Drum roll……..and Ryne’s 2020 Copper Basin Team is……

Kalyn’s Team will be introduced in two groups. The first six are…..

And the second six are…..

For those of you with slow internet or who want the cliff notes:

Ryne’s CB Team:

Elmer- 3 year old, leader. This will be Elmer’s first big race! He’s run the Two Rivers 100 before, but never anything longer. I’m very excited to see how he performs, and Elmer will most likely be running in lead a fair amount.

Goblin- 6 year old, leader. Goblin will probably start in lead to help Elmer (or a younger dog) navigate the beginning of the course. I’m then hoping to drop him back into the middle of the team and just have him as a reserve leader. Goblin has been a main guy for many years, so it’s hard for me to imagine doing a race without him!

Cooke- 3 year old, leader. Cooke is looking strong and sassy! Keep an eye out for him in the front of the team. He’s not the fastest dog, but he has an enthusiastic attitude and loves to move on down the trail.

Oryx- 3 year old, team. Oryx Beast ran the Yukon Quest with Andy Pace (Hey Moose! Kennel) last year, so she has lots of run/rest/repeat experience. However, this will be the first time we’re on a team together, so I’m looking forward to having her obnoxiously energetic attitude on the race.

Wingman- 4 year old, team. Wingman is the best eater in the kennel, which is an invaluable trait in a sled dog. He has a smooth trot, fiery personality, and LOVES coming into checkpoints. He makes our team look good every time we arrive in a checkpoint by barking and harness-banging.

Ewok- 4 year old, leader. Ewok ran the CB last year with me and is a powerhouse in the hills. She gets intimidated when passing (or being passed by) other teams, so she probably won’t lead until later in the race, but when she is up front, you can expect our speed to increase!

Flash- 3 year old, team. This is Flash’s first big race! Prior to this, she had only raced the Two Rivers 100. She has a super fun attitude and is oftentimes the first one to start harness banging and jumping around. I wouldn’t call her the hardest puller in the team, but I’m hoping her cheerleader attitude will make up for anything her work ethic might lack. Plus, she likes to go fast, seeing as she’s part sprint dog!

Wombat- 4 year old, team. Wombat is one HARD WORKING little dog. She gets pumped up to run, and then just puts her head down and works, works, works. If anything, that’s her fault. She overworks herself and can get a sore muscle. She has mellowed out a bit as she gets older, so I’m hoping that will help her take it easy!

Thresher- 2 year old, leader. This will be Thresher’s first big race! He’s probably the strongest 2 year old right now. He often leads in training, but we might just have him coast in team for his first big race. We’ll see. He’s tiny but powerful.

Yoshi- 2 year old, team. Yoshi is a ballerina sled dog. I think she’s the most graceful athlete in the kennel. She moves beautifully, keeps a tight tug, eats, and gets fired up anytime an animal is around. This will be her first big race, so she’ll most likely run in wheel or farther back in the team.

Jana- 8 year old, leader. Jana is the old girl of the team, but she doesn’t know it! I think this is her 8th Copper Basin! Wow! She finished in lead during our championship run in 2017. She’ll most likely run in team and be on standby as a leader. She doesn’t like passing or being passed by other dog teams (it’s kind of scary), but her nickname is the Closer because she comes through to lead the team to the finishline.

Uno- 4 year old, team. Uno never, ever, ever gets tired. At 1 AM last night, it was -50F and who’s out running in circles and playing- Uno. She’s an energizer bunny. She’s not super fast, but she gets the job done and never seems fatigued.

Kalyn’s Team

Katy- 7 year old, leader. This is Katy’s 6th Copper Basin. She’s a rockstar but doesn’t necessarily want to do the shorter rest of the race team. She’ll be one of Kalyn’s main leaders.

Smoky- 3 year old, leader. This will be Smoky’s first big race. He’s been amazing in training, so I’m hoping he’ll be on the Yukon Quest team. He’s enormous and can run fast but is more comfortable at a moderate speed, hence while he’ll be racing with Kalyn.

Dolly- 6 years old, leader. Dolly has many, many races under her belt, so she’ll be one of Kalyn’s main leaders. She weighs maybe 40 pounds, so Dolly and Katy make a hilarious little duo leading all the monster dogs.

