Mushers

Josie Thyr

Olney, MT

1st – BIB # 6

300 MILE RACE

2nd Place:  2020 ISDC 300 Mile Race

KENNEL: There and Back Again Sleddogs
25 Dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 15

LEAD DOGS: Aravis and Moon

OCCUPATION: Dog Mushing

SPONSORS:  Wendy and Steve Riggs

START IN MUSHING: With my Siberian Husky pulling me on rollerblades.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Eagle Cap Extreme 2020

FUTURE GOALS: Iditarod 2021
  

Bailey Vitello

Milan, NH

2nd – BIB # 3

300 MILE RACE

KENNEL: Team Bailey
58 Dogs
Alaskan Husky/ Alaskan Euro Hounds

YEARS RACING: 20

LEAD DOGS: Slough/Jupiter/Tigris/Rio/Cope/Taully

OCCUPATION: Carpenter/Handyman/ Owner of Nothern Exposure Outfitters

SPONSORS: 

START IN MUSHING: I am a second generation musher and have been running dogs my entire life. My parents started mushing when I was born and I have had a love for the sport and dogs ever since.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Competing at the La Grande Odysee in France was the experience of a lifetime. Traversing the French alps with mushers from all over the world and my team is something I will never forget. It was a lot of hard work but it gave me a lot of appreciation for our mountains and hills in the USA which fail to compare to their mountains that reach beyond the clouds.

FUTURE GOALS: My father and I hope to compete in the Iditarod together one day. This race will be a step in the direction towards that dream.

Jed Stephensen

Sandpoint, ID

3rd – BIB # 2

300 MILE RACE

KENNEL: Nordic Wayfinding
17 Dogs
Mutts

YEARS RACING: 3

LEAD DOGS: Seabiscuit and Panda

OCCUPATION: ER Nurse

SPONSORS:  Family

START IN MUSHING: Started working with Billy Snoddgrass when I was 15 and worked with him during my Christmas breaks during college. After graduating from college I worked with Linwood Fiedler for two years in Alaska.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Eagle cap 200 2020 Red Lantern.

FUTURE GOALS: Iditarod

Clayton Perry

Power, MT

BIB # 4

300 MILE RACE

KENNEL: TSA Kennels
26 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 10

LEAD DOGS: Butte and Libby

OCCUPATION: Retired

SPONSORS: Teton Lumber Company

START IN MUSHING: Started mushing for backcountry lion hunting

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Eagle Cap Extreme, Race to the Sky, Stage Stop

FUTURE GOALS: Complete the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown

Nicole Lombardi

Lincoln, MT

1st – BIB # 9

KENNEL:
18 dogs
Alaskan huskies

YEARS RACING: 1 year (2011)

LEAD DOGS: Gobi, Simmie, Fred, Katniss

OCCUPATION: Pet food Quality & Food Safety Manager

SPONSORS:

START IN MUSHING: I was looking for a running partner in 2009 and ended up with an Alaskan Husky. The rest sort of materialized the way you would imagine: a) anthropomorphic feelings that your dog is lonely and needs a buddy, b) the purchase of a second sled dog that you let your first dog “pick” c) the realization that your dogs aren’t tired after running with you and you need to reconsider their exercise plan before they ruin all the furniture, d) quit your job and move to Montana because ‚”sled dogs will get to be sled dogs.”

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: To be determined …

FUTURE GOALS: Also to be determined…

Scott White

Snowhomish, WA

2nd – BIB # 10

KENNEL: Lost Lake Racing
23 Dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 22

LEAD DOGS: Undecided

OCCUPATION: Construction

SPONSORS:

START IN MUSHING: Late ’90s. Had neck surgery so couldn’t backpack anymore. Bought dogs to carry my stuff; they happened to be sled dogs.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Finishing the 2010 Iditarod
FUTURE GOALS: Finishing the Iditarod again

Wade Donaldson

Coalville, UT

3rd – BIB # 16

KENNEL: Bear Ridge Adventures
50 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 5

LEAD DOGS: Meg, Violet

OCCUPATION: Tour Guide/ Musher

SPONSORS:

START IN MUSHING: By guiding tours

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Breeding, training, and running my own dogs.

