Sorry to keep everyone waiting!
It's a long process creating these blogs, as I want to make sure that I get the information spot on and accurate.
A BIG congrats to Rob and the team for finishing "the worlds toughest open class sprint race"
Day 1: 1:47:39
Day 2: 1:56:06
Day 3:2:04:14
Total: 5:47:59
Place: 22nd
Rob on, "Day 3":
"The last day seemed shorter than day 2. We didn't have a faster time but it was a smoother run. I had to bag Bumblebee right after the Airstrip and if I had bagged her earlier,--or not even taken her--it would have saved us time. I have definitely learned so much about racing from these 3 days."
"The most memorable portion is when we were coming up Cordova Hill and a crowd of spectators and volunteers started chanting, "Barney, Barney, Barney!" It was very emotional for me because I cannot express how proud I am of him. He ran 44 miles in single lead. In the Fur Rondy...that's huge! Not only the miles but all the obstacles along the way--cheering crowds, BBQ's, people running along the trail and the trail itself. He was unphased by all of it until I was coming up over Cordova Hill. There was a woman that jumped out and started leading him, as if he was going off the trail. I kept saying, "Don't lead my dogs, don't lead my dogs." Barney lost focus after that and just as he got back into pace, a man started running along side the trail calling his name. It's really cool to see strangers knowing the name of my lead dog but it took him out of his groove again and definitely put us behind. What are you going to do? Anything can happen, to anyone. So, we ended up finishing with 7 dogs and 1 in the bag:
Barney
Eleanor Daisy
Mrs. Holland
Bumblebee Ballz
Luke
"I was greeted at the finish line by Egil Ellis' mom (who Rob cannot spell or pronounce her name but has permission from her to address her as "Egil's mom" haha) and Egil's wife, Helen. After 2 big hugs and Congratulations; Rob would like to thank them for their kind words and continuing support."
Rob on, "The Mushers Banquet":
"The Sheridan Hotel put on an awesome meal and the company was great! The banquet was fun, I got my entry fee back for finishing the race, along with a Fur Rondy bib with the place I finished and a picture of my team going out on the first day on 4th Avenue. It was really nice, considering my placing. It is still hard to say because I am not used to being at the bottom of the pack but with the Fur Rondy you have to be proud to finish."
"A couple drivers came over to my table and said they thought Barney should have been awarded for his outstanding performance. I was surprised that there wasn't a Humanitarian Award or Sportsmanship award and things like that."
"If we come up again, I will definitely be in need of some help at the kennel/handling. I am not as tired and sore as I thought I would be but this is very difficult to do on your own."
"One thing that did touch me was something that Guy Girard (8th place finisher) said at the podium, "If you are a sprint musher and you don't race in the Fur Rendezvous; your career will never be complete." He went on to explain that out of every race he has entered around this world that "...the Fur Rondy is the most prestigious." I am proud of us...we weren't even going to run the Rondy. I managed to get solid training in at Montana Creek and Tozier Track; giving me the option of putting together a rookie team. I looked at it as an opportunity of a lifetime, best dogs or not. I came up here on vacation and racing the dogs in the Fur Rondy was just the icing on my BIG piece of cake [laughter]."
Rob reports that the dogs look great and are enjoying their rest today. Rob is resting today, as well. He plans on heading back to Willow to train the dogs that were off during Rondy, at Montana Creek. From there, he is heading up to Fairbanks to start training on the Reynolds trails, preparing for the Open North American Championship race March 16-18th.
Last but not least, "Thank you to Kathy, my wife, for holding down the fort and helping my dreams come true. I wish you were here to share it with me. I love you!"
Sorry Marrissa, I just couldn't wait to say that we are proud of Rob for finishing the Rondy and with ONLY 7 dogs in the end. Congrats Rob and of course to the winner Ken Chezik too. :-) I'm sure we'll get a report from Rob and/or Marrissa soon.....
Day 2-The Flintstones: Barney and Deno! Big thanks to Laurel Shaw Wallace for posting/tagging the photos on Facebook!
