Scratch Thread

[aren]

I am sorry to hear about this. So much effort put into this last adventure. I think I read somwhere that the wife and son sort of wanted this adventure to be a kind of birthday present for Cliff's 60'th birthday.
Hope his eyes will heal completely.
aren

[aren]

It's on the current standings page that Jessica Hendricks has also scratched at NIk.
aren

[tilstede]

Jason Barron scratched at McGrath.

Stomach bugs the reason?

[Johncn]

Hello,

Rumor on Jon Little's post yesterday was that Jason's dogs (and Dee Dee's) had a stomach virus.

The Anchorage Daily News has picked up the quality and freshness of their coverage this year.

ADN - Former Rookie of the Year Scratches
http://www.adn.com/2694/story/335963.html

Young Two Rivers musher Jessica Hendricks, the Iditarod rookie of the year in 2003, scratched on Wednesday at Nikolai after the unseasonably warm weather took a toll on dogs accustomed to much colder conditions.

Hendricks, 25, had dropped five dogs in Nikolai, a big number for any musher at one checkpoint. That left her with just seven dogs, and she eventually decided to scratch. She was in 53rd place.

Hendricks, born and raised in Alaska, has finished as high as 15th, in the 2005 Iditarod. She's finished in the top 25 in every Iditarod she's started.

Note: According to an ADN article written on the same number of days into the race last year, we are having far fewer scratches this year to this point....six this year so far, INCLUDING Barron, versus 14 scratches to this point last year:

http://www.adn.com/iditarod/2007/features/story/281169.html

The dropout rate for mushers was significantly higher, about 17 percent. Fourteen of the 82 who officially began the race at a ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday had scratched. The most mushers to scratch in one race was 20 in 2003.

Regards,

Johncn

[MotorWerk]

What was that I heard about some cooking equipment blowing up in someone's face...?

[tanglefoot]

yep cliffs cooker exploded in his face, his eyes are a bit singed and he decided to scratch to save injuring them further

[MotorWerk]

So he's basically ok, then? Good Lord, it could have gone terrible wrong.

[Johncn]

Hello,

Bad news on Kim Franklin

ITC Press Release - Rookie Kim Franklin Withdrawn From Race
http://www.iditarod.com/press/release/pressrelease_557.html

Rohn, March 6, 2008 – Rookie musher Kim Franklin, from the United Kingdom, was withdrawn from the 2008 Iditarod earlier today.

Franklin reported that one of her dogs chewed through the gangline and two dogs left the team during Franklin’s nighttime run from Rainy Pass to Rohn. She was unable to locate them and went on to Rohn.

Under Iditarod rules, mushers must arrive in a checkpoint with the same number of dogs that they left the previous checkpoint with in order to continue in the race.

A withdrawal has the effect of involuntarily eliminating a musher and team from the race but does not imply any deliberate misconduct or violation. The two dogs were located back down the trail in Rainy Pass and were flown to Anchorage and released to their handler.

Eighty-nine mushers and their teams remain on the trail and on the way to Nome.

This is too bad, but the rule is there for a reason, and I had it explained to me last year by Kevin Keeler. I hope her dogs are found healthy and happy.

Regards,

Johncn

[luvmy4huskiesn1mal]

Reluctantly adding Ryan Reddington. Tough to drop your leads and swings but smart to know what's best for all. Many more races ahead for Ryan.

[Moose]

A disappointment no doubt, but the only thing to be done. Settle yourself and your dogs, Ryan, then pop back in and tell us the story of this adventure. You've got a captive (and rapt) audience here.