Iditarod ECGs, Blood Draws, Vet Checks, and Bib Draw!

Over the past couple days, the dogs have been getting a thorough health check!

First, we brought 23 athletes to the ECGs and blood draws. While really only 17-18 dogs are truly in contention for the Iditarod team, we brought along a few extras so they could experience a vet check, receive microchips, and get blood panels. Here is a video of yearling Watson demonstrating the process. He was a model patient! After the ECG, he just wanted to continue lying on the table getting belly rubs! Ha!

The next day, Dr. Joanne McCrea came out to the kennel to do physical health exams on all the dogs. We met Dr. McCrea on the Yukon Quest when she was volunteering her time, for which I am so, so appreciative. Not only does she make house calls to help with any canine issues, but Dr. McCrea has become our go-to person for reindeer veterinary care as well. After finishing her veterinary checks of the Iditarod athletes, Dr. McCrea looked at a couple other dogs in the kennel and drew blood from Kalyn’s reindeer Sappho so that we can see if she’s pregnant!

Now that our health checks are complete, we’re finishing off the final training runs (mostly just fun stretch out runs), packing up the truck, and getting ready for the IDITAROD!

I (Ryne) will be leaving early Thursday morning with co-pilot Cartel. I have to be in Anchorage for a pre-race Covid test that afternoon. Cartel and I will remain in Anchorage after the Covid test until the race start. Derek and Kalyn will drive the dogs down to Willow on Saturday. Mandy will remain at the kennel and hold down the homestead. There will be no Ceremonial Start or Starting Banquet this year, which I know the public will miss (as will Iditarod’s revenue stream), but as a musher, I’m pretty excited about that! Cartel and I don’t have any obligations while waiting in Anchorage other than setting up Kelsey and Tyler with gear to pick up any dropped dogs during Iditarod. A big THANK YOU to Kesley and Tyler for taking that on. Long time RK follows probably remember Tyler from his two winters as a handler at Ryno Kennel. Tyler and his girlfriend Kelsey now live in Anchorage with retiree, Belle.

The Iditarod randomly drew bib numbers, and the RK team will be leaving in position #14!

If you take Derek’s favorite number of 7 then add my collegiate soccer number of 4, then subtract my high school soccer number of 11, then add Kalyn’s favorite number of 6, then subtract the number of years I’ve lived in Alaska of 11, then add Mandy’s favorite number of 14, then add the number of brothers I have of 2, then add the number of puppies in my first litter (Supai, Rucu, Kindi) of 3.........
It equals 14!!! Coincidence? I think not. It’s going to be a good race.