Jamaica Dogsled Team

Winners of the Ultimate Jamaica Villa Adventure Vacation

2009-03-25T08:45:00.020-05:00

Congratulations Dale and Anne Babala!

These two are the first lucky winners of the Ultimate Jamaica Villa Vacation, which was contributed by Chukka Caribbean Adventures, the Jamaica Dogsled Team and WestJet Vacations for the fundraising event in Calgary October 2008.

Dale and Anne had a wonderful time in the beautiful island of Jamaica. They stayed in Danny Melville's wonderfully breathtaking villa by the cove at Chukka Cove Farm in Llandovery St. Ann.

The couple was entertained for their entire stay which lasted for 8 days and seven nights with adventurous tours at their disposal. On top of it all Dale and Anne were treated to some of the most superb Jamaican dishes which was accompanied with all the tropical delights imagineable.

Anne and Dale-we salute you, your welcome back anytime!

Anne and Dale on the patio at the villa
Anne and Dale at the Villa where they stayed for their one week adventure

Getting ready to go out on the Dogsled Experience tour

On tour with RObb on a nice cool day!

On tour with Robb.

Whoooo! What a great ride!

Anne, Dale, Sarah and of course Marbles trying to get into the picture

The couple poses with Marbles and Sarah

More celebration for the return of Newton and Robb!!!

2009-03-20T10:41:00.006-05:00

Danny Newton and Robb toast away the afternoon
Robb and Newton cutting the welcome home cake-yum yum!

Newton's family came to Chukka Cove Farm to welcome him home

Newton and Robb poses with staff and friend, 'Bulby'

Welcome Back Photos taken at Sangster's Interational Airport, Montego Bay.

2009-03-19T13:11:00.006-05:00

Newton be greeted by Danny Melville on his return-big smiles!
The JDT/CHUKKA family poses for the camera-from left Vaneka Mckenzie, Danny Melville, Newton Marshall, Marc Melville, Daniel Melville, John Byles and Damion Robb

Newton and Robb are welcomed by friends and co-workers

Newton being welcomed by Margaritaville

Welcome Welcome Welcome Back!!!!

2009-03-19T12:48:00.002-05:00

Newton and Robb returned to their beautiful island, filled with sunshine and sand.........a far fetched comparison to where they spent the last couple of months, which was filled with snow and ice.
Robb returned on the 10th of March while Newton came back on the 11th.
JDT members as well as Chukka Caribbean team mates were all so proud of the two mushers and are happy to tag them as Jamaican Ambassadors.
There was a big JDT welcome home celebration on a bright afternoon:
Location-Sangster's International Airport, Montego Bay.
..............and the Atmosphere? Pride filled Jamaicans~~

More pics of the JDT Truck for all you doggie truck lovers out there-ENJOY!!!

2009-03-15T12:55:00.010-05:00

(Check out our chrome dog-Mush mon!)

Snowflake 09-contributed by Ken~

2009-03-15T12:29:00.001-05:00

Robb & I had a fantastic finish for our racing season. We both ran the 4-Dog Pro at Snowflake International in Duluth, MN. A lot of people came out just to see Robb and the JDT. There is so much support and interest everywhere we go. We had fun as this is one of our favorite trails. It is a tough, curvy and hilly 6K that is a blast to run a team on. Robb had good clean runs on both Saturday and Sunday finishing 6th out of 25 in a very competitive field. I finished 5th, just beating Robb but my older leader has done this race 7 times. She knows the trail quite well. It is exciting to me to now watch Robb as he drives his team like a professional. We also had a mushers party Saturday night at our house for all that attended Snowflake. It was a great way to send Robb back to JA. He is so well thought of up here by all the mushers that he competes with. Robb did an awesome job on and off the trail again this season. It is with pride and pleasure to be Robb's coach and affiliated with the Jamaica Dogsled Team. Thank You. Ken -- Ken Davis

Snowflake with Robb

2009-03-14T17:16:00.004-05:00

Fast Sled Rider
Cranking on the sled

Here's going out to you Craig

2009-03-14T17:08:00.003-05:00

Please take a look at Robb as he leans on the JDT truck; this one is going out to Craig from Duluth. Hope you like-will try to get some more to pass on to you!!!!

Take Care~

Hermantown Elementary Jamaican Musher Encounter :-)

2009-03-14T16:56:00.000-05:00

Thursday and Friday before Snowflake International Robb and I did two different school functions. On Thursday Proctor High School sent 18 students out to the kennel. They got to visit with all the dogs and talk to Robb about mushing and Jamaica. Their teacher Mrs. Vicki Lee said the students enjoyed it. It was a great 2 hours. On Friday we went to Hermantown Elementary School and did an hour long visit with the 2nd and 3rd graders. They had already been studying the Itidarod and the Yukon Quest and were following Newton online, they had also watched 'Sun Dogs'. The whole school learns about mushing from the librarian Mrs. Juntenen. The kids loved Robb and got to ask a lot of good questions. We took 3 dogs with us and they were a hit also. We enjoy doing this so much and it seems like the kids had a great learning experience.
Ken Ken DavisElfstone KennelJamaica Dogsled Team

The finish banquet in Fairbanks

2009-03-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

Newton thanking his sponsors after receiving his cheque (US$3K) for 13th placeNewton looking at his trophy

The icing on the cake came at the finish banquet in Fairbanks when it was announced that Newton had won the coveted ‘Challenge of the North Award’ for best exemplifying the spirit of the Yukon Quest.
The winner is chosen by the race marshal and judges; on making the presentation to Newton the marshal said:-
“I’ll be the first to admit when I saw his entry I didn’t think it was much more than a publicity stunt,” race marshal Doug Grilliot said.
We felt so proud; imagine a Jamaican musher being awarded for “exemplifying the spirit of the Yukon Quest”. Newton is a true ambassador for Jamaica.
The trophy is a beautiful ink drawing of ravens on a caribou antler.
Newton is in Anchorage to witness the start of the Iditarod; who knows where he will be racing next winterJ
He returns home to Jamaica on March 11th.
Danny

Newton's completion of the Yukon Quest

2009-02-27T08:42:00.008-05:00

Looking great other than a touch of frost bite

Crossing the finish line at 6:26amBeing hugged by Danny Melville
Being congratulated by race marshalls
Steel drum music began to filter over the river bed as the crowd awaited Jamaican musher Newton Marshall. The film crew that has been following him for over a year was on hand as well as a number of other media outlets. Champion musher Hans Gatt who has been training Newton watched the river for the familiar bob of a headlamp and the sound of his dogs. Newton rounded the bend and the crowd cheered and applauded as he came down the chute. When asked how hard his journey had been he stated that many things in life are hard and he was proud. It was an emotional finish for Danny Melville the founder of the team. "I can hardly believe it" he said "he has come so far." Newton shared a long hug and private conversation with Hans. He was smiling and waved as he headed off for the dog yard and a well deserved rest.

