster pace, but she didn’t slack off, and Niagra enjoyed being in team for once, rather than leading the B team.
And last but definitely not least, Rucu and Lefty in wheel! These guys were great. As I’m sure you remember from my last post, Lefty is going to be a super star here at Ryno Kennel. These two powerhouse boys were amazing in wheel. They drove hard and ate everything in sight, even Lefty!
Maliko places 3rd!
/Maliko finished at 2:51 AM this morning, earning third place! Neighbors Tom Lesatz and Judy Currier took first and second respectively. We'll be sure to get a recap of each athlete to update all the dog sponsors and fans. Great job Maliko and Tessa for running a fantastic race!
Two Rivers 100
/Today, Maliko and 12 Ryno athletes will be heading out to run the Two Rivers 100 put on by our local Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association. The race will begin at Chatanika Lodge then climb 50 miles up and over Iowa Dome to the first checkpoint at Two Rivers Lodge, our local watering hole. After a mandatory 4 hour rest, Maliko and team will complete another 50 miles on our home training trails to finish at Pleasant Valley Store. Tessa will be Maliko's all star handler during the race- thank you Tessa!
Who are the canine athletes? Maliko will be joined by Fire and Katy in lead, Jana and Drummer, Supai and Kindi, Rucu and Niagra, Lefty and Belle, and Charley and Pirate in wheel.
While Maliko is racing, I will be helping manage the first checkpoint at Two Rivers Lodge. This means trying to organize and park 40 teams on a small pond next to the restaurant. That's 480 dogs! Logistics won't end there. On Saturday is Quest Food Drops, so I'll be finalizing and transporting all of our Quest 300 food drop bags.
Derek has signed on as trail sweep and will be following the teams on snowmachine, picking up trail markers and making sure everyone arrives at Two Rivers Lodge and Pleasant Valley Store safely.
Off to the races!
Highlight on Yuker and Crunch at 6 months
/Remember the adorable little pups from this summer? Wow- they've grown, and they're only 6 months!
Today- highlight on Crunch and Yuker!
Crunch still has his adorable, goofy ears, but he too has grown significantly. He's on the smaller side of the pups but has one of the biggest attitudes. Crunch is known for his temper, so we'll have to make sure he doesn't get too big for his britches. Both are such handsome boys!
Yuker is now a ridiculously handsome cocky boy who is already taller than his mom, Perm. I have no idea where Yuker got his size with Perm being only 45 lbs and Reef only slightly larger at 50 lbs.
Ryne's Team Recap
/First off, a HUGE HUGE thank you to the incredible handling team of Derek and Tessa. Derek has taken on all the thankless tasks in a kennel (fixing trucks, fixing sleds, fixing cabins, fixing gear, sewing gear, fixing other things), and for that I am forever grateful. I tend to break things rather than fix them, so thank you Derek for helping me keep life in order. Tessa, thank you for flying all the way up from California to pick up dog poop, pack drop bags, rake up straw, and get no sleep. This is Tessa's second season handling during Ryno Kennel races, and I feel so reassured knowing that our handling team is beyond experienced. Thank you Derek and Tessa!
Now on to the Canine Athletes- Fun Facts About the Team:
9 female athletes (10 if you count Ryne) and 3 males athletes
Ages
2 years- 1
3 years- 5
4 years- 5
6 years- 1
Weights
35-40 lbs- 2
41-50 lbs- 5
51-60 lbs- 4
61-65 lbs- 1
Fire- So many good things to say about this dog. She’s always happy, loves her job, has total confidence in her leadership skills, passes teams without once looking in their direction, and above all is incredibly trustworthy. Fire has my total confidence. I owe a lot to this little dog.
Cartel- Cartel really stepped up her performance in this race (if that was even possible). She’s such an intelligent dog that she knows the difference between racing and training. In training, it’s not uncommon for Cartel to test the rules and see how much mischief we’ll let slide; however, come race day, Cartel is all FOCUS. She was a hard driving speed demon who regularly led with Fire, including on our final run to the finish line from Mendeltna where we posted the fastest time by 28 minutes!