FUTURE GOALS: Finishing the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown

Morgan Anderson

Power, MT

4th – BIB # 22

KENNEL: TSA Kennels
26 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 10

LEAD DOGS: Avon and Orvando

OCCUPATION: Biological Engineer

SPONSORS: ParentsSTART IN MUSHING: Eagle Cap Extreme Volunteer

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Eagle Cap Extreme Junior

FUTURE GOALS: Rocky Mountain Triple Crown

David Ray Bush, Jr.

Bend, OR

5th – BIB # 17

KENNEL: Beatfeet Sleddogs
20 dogs
 Oregon Mountain Dogs

YEARS RACING: 8

LEAD DOGS: Big kat and the Dude

OCCUPATION: Builder

SPONSORS: Beatfeet Sleddogs and Buildhouse

START IN MUSHING: Started by doing tours for a break from construction work in the winter and fell in love with it

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Every time I go out is a highlight. Always a new mtn to climb or trail to check out.

FUTURE GOALS: Qualify for Iditarod and continue growing as a musher and dog man.

Anna Mumford

Preston, ID

6th – BIB # 8

KENNEL: Cub River Kennel
20 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 5

LEAD DOGS: Browning and Fernley

OCCUPATION: High School Student

SPONSORS: My Family

START IN MUSHING: I helped my Dad when he started mushing and I loved the dogs and started running dogs with him.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Training runs with my Dad and Grandpa.


FUTURE GOALS: Attend college and work towards becoming a Veterinarian

Bryce Mumford

Preston, ID

7th – BIB # 15

KENNEL: Cub River Kennel
20 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 11

LEAD DOGS: Flame and Taka

OCCUPATION: Mailman

SPONSORS: My Family

START IN MUSHING: Became interested after watching the Iditarod on TV years ago. Then ran with another musher on a trip and loved it. Obtained dogs and began running my own team.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Winning the Eagle Cap Extreme 200 Mile Race and running two other 200 mile Eagle Cap Extreme races, Running the Montana Race to the Sky 300 several times, Running the Ashton American Dog Derby, and many great training runs with my family.

FUTURE GOALS: Iditarod

Rex Mumford

Huntsville, UT

8th – BIB # 18

KENNEL: Valley Kennel
14 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 6

LEAD DOGS: Leo and Remy

OCCUPATION: Farmer

SPONSORS: Mumford Farms, Valley Veterinary Services, Crystal Farms

START IN MUSHING: Handling for my son Bryce 10 years ago

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Completing races at the Eagle Cap Extreme 100 and 200, Race to the Sky 100, Idaho Sled Dog Challenge 150, and the American Dog Derby. Also, running dog teams together with my son Bryce and granddaughter Anna as three generations of Mumford Mushers at the American Dog Derby and on many training runs together has been a highlight!

FUTURE GOALS: Run Sled Dog teams until I retire. Then work as a volunteer at the races.

John Kunzler

Vernal, UT

9th – BIB # 12

KENNEL: Lion’s Heart Racing
20 dogs
Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 5

LEAD DOGS: Rose, Dinge, almost everyone leads

OCCUPATION: Real Estate Agent

SPONSORS: Someday?

START IN MUSHING: My wife saw ad for dogs for sale

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: This race

FUTURE GOALS: Iditarod!

Meghan Forrey

Durango, CO

10th – BIB # 23

KENNEL: The Greatful Dogs Sled Dog Kennel
 25 dogs
 Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 2

LEAD DOGS: Mallot and Mastodon

OCCUPATION: Bartender

SPONSORS:

START IN MUSHING: 2017 in Juneau with Alaska Icefield Expeditions

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: “Running dogs for Billy Snodgrass in the stellar Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Running The 2020 Eagle Cap Extreme was a blast.”

