Seward musher wins open class at first sled dog sprint races

Photo courtesy of MCDMA

RACING TO VICTORY— Seward musher Daryl Hollingsworth won the open class in the first point races of the Montana Creek Dog Musher’s Association, held Dec 12 and 13, 2009. Hollingsworth races to the finishline with his 14-dog team on Sunday, Dec. 13.

The first two point races of the Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association took place over the weekend of Dec. 12 and 13, attracting more than 40 mushers and skijorers from as near as Talkeetna and Willow and as far as Fairbanks, Anchorage and Seward to the Montana Creek Dog Mushers race track.In the open class, Seward’s Daryl Hollingsworth dominated the field of high-caliber mushers including multiple Rondy and ONAC champion Egil Ellis, limited ONAC winners Jennifer Probert and last year’s MCDMA point race champion Christian Taveau. Hollingsworth took his 14-dog team around the 10-mile course in 29 minutes and 46 seconds on Saturday, and in 30 minutes and 14 seconds on Sunday. All eight open class mushers crossed the finish line within two minutes and 15 seconds.

Less competitive yet all serious about dogs and racing were four 5-year old junior one dog racers who finished their loop in an intense one-minute of racing.

Three older juniors braved the 3-dog class and mushed their dog teams around the 3-mile course.

Skijorer Greg Jurek remained victorious in both days of skijoring and completed the skijor 3-mile course in 14 minutes and 3 seconds on Saturday and 14 minutes and eight seconds on Sunday.

In the 6-dog class, Anchorage’s Kris Rasey set a blistering pace and won both Saturday and Sunday’s 6-dog races.

Temperatures hover around the -7°F mark and warmed up to 5°F over the course of the weekend. Under clear skies, racing started at 11 a.m. and was done before sunset. Except for two dogs chewing a gangline and taking off after a departing 6-dog team, the races went smoothly. The dogs were safely retrieved and returned to their owners.

The next point race will take place on Saturday, December 19.