Sled dog race is community undertaking in Teton County
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DRIGGS — The Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race, the country’s largest sled dog race outside of Alaska, is holding a stage in Driggs on Jan. 28.
The race was launched in 1996 to showcase western Wyoming scenery, but has been sneaking over the border to Idaho for the past couple of years.
The city of Driggs and the Teton Valley Community Animal Shelter host the Idaho stage, which is the second day of the race. The stage starts at 9 a.m. at the west end of Packsaddle Road. Mushers will start in three-minute intervals. There are 28 mushers in this year’s race.
The city of Driggs has a good handle on the logistics of the event by now, but last year experienced a major hiccup when it snowed two feet the night before the race.
Driggs originally envisioned starting the race downtown, but the unpredictability of snowfall has made that untenable for now. Also, the mushers love the scenic 31.5-mile course in the Big Holes.
Spectator shuttles will run every half hour from the Driggs City Center starting at 8 a.m. Watching the race start and finish is quite the scene, according to Driggs Community Development Director Doug Self.
“It’s controlled mayhem,” he said.
The race benefits the Driggs economy. Over a hundred people are involved, between mushers, handlers, and the race crew, and they need fuel, food, lodging, and supplies. Mushers will be staying with local families who have volunteered their homes.
Sponsorship of the Driggs stage costs $85 and can be purchased through Jan. 1. Sponsors receive a race banner signed by all the mushers. Sponsorship dollars help pay for race fees and benefit the animal shelter. Contact Self at dself@driggsidaho.org for more sponsorship information.
After the stage ends, dog teams will be at the plaza in Driggs from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. for a community meet-and-greet.
“These are super-star mushers,” said Self.
On the evening before the Driggs stage, in Jackson Town Square, junior mushers will participate in a short exhibition fun run. To participate, kids aged 9 to 13 must perform 10 hours of community service prior to the race. The Pedigree Stage Stop provides the dogs and sleds.
No Teton Valley kids have stepped up to be junior mushers this year. Self hopes some will get involved in the future.
“It would be really neat to develop some mushers locally,” he said.
This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.