Day 2 is over! With a finish of 1:56:06 with 11 dogs running, 1 (Austin) in the bag!
Eric Lancer, well known Rondy musher and radio reporter for KHAR 590 LIVE coverage of the Fur Rondy reported: "Rob Worden is running a single leader, he did have two white ones before. Looks like they have found a pace and look comfortable; albeit a little slower."
Here are Rob's comments and thoughts for Day 2:
2012 Fur Rendezvous Open Class World Championship Race
"I am learning an enormous amount in racing by stretching out the distance. It is nothing like running 14 miles. I can tell you that I definitely feel now that the wooden Chatmac isn't the best steering. I will be running the Spyder Pro for . 10 miles into the race I had to load Austin. For another 17 miles, the dogs had to carry a 65lb dog to the finish. I shouldn't have brought him. I got tangled with another musher on the trail. That held us up for quite a while. And when I was messing around with untangling both of our teams dogs, I should have made a couple switches around. I definitely could have saved some time. But what are you going to do, you live and learn! I am a first generation musher, here. It makes a big difference when your the 3rd, 4th or 5th. You get the little tricks and tips about the trade. I will definitely be seeking out a mentor or any solid advice."
"Deno was giving me trouble from the start of Day 2, trying to get at Holland, a female in season. So I contemplated running Barney in single lead and I thought, "No body runs single lead in the Rondy, anymore." But, I know he is an exceptional dog and could handle the position. Barney ran 17 miles in single lead! Talk about an extraordinary dog. Might even be considering it for Day 3. It's going to be a tough day for us because we just aren't conditioned for this. But the dogs keeping up with Rondy are the ones in fall training that were sticking around the 4 wheeler when I free ran. Another mistake..a lot of my good dogs ran too hard, too long free running and they were out in November. One of the reasons Austin is being dropped, he's just not as well conditioned. I am running with 8 on day 3, dropping Jewel, Austin, BumbleBee and Luke."
"I was quite pleased with my head on pass with Ken Chezik. To see my young team of dogs pass beautifully by the leader of the Fur Rondy is really something! I am very happy for Ken and Lori! They really deserve this win!"
"I'm out there thanking all the municipalities for their service. All the volunteers and fans, too! I love to see the sport of mushing so well loved. Speaking of, one of the timer at the checkpoint says that I am her new favorite open team [chuckles]. She said, "I love the way that you handle the dogs and how well behaved they are!" She even wanted to buy one of the shirts we made to fundraise for me to get up here!"
"And you know on the radio broadcast, when I heard myself say that the Fur Rondy was a warm up for ONAC...I probably sounded like such a rookie but you know ONAC is 20 miles for 3 days. I know the dogs that are finishing Rondy have that in them. So, strangely this is a huge training experience for all of us. And we really are having a great time. Working our tails off...but having fun!"
Good luck, Rob and dogs on the FINAL DAY!
Remember to tune into live coverage of the Fur Rondy @ KHAR590.comLIVE WEBCAM (REFRESH FOR NEW PICTURE) @ borealisbroadband.net  The calm before the storm! 4th Avenue, Day 2 of The 2012 Fur Rendezvous! "Congrats to my Dad and his team for not only finishing the 1st day at Rondy but finishing 4 places above where they started. Now, we all know that your team isn't up to it's potential and honestly, that's what makes me even more excited about years to come. So here is to Day 2 at the 2012 Fur Rondy in ANCHORAGE, AK! You make me so proud. I love you!"
- Marrissa
What are your thoughts on day one?
"I am about where I thought I would be. The team looked sloppy to me but I've also never ran 27 miles before. Everyone keeps telling me that my dogs looked good coming in. I ran my 9 year old leader, Jewel the first day. I wanted to make sure we would get through all the obstacles without any hesitation. The team was definitely a lot slower because of her. She slowed the pace way down at about the 15-18 mile mark. Ballz is turning out to be a terrific dog and his feet are ideal. And probably the best part of day one is Deno is back! He was strong on the tug line the whole race and several training runs before that. So, that settles it, I am putting Deno back where he belongs; leading with his brother, Barney."
