Martin's starting number for the 2010 Iditarod is 37, Rohn's number when he ran the race in 2008. We are having a very difficult time deciding on the final 16 dogs to race, as we have 18 solid contenders!! Will post the list on Sunday. Martin can take any of his 20 approved dogs tomorrow.
The ceremonial start begins at 10:00 tomorrow in downtown Anchorage.
A bit of sad news is that Sue Allen, who has done a fabulous job training our young dogs, has a hamstring injury preventing her from taking that team to Nome. Art Church, a veteran Iditarod musher, will substitute and take the team to Nome. Sue will surely be traveling every mile with that team. Art and Sue are good friends and we have known Art for almost 28 years. We are confident in Art's ability to do right by the dogs.
I will try to update the blog more often. It's been a very busy week.
Martin along with several other mushers will be carrying ribbons to commerate fallen soldiers as part of the TAPS program. 100 military widows will be at the Ceremonial Start of the Race.
TAPS is a national non-profit veterans service organization providing compassionate care - at no charge - to the families and friends of America's fallen military heroes. It is an amazing organization, founded by Bonnie Carroll, following the death of her husband, Brigadier General Tom Carroll, in an Army C-12 plane crash in Alaska in 1992.
We honor their service to America.