Newton valiantly crosses the finish line!!!!!!

2009-02-27T08:37:00.003-05:00

****Newton came charging into Fairbanks at 6:26am this morning 11days 19hours and 2minutes after leaving Whitehorse.

This is a huge achievement and we are all elated with his performance. Twenty nine mushers started the race and ten have scratched so far; there are six mushers still out on the trail.****

Newton Marshall places 13th out of 29 in the Yukon Quest!!!!!!!!

2009-02-26T11:47:00.003-05:00

Fanatstic news greeted the JDT family today-Newton has completed the Quest, and not only completed but placed 13th out of 29!!!!!!!!
This is a great accomplishment and everyone is soooo proud of Newton.
Who would have thought that the JDT would have soared to such heights? certainly not even the visionary behind it, Danny Melville.
No pictures as yet but will post as soon as possible.
Congrats again Newton this is fantastic news!!!!

A nice pic of Robb at Kearney

2009-02-25T17:13:00.001-05:00

Mushers giving rides at Beaverton~contributed by Ken

2009-02-19T15:41:00.003-05:00

Robb and some local mushers giving rides to 6 local Mayor's and reporters from Toronto. We had the 2 reporters from the Toronto Star and the Mayors went out with the other teams. Ken

Beaverton/Cannington event~contributed by Ken

2009-02-18T17:06:00.000-05:00

Hello....Robb and I went down to Beaverton, Ontario and gave rides on Lake Simcoe. Robb used a 6-dog team and gave 2 reporters from the Toronto Star rides out to the ice fishing houses. There were 4 other teams giving rides at the same time to 6 of the local Mayor's. There was a big turn out. Also 'Live at 5' was there filming most of it and there were some CBC people there. The dog sledding race is just a small part of this particular event. It is in conjunction with a big ice fishing contest and the race in Cannington this coming weekend. We will be there on Friday looking forward to racing there.
Ken.

Newton at the Pelly Crossing~contributed by Danny

2009-02-17T19:11:00.005-05:00

Hey,

A sequence of photos of Newton on the trail between McCabe and Pelly Crossing.

Love that Jamaican flagJ

Newton is now sleeping at Pelly and will leave at 3:00am for the most lonely section of this incredible race; 210 miles to Dawson City; no facilities, he must sleep with his dogs on the trail; no roads; no people; only one checkpoint.

One mush
Danny

Haliburton Finals~contributed by Ken Davis

2009-02-17T09:20:00.001-05:00

Hello....We had another fantastic weekend. The race organizers were tireless and managed to put on a very good race. Even though it was +9C and raining on Thursday the trail held up so that both days it was a nice hard, fast trail. This trail is very hilly and curvy. It is tough on both dogs and driver because of the high speeds and the sharp curves. There is no falling asleep out there. This is also a very competitive race since it has a $10,000 purse and a good reputation for putting on a great race. I ran the 4-Dog Pro and finished 4th out of 22 after 2 days of racing. (7km each day). Robb ran the 6-dog Pro and was 4th after Saturday's run but had some trouble on Sunday. The team ran very well but it was just -1C and sunny when he went out. By the last 2km of 11km one of the dogs was having problems and the dog went down. Robb hooked down and loaded her in a very fast and safe manner then took off. The dogs is fine, she was a little over heated but recovered quickly. Robb did the right thing and did it so well that he only dropped 1 place. He finished 5th out of 17 teams in a extremely competitive class and after having to load a dog. That's racing! There are no trophies at Haliburton but we both recieved nice payouts. There were a lot of spectators and everybody seemed to enjoy the event. We also went downtown to the water front right after the 6-Dog event to do a meet-and-greet the 'Jamaican Musher'. There was a huge crowd and Robb and the dogs were a big hit. We had so much fun that this is a must do race for us every year. Ken

Robb at JDT Truck in Haliburton

2009-02-17T09:14:00.002-05:00

Haliburton Track

2009-02-17T09:13:00.000-05:00

Haliburton Saturday~contributed by Ken Davis

2009-02-17T09:07:00.001-05:00

Hello Danny....We both had good solid runs. Robb is 4th out of 18 in the 6-Dog Pro and I'm 4th out 22 in the 4-Dog Pro. Since the weather was so warm and raining on Thursday it is amazing that there is such a nice trial. Fast but very nice. It is a very hilly and curvy trail so both dog and driver need to be in their game. There has been quite a turn-out and all seem to be happy. Heard that Newton had a good start and is already doing well. The JDT is making its mark on both ends of Canada. Fantastic! Ken

Yukon Quest Update-contributed by Danny Melville

2009-02-17T09:04:00.002-05:00

Guys,

The ‘meet the mushers’ event in Whitehorse saw hundreds of people lining up to have the mushers autograph their Quest posters. It was so cool to see Newton among some of the best in the world; he even signed a poster for me….. J

Photos show Newton signing and me chilling a bottle of wine for laterJ

See link below for a report in the Fairbanks Newsminer today…… several comments at the end…

Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/feb/12/jamaican-musher-prepares-yukon-quest/

Mush Mon
Danny

Kearney 4-Dog 3rd Place Trophy-contributed by Ken

2009-02-17T08:34:00.005-05:00

Big Thanks from Kearney~contributed by Lisa Houliston, Kearney Dog Sled Committee

2009-02-11T19:03:00.004-05:00

Hi guys,
First I would like to say Danny you have one heck of a team representing Jamaica. Ken and Robb are incrediable and the the town of Kearney welcomes them with open arms. I am sure there heads were swellling as the compliments about these two guys were constant all weekend!!!!
Thank You for putting Kearney on your schedule again!!! They are always welcome and I hope to see them next year!!!! Hey Danny maybe you could come too??????????? This little town may surprise you!!!
.........................................
Again thank you and I wish you all the very best in all your adventures.
Lisa
Kearney Dog Sled Committee

Let me know if it comes through.