Did you have a clean run?
"Right before the race I accidentally stepped on April's toe. As I was stepping out of the back of the truck, she had her two front feet on the back bumper and before I knew it, she let out a big cry! I was debating on whether or not to take her but she seemed fine and was putting pressure on the foot. I ended up taking her, just to bag her around 14 miles, so we lost time there. And, I was told not to bootie the dogs but Austin has had problems with his feet, so I bootied him. And let's just say I am not going to bootie the dogs tomorrow. Austin's bootie was shredded and might explain why he was running a little funny."
How has your strategy changed for Day 2?
"The day will be a little different because instead of going out of the shoot 1st-24th, we are going out 24th-1st. So, I will be going 4th out of the shoot tomorrow. I'm not going to hold the team back as much as I did today. But, I needed to make sure they weren't going to be too tired at the finish. Barney and Deno will definitely set a much faster pace and hopefully I won't have to load any dogs. I will be using my wooden Chatmac sled because the new Spyder sled is not customized to my liking, just yet. I decided that I will also be dropping Dallas and April. We got some snow in Anchorage overnight so I am assuming that will slow the trail down. And of course, we are just looking to have a good time!"
How did you and the dogs handle the crowd?
"Not a problem with the crowd at all, and it was about 1/4 mile from the dog truck to the start line. 4th Avenue was so fun! As the team and I headed down the trail, I waved to the cheering fans. There were a lot of people, waving, cheering and just so supportive. It was really cool. It made me think of and appreciate all the outwardly supportive mushers and friends from back home. I love to see the encouragement. Seeing friendly comments on the blog and Facebook really gives us a boost! Keep them coming and thanks for following us!"
15 minutes until the start of the 2012 Fur Rondy Open Class Sled dog Race!
24 teams and 8 rookies will make for an exciting race! The best way to get your FILL of the Fur Rondy is by tuning into the local radio station KHAR590.com and get INSTANT times/results, interviews with the drivers, facts, history and more! Even call in and give a shout out to your favorite musher!
Get ASDRA RESULTS: http://asdra.org/furrondy.htmlWatch LIVE feed [Refresh using F5 key]:http://www.borealisbroadband.net Last night as Rob was relaxing before the big race so I got a chance to ask him a few questions about the race: How was the trail viewing yesterday?
"The trail viewing was fun! The trail condition is a lot better than it was for ExxonMobil...I mean the trail is so hard and packed that you can ride your mountain bike it won't punch through [laughter]. It's going to be a very hard, fast trail..which will be great for the dogs. Some of the corners are extreme but nothing like the corners at my house. It would be neat for future Fur Rondy trails to be more challenging for the musher. Bring on the "Jim Blair" trails at Burke Mountain, VT. Those trails are about showing off the dogs talent and the mushers talent!"
Do you have the final line up?
Barney (L) Jewel (L)
Austin (L) Deno (L)
Daisy (R) April (L)
Holland Elenor (R)
Cooter(R) Ballz (R)
Bumblebee(R) Mrs. (R)
Luke (R) Dallas
(L)- Leader (R)- Rookie
"This lineup is still without 5 of my main open class dogs; Murdock, Rose, Jed, Odin and General Lee. The Rondy is big but I have to look out for the dogs. I've got the ONAC on my mind, too."
How are the dogs condition for this caliber race?
"I haven't had much luck with clean runs, since I've been here. We're making great time but not clean [laughter]. We have been doing a lot of catching up on foreign training ground. Getting used to the trails up here is exciting but dangerous for the dogs. Some of my main dogs are out because of stepping in moose tracks in the trail. With that said, the dogs have had a week off. Good, bad or ugly..I needed to make sure we were ready. There was a lot to do for prepping for the race, especially deciding to run just a couple days before. The Fur Rondy is a huge deal and it was important for me to put a lot of time into cleaning up the truck. There isn't a car wash that my truck will fit in. I mean, the truck alone takes me 2 hours to clean. I've got a system down, disinfectant and all. The dogs needed new straw in their boxes after the truck was cleaned. They needed their nails clipped, feet checked, body massaged. Not to mention the daily feeding, watering, scooping, loading, unloading. 31 dogs and 1 musher. It's a lot of work but...the experience has been thrill seeking and exciting, totally worth it."
