The Magic of Mushing
Greetings. As winter winds down across the northern hemisphere, the "Last Great Race on Earth" has drawn to a close again. The Iditarod, an amazing dog sled race that covers 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, was once again won by Lance Mackey. This native Alaskan, who noted that he "began mushing at birth," won the event for the fourth consecutive time–a record unequaled in the 37-year history of the competition. He also was the third member of his family to win the Iditarod, following in the footsteps (or sled tracks) of his father and older brother. In keeping his title, Mackey demonstrated a rare combination of skill, knowledge, preparation, passion, and the ability to train and care for his team of dogs. A team that would make the journey together in the time of 8 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 9 seconds. Only about an hour more than the record set by Martin Buser in 2002.
And while his remarkable story is definitely one of genius, so is the story of a very different fellow who finished in 47th place after covering the treacherous journey in 12 days, 4 hours, and 27 minutes. His name is Newton Marshall, and this 27-year-old first-time participant came to the race simply with a desire to finish and an excitement to see the "lovely landscape" along the way. It's worth noting that the beautiful and unforgiving terrain he and the other 60 competitors encountered was far different than the lovely landscape in his native Jamaica. And it was this incredible difference that made his quest so noteworthy. Marshall, who once worked as a gardener and a tour guide, began training for the Iditarod four years ago. Completing it in his first try was a most unlikely accomplishment.
Some people come to win a race, while others come for the journey. Some come to test themselves against a history of great performances, while others come to test themselves–against the limits of their own imaginations. Two men in their own races against the elements, along some of the most majestic snow-covered land on earth.
We win in business and in life by being the best at understanding how to navigate our most challenging terrain. And by seeing it through the most experienced and the freshest sets of eyes. The real challenge is to combine what we know with a fervent belief in what might be possible.
Cheers and have a wonderful week filled with possibilities!
Comment (1)
Margery Glickman
I read your article “The Magic of Mushing” and want you to know that for the dogs, the Iditarod is a bottomless pit of suffering. Six dogs died in the 2009 Iditarod, including two dogs on Dr. Lou Packer’s team who froze to death in the brutally cold winds. What happens to the dogs during the race includes death, paralysis, frostbite (where it hurts the most!), bleeding ulcers, bloody diarrhea, lung damage, pneumonia, ruptured discs, viral diseases, broken bones, torn muscles and tendons and sprains. At least 142 dogs have died in the race.
During training runs, Iditarod dogs have been killed by moose, snowmachines, and various motor vehicles, including a semi tractor and an ATV. They have died from drowning, heart attacks and being strangled in harnesses. Dogs have also been injured while training. They have been gashed, quilled by porcupines, bitten in dog fights, and had broken bones, and torn muscles and tendons. Most dog deaths and injuries during training aren’t even reported.
Marshall and Mackey each finished the race with 11 dogs. The ten dogs other dogs they started with were left at checkpoints because they were injured, too exhausted, or too sick to run. Marshall forced the dog Larry to race when he was limping and put extra stress on two dogs by forcing them to run when they were in heat. Mackey stressed his dog Zena by racing her when she was in heat. The Times reported that Marshall fell asleep on his sled while the dogs ran mile after grueling mile.
Iditarod dog kennels are puppy mills. Mushers breed large numbers of dogs and routinely kill unwanted ones, including puppies. Many dogs who are permanently disabled in the Iditarod, or who are unwanted for any reason, including those who have outlived their usefulness, are killed with a shot to the head, dragged, drowned or clubbed to death. “Dogs are clubbed with baseball bats and if they don’t pull are dragged to death in harnesses……” wrote former Iditarod dog handler Mike Cranford in an article for Alaska’s Bush Blade Newspaper.
Dog beatings and whippings are common. During the 2007 Iditarod, eyewitnesses reported that musher Ramy Brooks kicked, punched and beat his dogs with a ski pole and a chain. Jim Welch says in his book Speed Mushing Manual, “Nagging a dog team is cruel and ineffective…A training device such as a whip is not cruel at all but is effective.” “It is a common training device in use among dog mushers…”
Jon Saraceno wrote in his March 3, 2000 column in USA Today, “He [Colonel Tom Classen] confirmed dog beatings and far worse. Like starving dogs to maintain their most advantageous racing weight. Skinning them to make mittens.. Or dragging them to their death.”
During the race, veterinarians do not give the dogs physical exams at every checkpoint. Mushers speed through many checkpoints, so the dogs get the briefest visual checks, if that. Instead of pulling sick dogs from the race, veterinarians frequently give them massive doses of antibiotics to keep them running. The Iditarod’s chief veterinarian, Stu Nelson, is an employee of the Iditarod Trail Committee. They are the ones who sign his paycheck. So, do you expect that he’s going to say anything negative about the Iditarod?
The Iditarod, with all the evils associated with it, has become a synonym for exploitation. The race imposes torture no dog should be forced to endure.
Sincerely,
Margery Glickman
Director
Sled Dog Action Coalition, http://www.helpsleddogs.org
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