Kearney Winterfest Feb 6-8, 2009 contributed by KEN!

2009-02-11T18:58:00.001-05:00

Hello....We had another great racing weekend. There was a full crowd there both days. This is a race that the whole community and more comes out to support. We met people from all over Ontario that came just for the dog sled races and some just to see the JDT. Robb is a big attraction and a lot of people really want to spend time and take pictures of the 'Jamaican Musher'. Everybody loved the coffee and the Jamaican caps and bandannas...there are a lot of people coming to JA!!! In the 6-Dog Pro Robb and his team had some interesting runs. Saturday it was +9C and raining...not great conditions for racing sled dogs. Robb came in 5th the first day at 21:33:02, with a good chance to move up. Sunday the trail froze and the trail was dangerously fast. It is a very hard and technical trail to start with and this didn't make it better. Even though Robb 'crashed & burned' a couple of times he stayed with the team and had a blazing time of 18:06:99. He moved up to 4th place out of 14 teams. While he didn't get a trophy this time he did get $189.75...you get paid in the Pro class. We did get to take home a trophy though since I ran the 4-Dog Pro and finished 3rd out of 19...we had the 2nd fastest time on Sunday, 8 seconds from 1st, so the team seems to be running fast again. BTW one of Robb's wheel dogs, Vandal, got under the truck and ripped out a 2 foot section of the main electric lines for the whole truck. The guys from Kearney got the local mechanic to rewire all 40+ wires...in the rain, at +2C, at 8 PM. Wow what a town. Ken

Third place trophies for the marmora 4 dog and 6 dog pro.

2009-02-05T12:27:00.001-05:00

Marmora Training

2009-02-05T12:05:00.002-05:00

Robb training for the marmora sno-fest

Ice formation close by the training area

Marmora Cup-contributed by Ken

2009-02-04T16:52:00.004-05:00

Ambassador Robb at the JDT truck with some kids who couldn't wait to take a picture of him.

Hello....sorry about the slow reporting but my email dilemma may be over forever now. We had a wonderful time at the Marmora Sno-Fest. The whole town was behind the event and there were quite a few spectators both days despite some very nasty weather. Robb and his teams were in racing mode and he came in 3rd in the 4-Dog Pro Saturday and held that position through Sunday with times of 13:23 Saturday and 14:45 Sunday, he missed being 2nd in total time by only 32 seconds! In the 6-Dog it was a different story. Both races have passing and head-on passing. Head-on passing takes very good leaders and a team and driver that are working as a unit. Robb had to pass and head-on pass numerous teams but one team had some trouble and Robb had 3 tangles on Saturday, having to hook down. He finished 5th for the day. Sunday he went out with a good attitude and the team had a very fast and solid run. The trail conditions had worsened on Sunday so every body's time was slower except Robb's. Saturday's was 21:02 and Sunday was 20:10. In the end he moved up to 3rd place. Fantastic. The team received 2 beautiful trophy's and money. I am very proud of Robb and his team as this race was his first head-on race and it is also a very technical trail. On Saturday evening the race had a spaghetti dinner where over 300 people turned out. At the end of the dinner there was supposed to be a panel discussion with some mushers including Robb and myself. It ended up be only Robb and me and we spoke and answered questions for about a 1/2 hour. Apparently it went well as a gentleman named Don McCoen, who has the Guinness World Record for the most dogs hooked to a sled (76), told both of us that he really enjoyed it and learned from us. We actually got a standing ovation afterwards. Wow. We like Marmora and will be back. Ken -- Ken Davis

Elfstone Kennel

Saginaw, MN USA

'Jamaica Dogsled Team'

A few pictures from IFFS 2009

2009-01-29T14:14:00.004-05:00

Danny, Robb, and Ken all suited up to enjoy the cold weather and warm company!

Robb concentrating and mushing hard - and probably dreaming about a beach in Jamaica!

(Look at the snow on the dogs' faces!)

STOP in the name of insane amounts of snow!

Quotes from Newton and Hans after the Copper Basin

2009-01-16T13:05:00.003-05:00

Newton:
"The people at the checkpoints were very, very nice. Sometimes on the trail I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know if I was still on the trail and it was very cold. But we find the trail again and get to the checkpoint. One man leave his house and let us take it over for a checkpoint. There was two bedroom upstairs and the downstairs for everybody to use. Everybody was very encouraging and it was a good race but it was hard. At the end people was laughin' a lot. Lance Mackey shake my hand a lot and ask me how many in my family mush. I tell him, "No one! They think I am a mad man!". People was real nice and it was cold but it was a very good race. I feel good that I did it." "The open water was the worst thing on the trail. I was really scared when I saw that. We had to go so close to it. It was cold, cold, and there was black water open in the ice running under the ice. Would we go too close and would the ice break? I had to not think and I had to get by it."

Hans:
"As usual with the Copper Basin it was the worst trail and the toughest conditions imaginable for a 300 mile race. There is nothing on the Quest trail that is worse than some of the things Newton saw in the Copper Basin. It was at least minus 40 at the start line. There were sections 10 miles long of deep sugar snow with no trail. Chad Lindner had to walk his dogs 20 miles into the finish line after they quit on him. He had camped 6 hours but they would not get started again. He had run out of food and people were giving him things, but finally he said it's time to go and he walked that team 20 miles to the finish line, holding the neck line of the leaders. It took him 17 hours to walk that 20 miles. That tells you about the trail." "Newton did a great job. To do a 300 mile run is one thing, but this 300 miles is something else. It is not flat, it is 300 miles of mountains, open water, deep snow at temperatures ranging down to minus 50. Normand Cassavant from Quebec, who has been running dogs for 20 years but this is his first race in the north, said this is the hardest thing he has ever done. Not just dog racing, but anything he has ever done. He just did not expect it. The Copper Basin is the toughest 300 mile race period, and this year was no different."