What are you thinking as you look at the line up and see your name; Rob Worden, Mexico, NY!? [Technically it say's Ron Wordon...but we'll let it slide :)]
"It's not easy for a new guy to be 'accepted' into this sport; to get the information you need to reach your potential and have fun. Many of the open class drivers in Alaska have made me feel comfortable and have been very welcoming. They have offered up training trails, hospitality and genuine love for the sport. It's a great opportunity for PawPower Racing to be running with the best in the world. And after all, "it's all about the dogs."
Do you have a method, as a rookie, going into a World Class Championship race...dead last?
"You know, I was thinking; I am perfectly fine with my bib draw. Going 24th gives me the perfect amount of time to get the dogs ready [out of the boxes, harnessed, lines, gear]. I'd like to be in the shoot 44 minutes after the first, "Go Driver," or whatever they say up here [laughter]. I will probably have one of the smallest teams, with the most rookie dogs. But I mean, there is no body 'bad' here; maybe 3 unrecognizable names. I am just going to try to stay at 16/16.5 mph. I am going to keep my mouth shut, and let the dogs do the work. I'll let them get into their groove and from there we're just having a good time. And even if we come in dead last, then I would still be the 24th best open class in the world [chuckles]. If you have any better sprint dogs... then come on up and enter the Rondy."
How are your nerves?
"I thought I would be a lot more nervous than I am. But, I know I am going to be running the dogs within their capabilities. Overall, I could say all this and have the exact opposite happen. As a team, we have never seen a crowd quite like this. I am positive Jewel (daughter of Speck) and Barney (son of Polar) will do the right thing. And, I have had a lot of encouragement from top drivers in the open class. Ultimately, we are here racing in Alaska to have fun, so that's what we are going to do! Let's Fur Rondy!"
Knowing your team personally, I know that your team consists of all your own breeding's. Does that strike up any emotion for you?
"It's a dream [chuckles]. We aren't as prepared as we could be but its been a long emotional road getting here. The conditions on the ferry got tough at times but because of the love and respect we have for each other, my dogs were very well behaved [chokes up]. Some of these dogs wouldn't even have made the cut but they are here running a world class race. I am so proud of them. This will officially be my girl, Jewel's last race. I need her great decision making and wisdom to lead the team. She is a terrific sled dog. Barney is up there for his braun. He is a hard, fast leader...he sets the pace. All the work, time, help and donations have paid off. Our goal is accomplished. We are in Alaska, racing The Fur Rondy. I am so thankful for all support I have had a long the way."
Traditional Fur Rendezvous Pin 2012
I would like to note that from the hours of 5:00 am- 11:00am EST is 1:00am-7:00am for Rob in AKST. Alaska is 4 hours behind NY time. We do ask that you contact him AFTER the hour of 11:00am EST so he can get his well needed rest. Thank-you!
 Grandma Worden and Chayse Rob and his wife Kathy, are proud to announce the arrival of their first grandson, Chayse Patrick Finnerty. He was born February 17th, 2012 at 10:27am. He weighed 9lbs 7oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. Chayse and Mommy Taelyr are resting and doing well.