Ham- This gangly boy once again proved his drive and focus. Ham and Katy led on the two longest stretches of the race: 73 miles to Meiers Lake and 85 miles to Mendeltna Lake Lodge. When not leading, he shined as a cheerleader in the team, getting everyone excited to run as he continually slammed, and slammed, and slammed his harness. Good thing I could set a snowhook!
Katy- Katy aka “The Cheetah” was partnered with Ham to lead on the long sections of trail. She charged ahead, and rather than settling into her normal smooth trot, she loped almost the entire race! Katy’s struggle has always been her slimming figure and occasional picky eating, but this year Katy has fantastic weight and is looking stronger than ever.
Fez- Fez missed the first part of the training season due to a wrist injury from a porcupine encounter, but wow, am I glad she is back and 100%! This little dog has finished every race with me, and I surely would have missed her on this Copper Basin. Fez was always happy, sassy, and ready to rock. She’d spring up from the straw and trot around in circles until it was finally time to leave. Fez is a hard-working energizer bunny!
Perm- Loud, sassy, in your face- the perfect dog to get a team fired up to run. The moment I started to stir and gear up the team to leave a checkpoint, Perm would immediately be on her feet and doing her loud yawn/bark/whine, wagging her tail, and prancing around in the straw. Her recovery time is incredible. If everyone got out of bed immediately as happy as Perm, then the world would be a wonderful place.
Kindi- I ran Kindi and Supai together for a few reasons: (1) They eat EVERYTHING, always. If they ran next to anyone else, then their partner would be shorted on their meal. Kindi always ends up with a food baby, but I’m not sure where she gets all her extra food from. (2) They’re both red. Yes, it’s fun to color coordinate the team. (3) Their tails wag in unison. Kindi’s tail never stopped wagging. Even when she rode in the sled for the last 4 miles of the race, she was smiling and happy. There is never a sad day in the life of Kindi.
Supai- Supai was stellar as always. Like Fez and Rucu, he has finished every race with me. Slow or fast, hills or flats, Supai was barking and excited to go with a tight tug to match. His croaking bark could be heard over everyone else whenever we were ready to leave a checkpoint. I can’t imagine a team without Supai in it.
Rucu- Rucu had a fantastic race, but did struggle with the warmer temperatures. When our speed picked up in the flats, he would keep up but not necessarily be a driving force. I have to note, he is a 65+ lbs dog, which is typically detrimental when trying to go fast. Luckily, he pretty much single-handedly pulled the sled up every hill and made up for any coasting in the fast flats. Like Supai and Fez, Rucu has finished every race with me. Such a special dog.
Jana, Drummer, and Pirate all joined us from best friend and fellow musher Amanda Gecas at Boundary Sled Dog Kennel. This is their second year with the Ryno Team, but I’ve known them since they were yearlings. Thank you to Amanda for allowing them to join Team Ryno!
Jana- Jana is a fast little loper that helps drive the team’s speed. Like her sisters, Drummer and Pirate, she ate everything in sight and always had a great attitude. She rarely makes noise or draws attention to herself, but the second you start moving, you know Jana is in the team.
Drummer- Drummer is a quieter, more shy version of Jana. She’s easily overlooked because she is low-maintenance, which might not sound like much of a compliment, but in the sled dog world it’s huge. She always ate, always pulled, and always was excited to do her job. Great little dog Miss Drummer.
Pirate- Pirate reminds me of a large dinosaur or a body builder. Or a body building dinosaur. She’s exceptionally muscular and weighs in at 57 pounds! Like Rucu, she struggled with the higher speeds in the flats, but she was a powerhouse in the hills. Pirate also ran on my 2015 3rd place Copper Basin team, so I was ecstatic that she would be running another season with Ryno Kennel.
