麻豆社区

Musher Hugh Neff responded to the Yukon Quest鈥檚 decision to censure him via a YouTube video posted Thursday.

In the seven-minute video, Neff emotionally spoke about the censure that will prohibit him from entering the 2019 race in any capacity and he will have to race the YQ300 before racing the 1,000-mile distance again.

Sitting in his Tok, Alaska home with a Yukon Quest banner behind him, Neff said he believes people are trying to force him out of the race. The censure recommendation was made by the Quest rules committee and was then voted on by both the Yukon and Alaska boards of directors.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just sad that we鈥檝e come to a state in dog mushing where it鈥檚 not about trying to improve tough situations but where people are just trying to destroy people鈥檚 careers and lifestyles,鈥� he said in the video. 鈥淚 think that people are trying to force me out of this race that is my life. I鈥檝e given my life to the Quest.鈥�

The censure to Neff is a result of the final necropsy report for Boppy, a dog on his team who died during the 2018 race.

The necropsy showed Boppy died of aspiration pneumonia but also found other conditions such as stomach ulcers, a whipworm infestation and muscle wasting.

In his video, Neff took issue with the fact that the Quest鈥檚 decision was made without speaking to him or the people who were at the Clinton Creek hospitality stop when the incident with Boppy occurred.

鈥淭hey never even interviewed the people at Forty Mile where this happened and that just blows my mind. So their just going off the paperwork and their own feelings about what they see number wise,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nstead of interviewing me, interviewing the people where this happened, this is just, the way I see it, a personal vendetta that a few folks have against me and that don鈥檛 want me to be a part of the Quest.鈥�

Neff said he will appeal the decision, but mentioned he doesn鈥檛 want to go in front of a board of people he believes are against him.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to grovel, and I will protest this but I鈥檓 not going to go in front of a board of people that I know don鈥檛 like me and won鈥檛 respect my word to get them to try to change their minds, which this is the opportunity they鈥檝e been waiting for,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I will not disappear from the Quest. If anything I鈥檓 going to be more a part of the Quest because it鈥檚 who we are.鈥�

According to the Quest rules, Neff will have 30 days to request an informal hearing by a Review Board.

At the end of the video, which Neff鈥檚 Facebook page said was only half of the interview, the two-time Quest champion broke into tears talking about his love of the race.

鈥淢ore than anything, more than anything I love, I love the Quest,鈥� he said through tears. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I just don鈥檛 understand why they鈥檙e doing this to me. But you know, I ain鈥檛 backing down. No way, no way.鈥