 Chayse the day he was brought home. [In an outfit from his AUNTS/UNCLES in CO :)]
"After finishing the ExxonMobil, and several additional 20 mile runs; I see the dog team getting stronger every time! The dogs are in great condition [body weight, muscle tone, feet, overall health]! So, knowing each individual dog, I am confident I can put together a team to finish the Fur Rondy. Although, we still are not to our full potential..there are still 4 main dogs [leader and point dogs] that will not be running; Rose, Jed, Murdock and Oden. Despite that, I am excited to be racing with the top open class drivers in the world, it will be a great experience for the...no name from Mexico, NY [laughter]. For all of you who have been wondering and waiting: Let's Rondy!" Get more details about the Fur Rondy @ FurRondy.net
Listen to LIVE RONDY COVERAGE @ KHAR590.com
The dogs in Rob's line up for the Fur Rondy include (NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER except Barney and Jewel):Barney (L) Jewel (L)
April Daisy (R)
Holland Austin (L)
Cooter(R) General Lee (R)
Mrs. (R) BumbleBee (R)
Ballsy (R) Elenor(R)
Deno (L)Dallas (R)? Rose (L)?(L)- Leader
(R)- Rookie
?- Unsure on runningStay tuned: the next blog will have all the details on what running the Fur Rondy entails for a musher, preparations and about the Fur Rondy Festival February 24-March 4 2012! A moose is on the loose!
Rob called me yesterday and said,"I am no longer an Alaska 'green' because I have chip in my windshield and I had a moose run through my team today--we are officially broken in! [Laughter]" Rob said that other mushers had warned him about a moose in the trail about 1 mile from the end of the run. He expected that by the time he would get there, the moose would be gone. Sure enough about 15ft ahead of him on the trail, there stood the moose in the middle of the trail! Rob stopped his open team, hooked down and grabbed his whip. He started making loud cracking noises with the whip and yelling loudly in hopes to scare the moose away. The moose started to turn around and walk away but then turned back around! Heading straight for his team, the moose was in attack mode! Kicking at the leaders Jewel and Barney, and trampling through the point dogs, April and Daisy. The moose's feet got caught in the lines, stretching the lines. Rob ran off the trail (and sank immediately in waist deep snow) and hid behind some brush. The moose ran off between the sled and Rob's hiding spot, leaving Rob untouched. Thankfully no dogs were injured but it certainly was an experience of a life time. Rob said, "Boy was my adrenaline going and I was just hoping he wouldn't hurt the dogs!"
Despite the moose encounter, the 16 dog team ran 20 miles in 6 minutes less time than the previous two 20 mile runs! The dogs enthusiasm and condition after the run was considered when Rob decided to run the 2012 Fur Rondy!
Here is to an exciting 'celebrity status' week filled with tomorrows' bib drawing, school presentations throughout Anchorage, "Meet The Mushers" and MORE for the Fur Rondy Festival 2012!
GO TEAM PAWPOWER!
 Rob's new sled: A Spyder Pro! As I am sure most of you already know, Rob posts updates on his Facebook! So if you want the details instantly, please feel free to add Rob Worden as a friend on Facebook.
Rob on the ExxonMobil Day 2:
"My main man Barney and 9 year old Jewel. Not the fastest dog, but this dog is a perfect command leader. She is one of our first litter of dogs. I owed it to her. She probably won't be leading any more races in the open class. Only because my open leaders are on the rebound(Deno, Austin,Oden) She will be moved to lead the second team. Rose lead the open with Barney for day 2. This was her first time leading in a race. She did a very good job. We only ran 10 dog on day 2. By far the smallest team, Size and number of dogs. I cant wait till I have team back together."
20 mile training run:
"I decided to run 18 dogs today on the spyder pro. What a blast!! It looks like Deno is in the best shape of the six dog team from last week. Jed and Austin were looking a little sore at the end of the run, but are looking good after the second drop after the run. A very good sign. The dogs did better then expected. I would leave 2 of the dogs of if was a race. It looks like we are starting to gel. :)" (February 14th)
After the run, the two injured dogs were (1 of which was previously injured) were Austin and Rose. Although their injuries are not impending, Rob has chosen to let them rest. "I cannot take any chances on hurting the dogs," Rob said.
 18 dogs after a 20 mile run! Woo hoo! The video time for the run is not accurate. Rob's GPS shut off. He didn't want to mislead anyone with that 'stellar time.' He did say he was averaging about 15mph.
