Brandt
Laurie Brandt
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Everything you need to know to attend the 7th Annual Grand Mesa Summit Challenge Sled Dog Races on top of the Grand Mesa! Plus today's results . . .

We've got teams from Utah, Idaho and of course Colorado, competing in the highest sled dog race in North America right in our own back yard! Some of these racers have even gone onto the World Championship Sprint Races.

The weather was perfect with a light warm snow throughout the day and when you needed to warm up concessions were on hand including chili and coffee to benefit Hospice And Palliative of Western Colorado.

If you plan on joining us tomorrow here's some things you may want to remember:

  1. Event runs Sunday from approximately 8a to 2p
  2. Leave your pets at home-they distract the racers and is unsafe
  3. Weather is unpredictable bring warm clothes to change into if need be
  4. Bring cash for concessions
  5. Bring snowshoes if you want to explore
  6. Bring your own chair

Meet the Mushers and check out the results from Saturday's heat:

8 Dog Teams-These competitors run 8 miles in anywhere from 40 to 55 minutes.

  • #4 Kate St. Onge from Mancos with a time of 38:51
  • #5 Chris Young a newbie running retired racers with a time of 41:49
  • #1 Jesse Miltier your PB Judge ran a time of 45:04
  • #2 Brucer Harper from Rifle your Race Marshall with a time of 44:22
  • #3 Jon Bunderson all the way from Soda Springs, Idaho came in with a time of 49:32

6 Dog Teams-These athletes run 6 miles in an average of 30 minutes.

  • #6 John Perry 6 time Gold Medalist with the ISDRA, 6 Dog World Sprint Champion,  the first ever to win 3 Gold Medals in Ouray in the 4, 6 and 8 dog compititions, and at 70 years of age, one of the oldest competitors in the race. He arrived first with a time of 23:57
  • #7 Lynn Whipple your Chief Judge a local Montrose musher, took 1st place in last years 6 & 4 dog classes at the Grand Mesa races, also ranked in the top 10 Internationally and Nationally with the ISDRA for 10 Years came in after John with a time of 26:41
  • #8 Mark Stephens from Hartsel came in with a time of 39:30
  • #10 Colette Standen's results were 42:28
  • #9 Amy Eskelsen from LaSal, Utah had a time of 48:08
  • #11 Rick Meinig from Colorado Springs whose 12 year old son is also racing this weekend was our last musher in with a time of 48:49

2 Dog Skijor Teams-These teams can run 6 miles in 20 minutes I'm told.

Thanks to one of the racers: Mr Kale Casey, I can give you a brief overview what this sport is all about: 1 to 3 dogs pull a skate skier, that provides power with their skis & poles. The dog of course ads additional power by running and pulling. This is where it gets interesting; the skier wears a skijoring harness, the dog wears a sled dog harness and they're attached to each other with a rope that has built in shock absorbers so that the skiers don't get jerked in half (I'm sure that's not in the owners manual but I'm sure that's what they're for). The really interesting part to me is that the is no way for the skier to steer the dog, the dog who is motivated by their own desire to run, must respond to voice commands only.

  • #23 Steph Dwyer from Leadville, 10th & 13th in 1 & 2 dog skijor at the 2009 World Championships ran a 25:48
  • #36 Drake Benson had a time of 27:28
  • #21 Kale Casey my expert in the field, running with Quinn & Pops his Pointer Cross sled dogs-a mix of Alaskian Huskey and German or English Short-haired Pointer had a great run with a time of 28:01
  • #22 Aaron (with the last name I don't try to pronounce) Natoniewski from Carbondale had a time of 28:40
  • #27 Scott (with the last name I finally learned to pronounce A-Money) Aimaone from Littleton, 2002 Gold Medalist and 7th in 2 dog & 6th in 1 dog skijor, came in with a time of 31:11
  • #20 Laurie Brandt who is new to the sport and another one of our Montrose residents has a wide background in mountain bike racing: 3 time Colorado State Champion, 4 time winner of the Leadville 100 mi Race, and 2 time winner of the Silver Rush 50 came in with a time of 34:26
  • #24 Tom Bethka from Grand Junction's time was 35:21
  • #28 Janet Saxon from Golden came in with a time of 40:20
  • #29 Chip Rieber had a time of 1 hour 12 minutes
  • #25 Michael Carr who believe it or not uses Rottweilers for his team was our last racer in with a time of 1 hour 17 minutes

4 Dog Teams-These racers can complete 4 miles in approximately 23 minutes under perfect conditions

  • #15 Seth Sachson another of my experts in the field, who runs a shelter in Aspen, was our first musher in with a fantastic time of 19:25. I'd like to note that Seth's dogs look like some of the smallest in the races to me.
  • #16 Sam Christman with as time of 21:45
  • #19 Forest Bramwell with a time of 24:44
  • #13 Sofia Koepke from Frazer, the youngest competitor in this class that I met at 14 years of age did a great job in her 1st ever race on the snow with a time of 25:57
  • #18 Carolyn Doss with a time of 28:01
  • #12 Veryl Goodnight from Mancos with a time of 28:48
  • #17 Vanessa Ivy from Rifle with a time of 29:37
  • # 14 Amanda Rhule from Rifle with a time of 31:53
  • #37 Mike Stark with a time of 35:22
  • #8 Mark Stephens from Hartsel with a run of 35:37

Our 4 dog Sportsman & Junior Class went out directly after the 4 dogs and the big star of the day was Junior Competitor Paige Hauptmann who passed several of the adults to come in with an amazing time of 23:02! This was Paige's 1st race! In this photo Paige is practicing before the race:

Hauptmann
Paige Hauptmann
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4 Dog Sportsman Teams

  • #34 Peter Meinig came back with a time of 33:35
  • #35 Rachel Lyons I apologize I am missing her time

1 Dog Skijor Teams-Can run 4 miles in approximately 25 minutes from what I've been told.

  • #21 Kale Casey 21:24
  • #20 Laurie Brandt 21:37
  • #22 Aaron Natoniewski 22:00
  • #23 Steph Dwyer 23:12
  • #32 Katherine Ketter 24:42
  • #27 Scott Aimone 26:39
  • #31 Teresa Petterson from Montrose, who has some of my favorite breed of sled dogs, with a time of 27:34, the dog she ran today Bridger is a 104 pound, 6 ½ yr old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog that has been skijor racing since he was 18 months. He is a 4 time Greater Swiss Mountain Dog National Champion Weight pull dog. He currently holds the record for most weight pulled by a Swissy, pulling 4865 pounds (47.5 times his body weight). He is also a 2 time IWPA (International Weight Pull Association) Champion. This is an all breed pulling club and he has qualified for the Championship again. Last year he was the only non Pit Bull to win his weight division. The classes start at 20 pounds and go to over 150. This spring he will be heading to Canada to defend his title. It is a 2 day pull, one on snow and one with a wheeled cart. Both must be moved a distance of 16 feet in less than 1 minute.
Great Dog
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  • #26 Mike Sullivan 28:35
  • #28 Janet Saxon from Golden 31:02
  • #30 Michael Wason from Paonia scores couldn't be verified at time of publication

Last years winners:

  • 1 Dog Skijor Kale Casey
  • 2 Dog Skijor Mark Schwartz
  • 4 Dog Team Lynn Whipple
  • 6 Dog Team John Perry
  • 8 Dog Team Don MacEachen

Come join us!

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