Newton has his qualifying races for the Quest-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:47:00.001-05:00

TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 2009

In case anyone has not yet already heard, Newton did make it to the finish line in 13th place. He now has his qualifiers to do the Yukon Quest. Susie

Brent Sass is now the competition for second-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:46:00.001-05:00

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009 1:39

Taking a closer look I see that Brent Sass left the checkpoint 5 minutes ahead of Hans, AND he's travelling faster than Hans as per their times from Chisto! Wow, this is going to be an exciting finish. Congrats to Brent if he pulls it off! However, Hans's dogs have just had a big snack and a 2 hour break. Brent is runnin' on empty and will have to stop somewhere unless he figures he can run 120 miles straight through (he hasn't stopped since Chisto). I place my bet on Hans. Still, good for Brent for making it exciting and who the heck knows, eh? Susie

Hans in Sourdough-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:44:00.002-05:00

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009 1:34PM

Hans is into the last checkpoint tied for second place with Sven Haltman. Hans is only one minute ahead of Sven. However, Hans is allowed to leave the checkpoint after 2 hours, Sven has to stay 3.5. It looks to me that Hans has no intention of chasing Lance down to the finish line. He has already been in the checkpoint for over two hours. He gained quite a bit against Lance's 47 minute trail lead, (reduced it to WHOOOPS!! This just in, they updated the site and Hans DID charge down the trail after Lance. He is 31 minutes behind Lance right now, made up 16 minutes in the last run/checkpoint. The chance of him making up another 31 minutes is very slim, but he's racing to win now! Yee haw! Susie

Can i swear yet? (2) contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:42:00.001-05:00

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009 10:41PM

Josh Cadzow won the Quest 300 last year, absolutely blew away everybody else. When he finished, he was 17 hours ahead of second place, and had made up the 5 hours between the Quest 1000 and the 300 start and was ahead of every single Yukon Quest musher as well! In other words, my guess is that Josh scratched due to the fact that they forgot to put in the next 60 miles of trail. He does not see the point in risking his dogs. Tom Lesatz did what I was talking about with people who short their dogs too much on rest. He ran the first 120 miles with only 30 minutes of rest, tried to make it up by stopping 8 hours, (not nearly enough though he had probably already cooked his team anyway), and then went on to Paxon where he scratched. That's called, "Blowing up your team." Newton is doing the race plan he was given. The trail is a little slower than we expected but other wise he is right on time. Looking at that 14.5 hour supposed run to Paxson, I knew there was something dramatically wrong. I thought he had broken his sled or a dog had died, no kidding. There is just no way otherwise that it would have taken him so long, then when they said he came into the checkpoint one dog short... Susie

Can i swear yet? contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:41:00.001-05:00

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009

Now they have Newton as having arrived in Paxon at 7:19 p.m. last night!! And they say he's already left for Sourdough??!! My god, this is every bit as bad as some of the 'updates' on the Quest and Iditarod. Waiting details... Susie

Monday Morning updates-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:36:00.001-05:00

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009 10:04AM

According to the latest update, it took Newton 14 1/2 hours to do what should have been a 9 hour run. That doesn't make any sense at all unless something went wrong. Danny pointed out to me on the phone that he came in within one minute of two other mushers. Often in these races, when people are struggling they band together at the back of the pack. I see that all the time with the Quest. The two mushers Newton was travelling with are Martin Jahr and Mark Sleightholme. Martin is from Switzerland but has lived in Haines Junction, Yukon for a couple of years now. He just had his 40th birthday and we were invited but didn't make the drive out there (2 hours away from here). Mark is from England and is leasing a team from Sebastian Schnuelle. His team is very slow. We passed them on a training run last month and talked with him when he finally got to Quiet Lake on the South Canol Road. That was back when we took 2 hour breaks in the middle of a 90 mile run. Now we run 90 miles straight through. Which brings me back to, what could have taken Newton so long to do a 60 mile run? My mind is on a hampster wheel on this one. I do not agree with calling the race headquarters except in real emergencies but I did try to call just to ask if they had any news. The line was busy. Hopefully John Firth who is up there with Hans and Newton will call one of us. I'm going to try his wife Dawn next! Take care all, Susie

Hans into Paxon

2009-01-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

SUNDAY JANUARY 11, 2009 10:25PM

Hans is in the next checkpoint with the fastest travel time. However, he is 2:47 behind Lance. Lance has to rest 2 hours longer than Hans at the last checkpoint so Hans could make up some time there. That extra two hours will do Lance's team some good though and will still leave him 47 minutes ahead of Hans unless Hans really makes better time over the next 60 miles than Lance does. So far Lance has been faster in each leg except for the most recent run, and even then he was only 1 minute slower! So from here it looks like the race will go to Lance Mackey. Now everybody who is a contender for the top spots is stuck in Paxon taking their 8 hour layovers. Some slower teams stopped for 8 hours earlier so they will be free to leave sooner but I can't see that it will help them enough to put them back at the front. Hans and Newton being bibs 4 and 1, will have to wait longer before being allowed to leave. That puts a number of other people ahead of Hans as follows: Sven Haltman 29 minutes ahead leaving Paxon, but he has to stop 1.5 hours longer at Sourdough, the last checkpoint Brent Sass 3 minutes ahead leaving Paxon. Has to stop 30 minutes longer at Sourdough.Braxton Peterson 4 minutes ahead leaving Paxon. Has to stop 2 hours longer at Sourdough. So these three are people Hans could fairly easily get ahead of again, assuming he does not stay longer than 2.5 hours in Sourdough, the next checkpoint. The big problem is that there is still a 60 mile run to Sourdough, then a 59 mile run to the finish line. That's 119 miles, much farther than any of our training runs. I'm not sure Hans will risk his dogs by running them through with only 2.5 hours in Sourdough to rest. Hans may have hooped himself by resting those extra 2 hours on the trail earlier in the game. That's how the strategy of these races goes! We'll see who's works best. Newton should be in Paxon right about now if he is on schedule. Not sure when they will be updating next. Susie

Newton Chistochina right on time-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:32:00.001-05:00

SUNDAY JANUARY 11, 2009 3:53PM
Newton left Chistochina at 10:44 a.m. Alaska time after exactly 6 hours in the checkpoint. He is following his race plan precisely. 108 miles down, 192 miles to go. Susie

Hans out of Christo-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T15:29:00.001-05:00

