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LATEST
Five of 10 mushers in 2012 were
girls.
Background
Results
Contact:
www.jriditarod.com
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Background
Blazing the Trail for Future Generations
In 1975 Eric Beeman, Rome Gilman, Mark Couch,
Susan Wagnon, Clint Mayeur, Carl Clawson, and
Jessee Reynolds, had a dream of starting a
competitive race and providing a training ground
for young mushers like themselves interested in
distance racing. During the next two years other
young people including Kenny Pugh, Jeff and Kirsten
Pralle, Clarence Shockley, Randy Rader and others
joined them and turned this dream from extended
camping trips into the beginnings of the premiere
race we know today.
Joe Redington Sr., after discussing the idea
with these young people, advised them to "go for
it" and that was the beginning of the Jr.
Iditarod.
This dedicated group of young mushers, with the
help of their parents and other interested adults,
worked very hard and saw their dream realized when
the first Jr. Iditarod Trail Race took place in
March of 1978. From then on, the race has grown in
stature and professionalism to an event of
approximately 160 miles in length. It is held on
the weekend immediately preceding the start of the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and draws young
mushers from all over Alaska and from outside the
state as well as Europe with Thomas Krejci of
Czechoslovakia being our first international
entrant in 1992. www.jriditarod.com/special.php?id=7
Preview the Junior
Iditarod
Camping trips with their dogs and sleds,
that’s all teenage mushers had prior to the
days of the now celebrated Junior Iditarod. It was
the same year that Rick Swenson and Dick Mackey
traded leads as they sprinted down Front Street in
Nome for the closest finish in Iditarod history
that the inaugural junior race was staged. Young
mushers of the mid 1970’s watched family
members and friends head out across the great state
of Alaska to conquer the trail to Nome. The
youngsters conceived the idea of having a race of
their own – a first rate competition. Those
visionary teens along with their parents and other
mushing enthusiasts went to Iditarod founder Joe
Redington, Sr. seeking his advice and endorsement.
Seeing the passion and desire in their hearts and
recognizing that they would be the future of dog
mushing in Alaska, Joe encouraged them to “go
for it.” One would expect nothing less from
the man who “dreamed up” Iditarod.
Thirty-three years later, the field is set for
the running of the 2011 Junior Iditarod. Fifteen
teams have entered the competition that runs from
Knik Lake to Yentna Station Roadhouse. Before
leaving Yentna for the last half of the race that
concludes at the Willow Community Center, the teams
are required to take a ten-hour rest. The distance
covered by the teen mushers is roughly 150
miles.
The current field is led by defending champion
Marissa Osmar of Ninilchik, Alaska. Marissa
is a third generation musher. Her father, Tim is a
3 time Junior champ and her grandfather, Dean, won
the 1984 Iditarod. The field of fifteen teams has
eight veteran Junior mushers along with seven
rookies. The veterans have 15 combined years of
Junior experience. By gender the field consists of
six guys and nine girls. Rookies Jenny
Greger from Bozeman, Montana and Annika
Oleson from Yellowknife in NWT, CANADA join the
twelve Alaskan contestants.
In reading the musher biographies on the Junior
Iditarod website, one sees several common themes.
Many of the teens come from families that have been
involved in the sport for a long while –
several for three generations. A few of the current
field are fairly new to the sport but many say
they’ve been mushing almost as long as
they’ve been walking. Many have parents who
are Junior Iditarod or Iditarod veterans. Several
of the juniors running this year hope to pursue
careers as veterinarians.
Results
|
2012
|
|
Bib
|
Finish
|
Name
|
Comments
|
|
8
|
5
|
Jenny
Greger
|
2/26, 2012 17:19:00
|
|
5
|
6
|
Chelsea Davis
|
2/26, 2012 17:42:00
|
|
6
|
8
|
Aiyana Ferraro
|
2/26, 2012 18:45:00
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|
9
|
9
|
Mattie Cobb
|
2/25, 2012 15:05:00
|
|
12
|
10
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Abigail Brooks
|
2/26, 2012 14:34:00
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