Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

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sign - welcome to Anchorage

The sled dog rodeo
and musher
Dallas Seavey

185 E. Ship Creek Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
'907-224-8607
http://www.ididaride.com

Note: Be sure to real all on this page because at the bottom of the page there is a better description of the Idatorad, plus updated news on Iditarod winners and the race itself.

The two RV Gypsies attended a dinner/show with very good food (New York strips seasoned with house-made spices, baked chicken breast seasoned with fresh herbs, Alaskan grown potatoes, fresh vegetables, sourdough rolls and cheesecake) plus a chance to talk one-on-one with Iditarod participants and winners. Hosted by Dallas Seavey, the youngest member ever to run the Iditarod - and he placed 6th this year 2009. (see the bottom of this page for more current news about Dallas and the Iditarod - a must-read section)!
sign on fence - Wild Ride Sled Dog Rodeo
sign on fence - Wild Ride Sled Dog Rodeo
Dallas Seavey entered the Iditarod for the third time and placed 6th this year (2009). But, be sure to check his status in future years which are listed at the bottom of this page. His grandfather was in the very first Iditarod race, his father has raced, as has his brothers. His wife Jennifer entered this year for the first time and placed. Just finishing this race is quite an accomplishment, and all finishers a special belt buckle.
2 iditorod winners
2 iditorod winners
Below: You just have to love the signs shown below which were the "theme" for the show - a dog sled race woman vs. man.
sign - Alaska where men are men and women with the Iditarod
sign - Alaska where men are still men
scenery for the show
sled and dogs
Below: In this show, the two RV Gypsies got to see how much weight one dog can pull, a live sled dog race - man vs. woman, a 16-dog Iditarod team pulling a 1,000 pound truck, and after the show the two RV Gypsies got to cuddle adorable husky puppies.
husky
husky
husky
husky driving the sled
husky driving the sled
husky driving the sled
Below: Sled dog weighing 50 pounds pulling 600 pounds
Below: the sled dog pulled 800 pounds
sled dog weighing 50 pounds pulling 600 pounds
now the dog pulls 800 pounds
husky
husky
husky 
husky
Dallas Seavey with his best lead dog
team of 16 sled dogs pulling a truck weighing
over 1,000 pounds
Dallas with his best lead dog
dogs pulling a truck
After the show ........
huskey
Karen Duquette and the husky
Karen Duquette and  a future sled dog
Karen Duquette and  a future sled dog
Karen Duquette and  a future sled dog
Karen Duquette and  a future sled dog
the puppy falls asleep
Dallas Seavey and Karen Duquette
Karen Duquette and Dallas
Dallas Seavey
Seward, AK, USA
Bib Number: 62
Final Position: 6
Checkpoint: Nome
Time In: Thu, March 19, 2009 04:49:45
Dogs In: 9
Finishing Time-10 Days 14 Hrs 49 Min. 45 Seconds
Average Speed: 4.15 MPH
 
Dallas Seavey, 21, was born in Virginia and his family moved to Seward when he was five. He is a third generation musher who grew up helping his dad, Mitch, the 2004 Iditarod champion, train his racing teams. In 2005 Dallas became the youngest musher in history to run the Iditarod. Dallas become the youngest Iditarod Champion at age of 25 in 2012. He also was the youngest person to ever run the Iditarod, turning 18 the day before his rookie race. He also wrestled for Sky View High School and spent one year training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He is a High School State Champion, a Jr. National Champion, and was on the 2005 Jr. World team and is Alaska’s first and only national champion. He is part owner/manager of WildRide Sled Dog Rodeo in Anchorage. In 2008 Dallas married Jennifer Podzemny; they welcomed daughter Annie in 2010. With the help of J.J. Keller, Dallas and Jen started their own kennel. In 2011, Dallas ran (and won) his first Yukon Quest. Dallas' wife, Jennifer also participated in the 2009 Iditarod.
 
The two RV Gypsies highly recommend this dinner/show and the chance to meet amazing people who have braved the elements by racing in the Iditarod. Talking one-on-one with them over dinner was a rare opportunity for the two RV Gypsies to learn more about the Iditarod and winters in Alaska. They deserve a lot of respect. Anyone who enters deserves a lot of respect, whether they finish, place, or just give it a try. The two RV Gypsies salute them.
FYI: For  your informationlook below

NOTE: Time has passed and the two RV Gypsies checked on the internet and found out that Dallas Seavey WON the Iditarod in 2014 and 2015 and 2016. WOW!

In 2017 Dallas Seavey took second place, and his father, Mitch Seavey took first place. Time on route 8 days, 3 hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds

The 2016 Iditarod featured the most mushers to finish the race in nearly a decade. This year’s 71 finishers is the most since a record 78 mushers finished the race in 2008. It’s also only the fourth time in race history that more than 70 mushers have finished the race. There were also 71 finishers in 2006 and 77 in 2004. In each of those four years, the race came on an even year, which features that northern route. The northern route sends mushers from Ophir north through Cripple, Ruby, Galena and Nulato before hitting Kaltag. In odd years, the race uses the southern route, which sends teams from Ophir south to the Iditarod checkpoint, and through Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling and Eagle Island before Kaltag.

2016 News: A total of 85 mushers left the restart chute in Willow March 6. Of those 85, 13 scratched and another, Wasilla’s Ellen Halverson, was forced to withdraw by race officials.

A record run:

In 2016, Willow musher Dallas Seavey continued his domination of the Last Great Race, earning his fourth title in record time. Seavey logged a total time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes and 18 seconds, beating his own prior record time by nearly five hours. Seavey’s dad, Mitch, the 2016 runner-up also clipped the old record this year, set by Dallas in 2014. It was the fifth time in race history the winner finished in less than nine days. This year, the top eight mushers finished in less than nine days. Seavey’s first win came in 2012, with a time of 9 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes and 26 seconds. This year, the top 16 mushers in the field bested that time. With his win, Seavey earned a record $75,000 of the purse. He was one of six Valley mushers to finish in the top 30, which guarantees a payout, depending on the finish, in a range from S2,025 for 30th place to $75,000 for first.

In addition to winning $75,000 of the race purse, Seavey netted three awards at the banquet. The win also earned Seavey the Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Official Truck Award, a 2016 Dodge Ram 1500, valued at $40,000. Seavey was also presented with the PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award, which goes to the first musher to reach McGrath. That award comes with $500 credit on PenAir toward travel or freight shipments, and a piece of art crafted by Alaska artist Orville Lind. Seavey was also handed the GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award, given to the first musher to Cripple. With the award comes with $3,000 in gold nuggets and a commemorative trophy.

look below
go to the next pageplease continue on to the beautiful scenery of Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine State Historical Park