SUNDAY JANUARY 11, 2009 3:12PM
Newton is posted as being still in the check point but I would imagine he's out or will be soon and it just hasn't been updated. Here is some race analysis so you can start to understand how the mid-distance races are run. This could be valuable for the people filming the race so you know what you are hearing and talking about come Quest time. Mid-distance is similar to long distance stratedgy, at least 'mid-distance' in the North which tends to be 200 to 400 mile races vs. in the south where mid-distance can be anything down to 30 miles. However, you can get away with less rest in a mid-distance race. In long distance, the people who cheat their dogs in rest do great for about 500 miles, then they start to crash. Many people have leap frogged past Hans by cutting rest. We'll see if this stratedgy holds up on the 72 mile run to Paxon. This is the hardest part of the trail plus the longest between checkpoints. Generally you want to rest as many minutes/hours as you run. Lance has so far cheated his dogs 2 hours and forty minutes with time on the trail of only 10:40, so that's a pretty big percentage 'cheat'. Hans has 1 hour and 10 minutes owing to his dogs, so he has also been cutting rest. His dogs have two hours more rest on them than Lance's do though, so we'll see if that means something good for Hans's team in this 72 mile run. Lance's team is not suffering so far from being shorted on rest, and his time on the trail is a full half hour less than Hans. Hans had planned to rest 6 hours in Chisto and cut it short to 5, so he's decided to race. If he didn't care about his standing, he'd have stayed another hour. Newton will stay the 6 hours as per the race plan. Maybe longer if he feels it's best for him or the dogs. There are lots of other mushers ripping their dogs off on rest so it should be really interesting to see what happens in Paxon in about 8 hours! Susie

Newton in Christo-Contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T14:51:00.001-05:00

SATURDAY JANUARY 11, 2009 12:27PM

Newton is in Chistochina checkpoint. His pace was just over 10 mph which is very good. What I read from that is that the dogs are doing very well and the weather has warmed up. Hans had the second fastest pace from GA to Chisto, Lance was a half mile an hour faster. Hans rested in GA an hour longer than Lance, but they all have to put in at least 20 hours in checkpoints so he used up some of that time like they will all have to. Hans said he would run the first 100 miles easy and see where that puts him. he thought the weather was going to improve so the people who preserved their teams to do faster runs in the second half would benefit from that. He said he would also keep an eye on what Newton is doing and if Newton looked good half way, he would feel okay about taking off if it looked like he could win. Nevertheless, Mackey knows what he's doing and obviously has a very strong team again this year. I've never seen him 'blow up his team' as many do when they take off fast at the start. Lance has this race in the bag already unless something dramatic happens. He's far enough ahead that he has a safe lead on all of them. Allen Moore specializes in these shorter races and beat Hans by 2 minutes in the Sheep Mountain 150. Allen does not run the thousand mile races and trains his dogs to go a little faster. He's another one Hans will have a hard time catching. I suspect Brent Sass is overdoing it and will crash. We'll see. He is very ambitious, has made statements that he intends to WIN the Quest and the Iditarod. You have to start with the intention, but I wouldn't think he has the team to back that up. Nevertheless, so far he is doing great. There are just so many good teams within reach of Hans that I will stop commenting there. They are so close together that really the first 12 teams are all in contention. Newton is the 15th team in, and started first so he is probably in about 17th place. But his run time was very fast and he rested at least an hour longer in the last checkpoint than all the others except for Allen Moore and Hans. He's not up front but he's doing great. Newton still has all 12 dogs, Hans dropped a dog in GA. Newton's team has been very injury free this year. Hans has Two dogs with leg gators on due to the fur on their legs being rubbed off by cold snow in a recent training run. They are susceptible to frost bite. Another dog has a cut in his ear that requires him to wear a head band. These are articles that need to be adjusted on a regular basis and it would not surprise me if Hans just dropped the dog with the head band. They slip off every hour or so and you have to stop the whole team... Things are looking good. Susie

A lot slower than expected-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T14:49:00.001-05:00

SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2009 10:30PM
I just checked the race plan and they are all moving a lot slower than expected. We thought Newton would be in Glen Allen in 5 hours. Lance took 5:45 and Hans took 6:03, Newton is at 6:54. At extremely cold temperatures the snow is like sand paper. That slows things down. Also they try to keep the teams slow to avoid frost bite. So you can adjust the finish time already from 5 p.m. Monday to 7 p.m. Monday, and it will probably go a lot later than that as they lose time throughout the weekend against the race plan. Susie

Newyon Update at the CB300-Contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2009 8PM
It's 8 p.m. Yukon time. Newton is into Glen Allen, the second check point and is holding his own in the middle of the pack. Hans has left him behind and is closer to the front. Another musher scratched so the field is down to 21 from 35 sign ups, and 32 registered (ie, 32 showed up to start the race). Eight mushers are still on the trail from Tolsona, on their way to Glen Allen, and nobody has left the Glen Allen checkpoint there. The temperature is -24 F, which is pretty good. About -32 C. Susie

Newton and Hans at the CB 300-contributed by Susie

2009-01-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2009 5:20PM
Hans and Newton are in Glen Allen eating dinner right now, the night before the Copper Basin 300. It's -48F there. The musher meeting was this afternoon and guess who drew bib #1? ... Newton! He pulled the number out of the hat at the front of the room, looked at it and said, "Oh shit." Before he even said what number he pulled the whole room was laughing, including him. Hans said it was really funny. Anyway, obviously they are hoping for better weather tommorrow. It's kind of bad when you are HOPING for nothing colder than 40 below. Hans has his brand new Northern Outfitter clothes on, he was hand sewing the ruff on the night before he left. (Yes, I offered but was not allowed to touch it!) Hans and Newton are talking with Sebastian Schnuelle, Lance Mackey and a bunch of other hard core mushers about the race. There are 35 sign ups and almost all are very accomplished and experienced mushers. Hans said people are interested in Newton because he's a relative newcomer, but mainly because he is a Jamaican in "interior" Alaska, in January, at minus 48, ready to run what is arguably the toughest 300 mile dog sled race in the world. (NOBODY in their right mind goes to interior Alaska in January! They don't call it, 'The interior of' Alaska, it's just 'interior Alaska' or 'the interior', and the direct translation is: COLD!) I could hear lots of voices in the background while I was talking to Newton and Hans. Lots of buzz. I told Newton not to go out there and kill himself. If it gets too bad, tell somebody. Newton said, "I'm going to finish this race.", and sounded very serious and calm about it. Hans got back on the phone and was laughing saying he can't wait to see Newton take off across the lake tommorrow in the ice fog at -40, first guy out, nobody to follow. He says he can't wait to see the look on Newton's face. Nice guy, eh? Hans is bib 4, only 8 minutes behind Newton by the way. That's it for now, Susie

Heading for the Copper Basin

2009-01-10T16:44:00.005-05:00

Newton poses by the JDT truck as he gets ready for the BIG race. Who would have thought his teeth and eyelashes would ever have the same colour?
Good Luck Newton!

