JACKSON, Wyo. — The Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race kicked off in Jackson on Friday evening with a ceremonial start on Town Square.
For the race’s 30th year, there are 18 musher teams. People lined the sidewalks near Town Square to get a glimpse of the teams cruise by during the annual event. Town of Jackson’s Public Works Department was able to find enough snow to lay a track for the dogs and sleds, and away they went.
According to a Sunday evening press release, defending champion and six-time champion overall Anny Malo took the lead over the weekend, with a cumulative time of 4:20:07. Stages 1 and 2 took place on Saturday and Sunday in Pinedale. During Stage 2, teams tackled 35 miles of groomed trails starting at the Green River Lakes trailhead and traveling through the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Bondurant resident Alix Crittenden sits in fourth place with a time of 4:37:27. The race continues today, with a 34-mile stage in Big Piney and Marbleton.
“Two stages down and five to go — our mushers and dogs are racing strong, the competition is tight, and the best of the Pedigree Stage Stop is still ahead,” Race Director Dan Carter said via news release on Sunday.
According to the Pedigree Stage Stop website, the sled dog race was launched in 1996 by Frank Teasely and Jayne Ottman to showcase the state of Wyoming and to make sled racing more accessible to the public.
