麻豆社区

The Yukon Quest held the first Barkfest in three years in Whitehorse Saturday.

Quest Executive Director Bonnie Michaudvile explained what was going on.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a signup for the Yukon Quest 2023 races. We got the Yukon Quest 450 to Dawson, the 250 to Pelly and the 100 to Braeburn.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going great so far. We didn鈥檛 have an event last year and of course the year before there were no races so, in my eyes, this is a great turnout and we鈥檝e got mushers signed up, so that鈥檚 a bonus.鈥�

Michaudville added, 鈥淭he rain is staying away, the sun is shining and the dogs are having fun and so are we.鈥�

DPSAY (Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon) also held a canicross race.

Greg Newby and Axel tied for second.

鈥淎xel runs with her mama in lead so she鈥檚 Ilana Kingsley鈥檚 lead pair from Yukon Quest,鈥� said Newby. 鈥淪he signed up for the 250. But Axel鈥檚 the daughter and really didn鈥檛 know what to do at first because she wasn鈥檛 with her mama. So she figured it out and we had a good run.鈥�

Newby and Axel came in pretty fast at the end.

鈥淚 had a little energy left at the end. We were a little slow in the middle. I was ahead of her for the first half, almost. She finally caught on. Realized what鈥檚 supposed to happen. She鈥檚 a good little dog.鈥�

Newby didn鈥檛 find running on the Millennium trail distracting for the dogs.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e lead dogs. They can鈥檛 be distracted. Totally focused.鈥�

Newby鈥檚 partner, Ilana Kingsley, and Allie finished in third.

鈥淪he runs in lead but she doesn鈥檛 know what to do unless she鈥檚 with her mom,鈥� related Kingsley.

Kingsley said the race was 鈥済reat. It was fun. Allie was pulling me so that鈥檚 good. That鈥檚 always a plus.鈥�

Vico Fauveau and Sneaky Boy finished sixth.

鈥淚t was going great,鈥� said Fauveau. 鈥淚t was his first race and he wasn鈥檛 the best but he did a lot of training and ... he has a lot of potential.

鈥淗e鈥檚 still young and he has a lot to learn, but I鈥檓 proud of him. He didn鈥檛 lunge at any dogs. I was scared of that. But, no, it went great.鈥�

Ben Simard and Rye won first place and a harness.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of nice,鈥� said Simard. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect that. This is the first race that I do ... it was fun. It was hard, though.

My new resolution would be to stop smoking, I guess.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the dog I start mushing with 鈥� my first dog. He鈥檚 (from) a kennel but seven years old now. I get him at three years old from my buddy鈥檚 kennel cause he miss one eye and is not best runner for big race or intense competition, but small little race like that is a lot of fun for him.鈥�

Am茅lie Janin and Wave tied for second and signed up for the YQ100.

鈥淚t went really well,鈥� recalled Janin. 鈥淚 never run canicross with this one dog and I haven鈥檛 done canicross for a very long time, so it went way better than I expected.鈥�

Janin has 11 dogs right now, including two retirees.

鈥淩ight now my only ambition is to have enough for the start鈥� to have no injury so I have enough for the start day but I鈥檓 a camper. I just go out and have fun. I鈥檓 not much of a racer.鈥�

The minimum amount of dogs for the YQ100 is seven.

鈥淚鈥檝e been mushing for about 10 years and the small-sized kennel is good for me,鈥� she added.

Normand Casavant , the 鈥淪inging Musher鈥�, signed up for the 450. He has done the Quest five times.

鈥淚t always went well except the year that I was sick but the four time that I finish, I was in the top 10 all the time, so I鈥檓 happy and with a happy team all the time.鈥�

Casavant said he鈥檚 not sure what to expect this year as this will be the first time racing for most of his dogs.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 race since almost six, seven years, now ... but we are doing that race just for our own pleasure, to be in the bush.

鈥淚 live in Mayo, so it鈥檚 gonna be wonderful to do that 450 miles race. It won鈥檛 cost me too much money 鈥� that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 happy to see that and it鈥檚 gonna be from Whitehorse to Dawson, so it鈥檚 on my way, so I鈥檓 really happy to do the 450 this year.鈥�

At this time, the Quest has four mushers signed up for the 450, four for the 250 and six for the YQ100.