Copper Basin: Musher Meeting-Contributed by Susie

2009-01-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

Just an update for all who may be interested. Hans and Newton are in Glen Allen eating dinner right now, the night before the Copper Basin 300. It's -48F there. The musher meeting was this afternoon and guess who drew bib #1? ... Newton! He pulled the number out of the hat at the front of the room, looked at it and said, "Oh shit." Before he even said what number he pulled the whole room was laughing, including him. Hans said it was really funny. Anyway, obviously they are hoping for better weather tommorrow. It's kind of bad when you are HOPING for nothing colder than 40 below. Hans has his brand new Northern Outfitter clothes on, he was hand sewing the ruff on the night before he left. (Yes, I offered but was not allowed to touch it!) Hans and Newton are talking with Sebastian Schnuelle, Lance Mackey and a bunch of other hard core mushers about the race. There are 35 sign ups and almost all are very accomplished and experienced mushers. Hans said people are interested in Newton because he's a relative newcomer, but mainly because he is a Jamaican in "interior" Alaska, in January, at minus 48, ready to run what is arguably the toughest 300 mile dog sled race in the world. (NOBODY in their right mind goes to interior Alaska in January! They don't call it, 'The interior of' Alaska, it's just 'interior Alaska' or 'the interior', and the direct translation is: COLD!) I could hear lots of voices in the background while I was talking to Newton and Hans. Lots of buzz. I told Newton not to go out there and kill himself. If it gets too bad, tell somebody. Newton said, "I'm going to finish this race.", and sounded very serious and calm about it. Hans got back on the phone and was laughing saying he can't wait to see Newton take off across the lake tommorrow in the ice fog at -40, first guy out, nobody to follow. He says he can't wait to see the look on Newton's face. Nice guy, eh? Hans is bib 4, only 8 minutes behind Newton by the way. That's it for now, Susie

Copper Basin:Thursday 12:41pm-Contributed by Susie

2009-01-10T16:29:00.001-05:00

It's 12:41 p.m. on Thursday, and they are loading up the dogs. The truck is running with the two sleds on top, on of which has a green, yellow and black sled bag with 'JAMAICA' in red letters on each side of it plus a large Jamaican flag sewn onto the top of the sled bag. I hope we've got Newton ready for this. Three hundred miles through the worst part of Alaska, with temperatures currently hovering at -40 Celsius or Farhenheit (they meet at -40). Doing this on a dog sled with no assistance, plus having to look after his team of 12 dogs is a big responsibility for Newton and a tough journey for anyone. The dogs are going wild in the yard and Hans is still deciding which dogs to bring. Newton has his dogs almost completely loaded. The issue with Hans's dogs is that two of them have what is called 'chicken legs'. The fur on their lower legs was rubbed off on the last training run by the extremely cold and abrasive snow. The dogs are fine and not injured, but now they have to wear leg gators to keep them from getting frost bite on their lower legs. They have bright blue leg guards, kind of like the polo ponies at Chukka Cove. Hans is wondering if he wants to go through the bother of keeping the leg gators on. On the other hand he wants to see if the gators work so he knows for the Quest. Hans's main leader Tushai is a female who is just coming into heat and the rest of the team is ALL MALES! Now that spells trouble, and he's considering leaving her behind. Kinvig's ear is bleeding where it got bitten by Minty Fresh, so that's another consideration. Even a small injury like that can be a major problem out on a trail like the Copper Basin. Newton's dogs once again have no injuries and no issues. That was also the case on the last big training run. Hans said that if they had have been racing, he would not have been able to keep up with Newton's team. Newton is packing dog jackets for this race, not something you need unless it is very, very cold. As I write here, I notice that they must be finished loading dogs because the dogs left in the yard just started howling. The dogs abruptly change from a caucaphony of happy excited barks to a long mournful howl as soon as the last dog is loaded. That's because the dogs left behind know they are not going. To the dogs these runs and races must be akin to 'the hunt'. Somewhere deep in their genetics sled dogs get extremely excited when they know they are getting ready for a run, just as a pack of wolves would get stimulated by the scent of another animal in the woods and the imminent prospect of a pack hunt. Even though it is a lot of work, and sometimes there is danger and sometimes injuries, they are born and wired to do this. Lisa got a few pictures before the truck took off, and I just watched them leave down the road, dissappeering into the woods that start about 500 feet past the dog yard. Now all we can do is wait for Saturday's race start and watch the race progress on the website.

Copper Basin-contributed by Susie

2009-01-08T11:25:00.001-05:00

We are hoping the weather warms up a bit for the CB 300 but it is still 40 below there. Glen Allen is a cold place to start with. Also there is some stomach sickness going around in the yard, even Jesus is not eating and he is a complete swine. However, so far Newton and Hans's dogs are looking fine. They are giving the dogs 'metronitozol' or something like that just in case. We did the food drops last night and all went well other than Goose shit on the floor after eating a lot of scraps. I cooked the human meals and they packed snacks and clothes, matches etc. Lisa and Newton did all the dog food and booties during the day and Hans had already cut all the dog snacks which Newton and Lisa then packed into 14 snack portions. There is a LOT of food packed into small bags waiting to go into the truck. I'll get Lisa to take a picture. It's like 1/3rd of the Quest so I guess ya, it would be a lot of food.
Keep your fingers crossed for Newton!
It's going to be a tough race.

Sheep Mountain Update (contributed by Susie Rogan)

2008-12-21T09:11:00.001-05:00

Actually Hans finished third, not second. Both Hans and Newton were supposed to run no faster than 10 to 12 miles per hour. Newton was bang on, taking 5 hours to do the first 50 miles and so on but Hans couldn't control himself and started racing during the last 1/4 of the race! He said with a smile, "I had to set a few things straight." It was like Sundance Film Festival of dog racing with mushers such as Jeff King (4 time Iditarod winner), Ken Anderson, Sebastian Schnuelle, Gerry Willomietzer, DeeDee Jonrowe (second place Iditarod), Aily Zirkle (1st place Yukon Quest), and Hans of course (3 times first place Yukon Quest and champion of many other races), etc. etc. Many were running this as a first race of the season, being careful and checking out their dogs under race conditions. The race could have been a lot more competitive if these people were giving it all they had, but they were preserving their teams for bigger races later in the season. Jessica Hendricks the winner specializes in the shorter races and this was her race to win. Newton also could definately have gone a lot faster but instead ran a perfect race and finished with all his dogs in great shape. The race vet approached me and said, "In case I don't get a chance to talk to Hans and Newton, would you pass on to them that Newton looked extremely good out there. Very professional. He had his check point routine down almost perfectly. You could tell he was having to think, but he didn't miss a thing." During this race we were witness to an extremely large full moon, it was in the newspaper as appearing 14% larger than normal due to being low on the horizon, and a big meteor shower. It was a magical night with the race starting at 1 p.m. and finishing at about 4 pm the next day. Enough said for now. It's -38 C here today and the shower is frozen so Lisa (the handler), and I are heading into town to the gym to take a shower. It's been a few days! Susie"

And the Season Begins!!!

