Iditarod Ceremonial Start – Go Karen Ramstead!

Ok, pups, you will have to forgive us this week. Certain pups (oh, like say Remington) may have sports that they follow and talk about all of the time on their blogs.  But we quietly follow our favorite sport right up until the first Saturday in March – TODAY!  Yep, today is the ceremonial start of the 38th Iditarod Race.  Today is about fun – not race times – but is quite an adventure.

And who will we be paying attention to?  We like lots of the mushers, but our favorite has always been Karen Ramstead of North Wapiti Kennels and you can follow her blog and read her official bio.  Why is she our favorite?  Well, we have met her more than any other musher, for one.  She even has visited us in the S-RV.  And she has a video of her Pretty Sled Dogs (and, yes, we own it and have seen it many, many times).  So when the 29th racer leaves the starting line today, know that the loud Woo you hear from Maggie Valley is the Herd rooting on our favorite musher.

As our way of saluting Karen as she starts the race this year, we received permission from Donna Quante (www.huskyproductions.net) to share the music video from the movie Pretty Sled Dogs with the music of Kyf Brewer.  Best of luck Karen!

Please share with us your favorite video, musher, or Iditarod story. It is that week!

26 Comments

  1. Steve and Kat on March 17, 2010 at 10:23 pm

    I really think that I have what it takes to be a pretty sled dog, but Kat says that I would stop to pee on things way too much.

    Steve

  2. Mochi on March 10, 2010 at 12:59 am

    Beautiful happy pups! 🙂

    Good luck to Karen and her pups!

    Mochi

  3. Mike Criss on March 8, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Put all my photos of Karen and her dogs here:
    Karen Ramstead photos

    More dog stuff here:
    More Dog Stuff
    Go huskies!
    Mike

  4. Twinkietinydog on March 7, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    I’m getting all my info and inside photos from Ms~K and Ina in Alaska mainly. If you need me to, I’ll send you their links. I love having teams to root for: Goooooo Karen!
    Twinkie

  5. The OP Pack on March 6, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    The OP Pack will be rooting for Karen and her team too. It is such a fun adventure but lots and lots of hard work to get ready for the run and then to actually do it. Good luck to all the dogs and mushers.

    Woos – Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

  6. Farley on March 6, 2010 at 9:06 pm

    How very cool 🙂 We will be cheering for your friend Karen!

  7. Mike Criss on March 6, 2010 at 7:57 pm

    Best looking team there today. Here is a photo:
    Siberians

  8. Huffle Mawson on March 6, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    We have no mushing in Australia, mostly due to the lack of snow I suspect. Go Karen!

  9. Jen on March 6, 2010 at 7:17 pm

    I’m a closet Iditarod fan! And I always follow Karen Ramstead. I’m impressed with her team…. beautiful dogs can be functional.

  10. Noll on March 6, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    I am a cat….but I know how to speak husky! A-ROOs and A-WOO-WOO-WOO to you Karen and your team.

  11. Sammie on March 6, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Hey! Got into it! Fabulous! In fact, I think mom may try to find something about the I. on TV now!
    Hugs xo
    Sammie

  12. Sammie on March 6, 2010 at 4:00 pm

    Furry frustrating – the movie won’t stop buffering – waited for about 2mins. – but will return and try again – know it’s gotta be great!
    Big Hugs xo
    Sammie

  13. Houndstooth on March 6, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    Way cool video! Most of the racing videos that we’ve seen are a different kind of racing. We hope Karen wins! It’s quite the competition!

    Bunny and her Mom

  14. jack a-roo & moo too on March 6, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    A-rooos!!! What a great post!!!! Mom has Pretty Sled Dogs too, and a pawtographed pic of Karen’s team from 2007 (Jack won it in one of Meeshka’s contests). We’re off to go paw a post in celebration too!

    jack a-roo & moo too

  15. MAXDOG on March 6, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    Hi there from Sunny South Africa!!!

    You do know that you are making us so, so envious!?!

    You do know that it is Miss “R”s dream to be a volunteer attending vet at the “I” one day?!?

    She is 1/7th of the way at the moment (hopefully) in her training/studies.

    Thank you so, so much for putting up this video!!!

    We’ve been watching it over and over and listening to the beautiful, purposeful music. Thank you!
    We wish all the dog athletes and their mushers, handlers, etc God speed in this amazing event.

    With lots of love and thanks
    YOUR FRIENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

  16. The Army of Four on March 6, 2010 at 11:26 am

    Ha roooooo!!!!!! Go, Team North Wapiti!!!!! We’re pulling for you!!! Hee hee hee. Get it? OK… not as good as Ozzie “mushy” comment…
    Love,
    Ammy

  17. Ozzie & ZoZo on March 6, 2010 at 11:10 am

    That was a great video. We are sooooooo excited for this years race. The video brought a tear to dads eyes. He’s kinda mushy like that. Get it, Mushy!!! Aroooroooorooo!

    We Huskies are by far the coolest breeds. Cant touch this…..AROOOOOOOOOOOroOO!

    Go Karen and your poofies!

    Paws and Poofs,

    Ozz and Zozo

  18. Khyra on March 6, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Just look at all those unhappy Siberians that don’t want to go fur a run 😉

    ANYWAY, here’s to the nice Karen lady and her pretty snow dogs!

    Kara is my role model too BUT I need to have a woo with her – the nice Karen lady told my mom Kara is good with khats – khan woo believe that?

    Hugz&Khysses,
    Khyra & Khousin Merdie

  19. KB on March 6, 2010 at 9:42 am

    I forgot – and from the bike race, I learned that there are some major parts of the course with NO snow. That’ll be a problem for sleds…

  20. KB on March 6, 2010 at 9:41 am

    I’ll take your advice about who to root for!! Did you know that bikers tackle the Iditerod course in the week before the mushers? They use snow bikes like mine. Some do about half the course and a few race all the way to Nome. It seems insane… even to me!!!

  21. Scout and Freyja on March 6, 2010 at 9:07 am

    Gorgeous dogs have the time of their lives! I do get a little sad, though, when I hear of a dog dying running the race…

  22. Sagira on March 6, 2010 at 8:42 am

    Good luck to Karen and team!

  23. Meeshka on March 6, 2010 at 8:41 am

    The human woman is already a nervous wreck. You’d think she was in the race instead of sitting on her butt in a warm house and drawing.

    Go Pretty Sled Dogs and that musher woman… who spelled my name wrong on the pawtograph to me… yes, still miffed about that.

    Meeshka

  24. Murph on March 6, 2010 at 7:33 am

    Woop we can’t wait for the Iditarod either! 😀

  25. Mr Koda MD on March 6, 2010 at 4:11 am

    Ive seen that DVD!! They are very pretty compared to those funny alaskans they use!!

    I have a crush on Kara….

    I’ve tried to make the Man-of-the-house get Sky (our cable tv) so I can watch the racing, but he hasnt yet…. GRRR

    Koda

  26. Holly and Khady on March 6, 2010 at 2:03 am

    Wooo!!! We love Karen and her Pretty Sled Dogs too! We have the video, and mom even has a REAL North Wapiti Iditarod bootie worn by one of Karen’s dogs in the 2007 Iditarod. Mom won it in a fundraising auction in 2008.

    Mom also got to meet Martin Buser in person last year when he was in Des Moines with Summi’s mummi! She said that was totally pawsome!!!

    We are very excited about the race, as usual!

    Holly and Khady

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