JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Living up to its reputation as the most exciting race of the decade, the Pedigree Stage Stop Race in Big Piney/Marbleton, Wyoming saw all top 5 positions change hands today.

Emilie Entrikin running an impressive 5th overall. (Pedigree Stage Stop Race)

Returning Stage Stop winner Lina Streeper seized today’s ‘yellow bib’ and #1 overall position with a speedy elapsed time of 2:19:09. Anny Malo placed second with 2:24:47, followed very closely by Érick Laforce in third with 2:25:41.

Bondurant’s has been lurking just outside the top leader group but made her move yesterday to climb into contention. She placed fourth with in Stage 4 with a 2:28:50. JR Anderson was fifth.

All top 10 positions for the 35-mile course are within 20 minutes of each other which promises a very competitive and exciting lineup in Lander, Wyoming today for Stage 5.

Once again the weather was the talk of the circuit. Not because it was bad, but so good.

 

Anny Malo slipped a little but is still 2nd fastest in the cumulative standings. (Pedigree Stage Stop Race)

“I’m not sure this is really the Pedigree Stage Stop Race as I can’t remember ever having such nice weather—not hot but very comfortable,” said race analyst Jerry Bath. He added that Stage 4 was the point in the race where mushers really begin to assess and reassess which dogs they will use and how many. Some mushers have saved their dogs a bit for the final push. Others will begin fading fast if their teams are spent.

“Defending champ Lina Steeper made her mark by winning the leg [yesterday] and taking first place in the overall. She knows from experience her team does well in the hills,” Bath said. “Anny Malo and Érick Laforce fell off the pace, placing second and third on the day. Alix Crittenden, J.R. Anderson, Tommy Bird and Richard Beck rose to the occasion. The question is, did some save dogs for tomorrow that they wish were in the team today?”

“Fly, baby, fly.” (Pedigree Stage Stop Race)

Racers will be thrown a curveball today as the course for the Lander leg has been shortened to 27 miles instead of the advertised 35, and will run up from Sinks Canyon

“Most mushers were pleased by this as today might have been a rough day,” Bath said. “But some were undoubtedly saving dogs for this 35-mile leg.”

Despite the shorter distance, the leg will include more than eight miles of climbing so watch for Streeper’s dogs to again pace the field.