FUTURE GOALS: Mush in as many different places as I can. Continue to help my best friend Jesse Flory and his Grateful Dogs to their first Iditarod.

Jesse Flory

Hesperus, CO

11th – BIB # 14

KENNEL:  The Greatful Dogs
 25 dogs
 Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 3

LEAD DOGS: Johnny Law and Fonzie

OCCUPATION: Musher

SPONSORS: Durango Dog Ranch and parents

START IN MUSHING: I started mushing when I moved to Alaska for a summer job working with dogs. That was 11 years ago.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Hooking up happy healthy teams and taking them into beautiful locations.

FUTURE GOALS: My future goals are Iditarod and to not be broke.

Steve Madsen

Cougar, WA

12 – BIB # 20

KENNEL:
14 dogs
 Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 25

LEAD DOGS: Scandal and Leppard

OCCUPATION: Dog Trainer

SPONSORS:

START IN MUSHING: Began skijoring with Samoyeds in 1992.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Finishing the Iditarod twice.

FUTURE GOALS: Completing the Triple Crown races.

Jane Devlin

Bend, OR

13th – BIB # 13

KENNEL: Snowmouse
17 dogs
 Siberian Huskies

YEARS RACING: 14

LEAD DOGS: Punk,Spock,Cannonball

OCCUPATION: Dog Trainer

SPONSORS: Someday?

START IN MUSHING: Rescuing Siberian Huskies and attending Mushing Boot Camp

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Full Moon climb at Race to the Sky last year and feeling the zen of a team of dogs in sync and the peace of nature!

FUTURE GOALS: Have fun adventures and do Triple Crown

Jeneen Loeliger-Myers

McCall, ID

14th – BIB # 19

KENNEL: Endless Adventures
16 dogs
 Alaskan Huskies

YEARS RACING: 1

LEAD DOGS: Amber, Kaltag, Brewtus

OCCUPATION: Server

SPONSORS: KDM McCall, McCall Pet Outfitters and Supply

START IN MUSHING: My love of animals and the outdoors came together perfectly when I stepped on the sled for the first time. I grew up in Vermont reading the books of Gary Paulsen and participated in a wide variety of winter sports. During a summer spent in Alaska, I became more educated about the sport of dog sledding and its history. Running with the dogs has taught me how to be a more patient, resilient, and compassionate person.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Every moment I’m out with the dogs is a highlight. In winter 2020 I finished the American Dog Derby race in Ashton, ID during a blizzard where the roads were shut down. My team came in happy, strong, and I was so proud of them.

FUTURE GOALS: My goal is to get our team running The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Elizabeth Nevills

Middleton, ID

BIB # 11

KENNEL: Miracle Sled Dog
10 dogs
Alaskan Husky and Husky Mixes

YEARS RACING: 6

LEAD DOGS: Dot and Crystal

OTHER TEAM MEMBERS:  Mars, Camo, Aurora, Hailey, Ayla, Polaris, Venus, Topanga

OCCUPATION: Girl Scout Summer Camp Kitchen Manager

SPONSORS: Teriyaki Madness

START IN MUSHING: went to McCall winter Carnival when I was a kid in the late 90’s and got to do a small dog sled ride. That is when I started saving to get my first Husky. I became more interesting when I went to college and was able to handle at the Iditarod in 2003. By then I was hooked and started doing a lot more research on mushing. It was not until 2015 that I got my first three huskies and started mushing and racing.

MUSHING HIGHLIGHTS: Run in the Bachelor Butte Dog Derby ‘19 and getting 3rd place in the stage race, that same year my son ran their junior race (1.5 mile) as his first ever and he also got 3rd place. Training with my kids is some of the best times ever. my favorite part of mushing in the woods is watching and hearing the snow fall from the trees.


FUTURE GOALS: To run between 500 and 1,000 miles of races in one season, my personal Iditarod. Maybe one day enter in the Yukon Quest.