2008-12-15T11:53:00.003-05:00

Great start to the long distance race season for the JDT. Newton placed 21st out of 48 in the 150 mile Sheep Mountain race held this past weekend in Alaska. Big smiles and huge congrats go out to Newton for his accomplishment........Folks at home are so proud of you Newton!!

Sheep Mountain Trail

2008-12-15T11:30:00.005-05:00

Great finish for Newton in the Sheep Mountain 150

2008-12-15T11:29:00.003-05:00

Newton Marshall finished in 21st place out of 47 teams that started the race. This is a great warm up for the Copper Basin 300, Jan. 10-13. Championship musher and team trainer Hans Gatt finished in 2nd place, the winner was Jessica Hendricks. Congratulations to all of the great teams who participated. Check out the race results.

Mush mon.

JDT founder Danny Melville and Head Musher Devon Anderson inspect the new Coolline Misting System

2008-12-11T18:11:00.004-05:00

Everyone needs to cool down on those extremely hot days, and our mutley crew is no exception to this.The JDT now boasts an all new misting system by Coolline which allows our mutts to experience the joy of this doggy oasis. What does our Head Musher Devon Anderson have to say about this?

"A great idea! One of the best additions we have made so far. This system strongly enhances the JDT's performance."

Newton presenting to one of the winners at the JDT Fundraiser.

2008-11-08T17:10:00.002-05:00

Newton talking to Andrew MacGillivray who flew in from Victoria for the Fundraiser which was held in Calgary.

2008-11-08T16:47:00.010-05:00

Ann and Dale Babala Win Ultimate Jamaica Vacation at Calgary Fundraiser

2008-11-04T12:14:00.001-05:00

Ann and Dale Babala (pictured here with Newton on the left and Shannon Cunningham of WestJet Vacations on the right) won the Ultimate Jamaica Vacation courtesy of Danny and Carole Melville and WestJet Vacations. The team pulled out the stops auctioning off this one-of-a-kind, not just all- but everything-and-then-some-included getaway. Ann and Dale will live like five star locals in Old Jamaica style for 7-nights in a private villa at the home of the Jamaica Dogsled Team, Chukka Cove and will be looked after by Danny's personal staff who are more like family. Also included: airfare from Calgary to Montego Bay is compliments of WestJet; all ground transportation, including shopping trips into Ocho Rios and all meals and drinks -- plus a personal and private experience with the Jamaica Dogsled Team and all of the nature adventure tours from Chukka Caribbean Adventures all-day, every day. Wow. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the team, great party and looking foward to next year!

Mush Mon.

2008 Sheep Mountain Lodge 150 Sled Dog Race

2008-10-31T08:37:00.004-05:00

Newton will start the season racing in the 2008 Sheep Mountain Lodge 150 Sled Dog Race, December 13-14, 2008. The first of 50 teams will head out from Sheep Mountain Lodge at noon on Saturday.The race starts and finishes at the Sheep Mountain Lodge, three 50-mile legswith two mandatory 5-hour layovers at the Eureka Lodge. The Sheep Mountain Lodge is located along the Glenn Highway between Palmer and Glennallen about 2 hours drive from Anchorage. If you're in the neighborhood come root for the teams.

Mush Mon.

Newton Trades the Dog Yard for the Zoo in Calgary

2008-10-29T14:38:00.008-05:00

Newton took some time to visit the Calgary Zoo when he was in town for the Team fundraiser, and mugged for the camera doing the now familiar "Lightning Bolt" pose in homage to fellow Jamaican and Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt. Newton had never seen most of the animals at the zoo and was in awe most of the time. His favorite was the gorillas and most of all the 4 month old baby.

Fundraiser in Calgary a Huge Hit

2008-10-29T14:18:00.006-05:00

Newton Hans Gatt and Danny Melville came out to meet supporters and help Calgary party Jamaica style at a fundraiser for the Jamaica Dogsled Team on Oct. 25. Danny said this fundraiser "will help to cover the costs of our team for their racing season and after visiting Calgary this summer we decided it was the perfect place for a party." The team sponsors supplied great prizes including a dream trip to the team's home at Chukka Cove Farm in Jamaica with air provided by WestJet as well as items autographed by Jimmy Buffett from founding sponsor Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

Mush Mon.

Whooaa!

2008-07-30T17:36:00.003-05:00

Look at Newton as those mutts kick off with the rig being tested for the PBS program Design Squad. ....can't wait to see this episode~
Hold on Newton!!!!

Smile for the Camera!

2008-07-30T17:26:00.004-05:00

Associate Producer Michael Rossi of the PBS programme Design Squad, poses with one of the Directors of Chukka Caribbean Ltd Daniel Melville Jr and our very own Hannah Wright, Group Projects Manager.
Michael and his team were filming the JDT on Monday July 28th, for an episode of the TV program which will air very soon on PBS.

PBS Design Squad-shooting and soaking up the sun in Jamaica with the JDT!

2008-07-30T17:22:00.004-05:00

Jamaica Dogsled Team Joins with "Design Squad" TV Show

2008-07-30T14:46:00.002-05:00

The Jamaica Dogsled Team is teaming up with the Emmy award-winning reality competition show DESIGN SQUAD! DESIGN SQUAD on PBS (pbs.org/designsquad) features two teams of three aspiring college-aged engineers, led by 20-something host, inventor and mechanical engineer Nate Ball, as they work on a design project. We asked the cast to design and build snow sled rigs for dryland training that can be used on grass, but feel like they are running on snow. The two designs built by Design Squad's competing teams will be tested and judged by Jamaica Dogsled Team members Newton Marshall and Damion Robb, and the winning rig will be used in the team's summer practice sessions to help them prepare for winter competitions.