Otis- 3 year old, team. This will be Otis’s first race. Like his brothers, Otis has been very strong in training. He’s not particularly fast, so he’s running with Kalyn, but if he does well in the Copper Basin, he has a very good chance of making the Quest team. His biggest hurdle will be maintaining his weight. Otis is a high burner.

Mario- 2 year old, team. Pretty blue-eyed Mario is about to embark on his first big race! Kalyn was very impressed with Mario on the last couple runs, so we’re hoping he’ll really excel on the CB. As a yearling, Mario would become anxious about almost anything, but now he’s much more confident and driven. He has a smooth trot, tough feet, and holds weight. A perfect little sled dog.

Bull- 2 year old, team. This will be Bull’s (aka pogo stick) first big race! He has a goofy gait but has looked strong in training and has a fantastic, enthusiastic attitude. He has a “sweet spot” as far as speed is concerned, and when the team is going slower or faster than his desired speed, he sometimes gets a little slack. With age, he’s been figuring out how to change his gait to keep pulling at various speeds. We’re excited to see how he does in the race!

King Louie- 3 year old, leader. Louie will be one of Kalyn’s main leaders. He’s been FANTASTIC in training. If he has a strong race, Louie will be on the Quest team.

Badger- 3 year old, team. Badger is fired up and ready. He’s not particularly fast, but his coat is the thickest in the kennel, so I think he’s looking forward to the frigid temperatures that are in the forecast. Like Louie, if Badger has a good race, he’ll be on the Quest team.

Faff- 2 year old, team/leader. Faff allllmmooost made the A Team, but she was the tiniest bit stiff after a long run, so she’ll be traveling at a slower speed on Kalyn’s team. She’s quite the cheerleader and works so hard, so I’ll miss having her on my team!

Amelia- 4 year old, team. Amelia is the hardest worker in the kennel to a fault. Like Wombat, she overdoes it sometimes. She’s a spitfire, eats everything, and gets the team pumped up. If she has a good race with Kalyn, she’s in contention for the Quest.

Yuker- 4 year old, team. This big dude pulls more than his fair share. He prefers a moderate pace (hence Kalyn’s team), but with his work ethic, I’ll definitely miss having Yuker on my team! He’s a powerhouse.

Lefty- 6 year old, leader. This is the first time in a long time that Lefty hasn’t been on my team, and I’ll be honest, it breaks my heart a little bit. BUT I know that he’ll prefer Kalyn’s pace to the pace of my team. Lefty is still an A Team athlete, but he shines in intelligence and leadership not speed.

Adults on the bench:

Rucu- Rucu is strong and has done every training mile. Since he has so much experience, we’re letting a younger dog have a go at Copper Basin. Rucu is still in contention for Quest!

Loretta- Loretta is in the same boat as Rucu. She’s run MANY miles and doesn’t need to prove herself on the CB to make the Quest team.

Vanessa- Vanessa did the majority of the training miles, but a couple different times, she’d have a sore right shoulder. She’d bounce back quickly, but we’re erring on the side of caution. She’s sticking to shorter runs right now to make sure it’s nothing major.

Boone- Boone is amazing. She started training later in the fall to make sure her Achilles was healed (it was slightly swollen after the last Yukon Quest), and it is! She’s doing tours and training puppies and having a grand time. Since she started later in the fall, she never quite built up to race team miles, which is just fine. We’d rather have her sassy and 100% for next season.

Bowser- Bowser is 100% physically, but he has a bit of an anxiety problem. Last year and earlier this season, Bowser would get so excited during training runs that he’d over-dip (meaning he’d habitually bite snow as we were running) to point that he’d vomit. He loves to run and pulls super hard, but his anxious dipping was a real problem. Recently he’s been training with the yearlings in a more mellow environment to try and ease his anxiety and excitement. It’s been working! He rarely overdips any more, so we’re hoping he’ll outgrow the habit.

Supai- Supai has mostly been living the couch life this year. He had a stiff wrist earlier in the season that stubbornly persisted. After acupuncture, laser therapy, and rest, it’s looking better but he’s riding the couch until we make sure it’s 100%.

Crunch- Crunch is in the same boat as Supai. Both of them (along with Kindi, Fire, and Ham) spend every night with Tom in the cabin getting lots of TLC.

Fish, Ham, Fire, Bert, Ernie, Scarpa, and Petzl- They’ve all been doing shorter runs and tours and looking amazing! More about them later!

And there you have it!