Today, Rob took out an 8 dog team at Montana Creek for an 8 mile run, which turned into a 12-14 mile run. There was an injury on the trail from a previous team, leading Rob to get caught up and miss his 8 mile run turn. Even after the unexpected miles, Rob stated, "the dogs were looking nice! Murdock still leads like a son of a gun! [Laughter]." Rob also said, "this was a great opportunity to play around with some of the younger dogs on the team; potential leaders and point dogs in the making. It's all looking very nice." I am happy to hear such an excellent outlook for Team Pawpower, as the season has just begun! (Weird to be saying that in the middle of February!)
As of right now, Rob is planning to run 22 dogs on the open trail at Montana Creek in Willow, tomorrow. He figures that if the 8 dog team can run the open trail they are ready to be plugged back into the open team! He is also planning 3-4 more smaller runs before he will be making the decision in the next week as to if he and his team are ready for The Fur Rondy. Rob is definitely working steadily to be competitive in the ONAC: Open North American Championship.
 Pre-Open Race Photo! (Thanks for thinking of us, Rob!) Hey everyone! Wanted to give you the details on Rob and the dogs from day one of the ExxonMobil Race in Anchorage, AK!
Rob finished 18th the first day of the open class; with a time of 64:16:00. _Although they are not used to being at the bottom of the pack, Rob is very happy with the run. "I am exactly where I thought I would be...but bummed because I am not used to being down there. We don't even have our best dogs," Rob stated. There are 9 rookies on his team today, proving this to be a great opportunity for them. Rob said, "The ExxonMobil has been excellent for the dogs!" He went on to talk about the wild excitement of the 21 open teams being hooked up and the moment when he looked back at his team and they "were calm and collected--rookies and all!" This is very important for the PawPower Racing team he explained, "It takes about 45 minutes for me to get 18 dogs ready, harnessed and hooked up. The wait time makes it necessary for the dogs to stay calm; so they don't waste their energy getting all excited for the race." On top of the all the excitement, the spectators, a loose dog on the trail, tunnels, and car passes are just a few more obstacles the team was faced with today! Rob reported, "The trail is closer to 17.5 miles, than 16.5." He is optimistic about tomorrow and is hoping for a clean run!
The open roster:
Jewel Barney
Rose April
Ballsy General Lee
Luke Cooter
Holland Daisy
Name ----
Mrs. Eleanor
*Dogs in green are rookies.
*Dogs being dropped from the team for day 2.
The 6 dog team was pretty impressive, coming in 7th with a time of 0:28:48! Rob wasn't very surprised by their success because, "this is the front end of my open team, bouncing back from small injuries." Rob said excitedly, "I will be running the open class and the 8 dog class from now on, to make sure that all the dogs are kept in shape. But, today's 6 dog looked great, so some dogs on the open team will be out of a job here pretty soon! And I will have my team back!" The 6 dog team did come up against a troubled team on the trail, forcing a small tangle in Rob's team, losing 47 seconds. Here's to making up for it tomorrow!
The 6 dog roster:
Austin Dino
Jed Dallas
Beau Shelby
*Dogs in green are rookies.
Good luck on day 2 teams!
 Jewel, open race leader! How are you liking Alaska? "I probably could live here [laughter]. I like the people, they are friendly where ever you go. I enjoy the slower paced atmosphere, gives you time to take it all in. But I'm just getting used to waking up and having it dark out. Before I was like, "Holy crap! It's 9 o'clock?!" These passed couple of days I've been able to wake up at 6-7am and be ready for the day. I like to see the mountains everyday. It's just like, "WOW!" I am constantly impressed with them and you know what, it looks different everyday! I definitely look forward to seeing the other seasons."Any stand out experiences so far?"Probably the first stand out would be when I was at Tongass National Forest, just off the ferry in Juneau. I was really taking in the view, trying to take a self portrait of myself and I saw a car signal over and stop. It was a woman who had stopped to see if I needed assistance. Back in NY, I am not sure they would do that. So, the biggest thing that has stood out is the people are friendly and helpful. Oh! Talk about a standout moment, the big dipper stands on it's handle up here--back home its looks like the Big Dipper looks like it's pouring! The first time I saw it I was like, "What the heck!?"Have you seen the Northern Lights?"Nope, I've stayed up once near the Talkeetna turnoff because the sky was clear. I was hoping to see something, but I didn't. But I have a while, I've got to go to Fairbanks yet, so..."Are you ready for your 1st race since opening "PawPower Pet Supply"? "Not really, because I am not going to be as competitive as I know I can be. I am going to try not to be bummed out about my placing but--[chuckles]...I am probably going to be bummed out about my placing! But, you know.. I am not going let it bring me down because I know where we are in training. I am here this year to have fun and enjoy Alaska!"How many days/miles in the open race?"The race is 16.5 miles for the open, Saturday and Sunday."What is the line up for your open race team?"Jewel and Barney will definitely be in lead. She is 2nd to the slowest dog on the team, but by far the most dependable leader; Barney is 2nd. Jewel is just flawless...flawless, [chuckles] except for speed."Do the dogs have enough training under their belts to be successful in their first race?"Yeah, we'll get through the course with no problem. I don't know. I've never raced up here, so I don't know how to compare race times here. After a 14 mile run, they seem pretty chipper, settling in at 17.5/18 pace. But I have only been on a couple good trails. This will be the first time that I will be asking a little bit of the dogs. I haven't even tried calling them up [increase speed] yet during training. I am looking at this as being more training for further distances and the obstacles we haven't seen (the people, tunnels, bridges...) There are about 9 dogs on the team that this will be their first race. So, we'll see what happens. But you know what I keep getting from other mushers is, "you have really well behaved dogs." so hopefully that will translate to obedience on the trail."What are you expectations this weekend?"I am going out 19th, 3rd to last...so the trail will be torn to hell! Ah well, that's how it goes. I am planning on positioning myself for the next day. Just looking to get through without stopping the team. I will probably have the smallest team in the lineup, that's just a guess. I am thinking I will go with 12 dogs. There are 5 rookies, the bottom 5 haven't ran this race before."There are a lot of big names in the lineup (Ellis, Reynolds, Kornmuller, Chezik and more), are you at all intimidated?"Shoot there are more big names than that: Tetzher, Conn...but no, I'm not intimidated because I know I don't have a team. This is probably my least experienced team since I started racing open class. Let's put it that way. But oh yeah, I am absolutely the bottom guy but you know what, I am just going to go and have fun! It's probably the best way to sum it all up. I know I don't have a competitive team this year but we will make it through the races happy and healthy and I will have a well behaved team! There are 21 teams in the open class...that's the biggest class [Shocked]. In the states, the biggest classes are the 4 and 6!"
Rob is also entered in the 6 dog for his B team to get a taste of racing, as well!
For race information and updates please visit ASDRA's website:http://www.asdra.org/exxonopen_info.htmlRob would like to thank:
"My lovely wife, Kathy. She is home taking care of puppies and adult dogs. She has her hands full....at work and home and the store. Thank you, I am extremely grateful for your to do this for me. I love you so much."
"Josh, I really wish you could have got a chance to stand on the runners this year for all the help this summer and fall. You did all the work and didn't reap any of the benefits. I am thinking of you often, up here! Thank you for your help!""Thanks to Matt, for helping out when we need an extra hand."
"To Regina for starting the blog and Marrissa for helping report the daily grind. You guys are doing a wonderful job! Thank you!"
"The patrons of PawPower Pet Supply, a HUGE thank you for donating your hard earned money to "Rob's Quest for Rondy Fund" and believing in me! We raised $2032.53!"
There are several other people he would like to thank but his mind is on getting ready for the race, right now. Please know that if you were at all involved with making this possible, Rob is extremely thankful and grateful for all of your hard work and support!
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