The episode will air soon on PBS - keep checking back here for more information!!

Ranchman's

2008-07-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

From bobsled to dogsled: Danny Melville at the famed Ranchman’s in Calgary, Alberta, Canada admiring a permanent exhibition of the Jamaica Bobsled Team’s gear 20 years after that team’s historic participation at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Ranchman’s played a co-starring role in “Cool Runnings” the feature film based on the Jamaica Bobsled Team. Melville was on-hand for the Calgary Stampede.

Pictured left to right: George Davidson, Consultant, RepeatSeat Ltd.; Aaron Wyers, Operations Manager, Ranchman's; Danny Melville, founder Jamaica Dogsled Team, CEO Chukka Caribbean Adventures; Bob Christianson, C.O.O. RepeatSeat Ltd.

Eastwood

2008-07-02T08:42:00.004-05:00

Dr. Richard Watts checks out Eastwood

Health update! Eastwood, a member of Newton's dog team who went with him on the Percy and will be going to the Quest, has been having problems with his eyes. Susie Rogan looked on as Dr. Richard Watts, optometrist extraordinaire in Whitehorse, examined Eastwood and found that he has a cloudy cornea secondary to a high ocular pressure (glaucoma). With Timolol .5% medicine given twice a day to reduce the pressure, Eastwood should be back for a checkup later this week to make sure he is recovering well.

Dr. Watts said "Eastwood was very calm and behaved better than the majority of human patients I have to work with!"

Ken on the mend!

2008-06-26T13:59:00.003-05:00

Three long months ago, Ken broke his wrist coming back from a fishing trip - and he's still on the mend! This picture shows Ken's 12th cast, decorated in the colors of the Jamaican flag, which should come off just before the 4th of July.

A few new pup pictures!

2008-06-16T11:30:00.002-05:00

Pretty-eyed Cheers, 5-31

Mini-loggers! Blossom and Clem

Mercer and his big paws, going to work!

Recent pics of the pups

2008-05-28T18:18:00.004-05:00

Here are a few recent pictures of the pups. We have changed the name Goose to Blossom and the male named Otto is now Merlin.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel

What's mom eating?

2008-05-17T09:44:00.007-05:00

What's mom eating?
Stella

Puppies everywhere

My head just won't fit

Fat thoughtful

Cheers getting a hug

Hello....Thought I would give a puppy update. They are all doing wonderfully and Crystal is still taking great care of them. The cuteness factor is very high. All are eating regular food and starting to ween off of Mom. The pic titled 'My head just won't fit!' is of Mercer trying to swallow Stella. Take care. Ken

DOgGy DiSH-PINKY~

2008-05-03T10:52:00.001-05:00

Pinky-The Deaf Dynamite

Our blue eyed adventurer is very playful by nature. She is interested in playing with anthing and everything; birds, paper, grass-you name it! She'll try to get your hand in her mouth (just to warm and wet them up), to let you know that she likes you.

Distingushing Trait: The prettiest blue eyes on this side of the world accompanied by the pinkest mouth (hence the name pinky).

Pet Peeves: K-9 Crowd. Pinky is very particular with who she choses to play with.

Interesting Fact: When she craves attention, she turns her butt towards you so you can rub the small of her back.

DOgGy DiSH~COVE

2008-04-25T20:16:00.012-05:00

Cove-The Hugger

Having a bad day and all you need is a little hug? Come visit us at the JDT, we have our very own official hugger-that's what we think anyway. Meet Cove, she just needs to sniff you she'll gear up to give you a great big BEAR hug (YEP-species confusion).

Distinguishing Trait: Cove wiggles and shakes her entire body all day long. She's just so excited to meet new people and get visits from her human friends.

Pet Peeves: Stray Goats

Interesting Fact: Cove led the entire team off trail during a practice run just to chase a goat (which was way out of sight)

First-born pup christened Kearney

2008-04-22T15:06:00.001-05:00

We liked Kearney, Ontario so much that we named the 1st born and biggest male 'Kearney'. He is the only one named as yet. They all have started to open their eyes and walk around a little as of today. Took these pictures today, April 22, 2008. Take care. Ken

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Crystal's pups will open their eyes any day now

2008-04-20T19:45:00.003-05:00

Hello...The pups haven't opened their eyes yet but will any day. Some have started to try and stand up. Crystal is eating well and very happy.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Jimmy Buffett hits the snow with a sled dog team in Quebec

2008-04-15T10:51:00.004-05:00

After rooting for the young mushers of the Jamaica Dogsled Team all winter, Jimmy Buffett, the team godfather hit the snow with a sled dog team at Mont Tremblant, Quebec to the tune of "Mush Mon." "Now I can swap 'mushing' stories with Newton and Robb on my next visit to Jamaica," said Buffett.

Newest JDT crew

2008-04-10T05:13:00.005-05:00

We had to move Crystal and her crew; they are calling for 30-50 mph winds and blizzard conditions, Thursday night through Saturday, 14-18” of snow. Crystal and all the pups are now in the downstairs guest bathroom (Robb’s) and are quite comfortable. All are gaining weight and look good. Hard to believe these guys are only 1 1/2 days old. They're huge!

Donna will take everyone to the vet this morning at 8 to have Mom & pups checked out plus take care of dew-claws. This is only our 3rd litter so we tend to go overboard on everything. The official count is 6 males and 3 females.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Newest JDT crew member!

2008-04-10T05:06:00.003-05:00

Feeding time-early 4-10

2008-04-10T05:06:00.002-05:00

What a cutie in Mom's tail

2008-04-10T05:06:00.000-05:00

Look at our champs~

2008-04-09T18:47:00.005-05:00

Newton and Robb can't get enough of the paparazzi!

Official JDT superstars. Both have made us incredibly proud. Hey, is it even safe to put Jamaicans on the snow? All that Heat!!!!

He's Baacckkkk!

2008-04-09T18:28:00.011-05:00

OMG-Newton is finally home, everyone was happy to see him! The team is reunited and you know how we do in Jamaica-all smiles all day.

9 beautiful new pups at the Elfstone Kennel

2008-04-09T08:57:00.003-05:00

Crystal had a total of 9 puppies. There are 3 white with black, 3 black & tan, 2 grey & white and 1 brown. Haven't done the male/female check yet since it is pretty cold out right now. All look about the same size and sure are making a lot of noise :). Crystal seems to be an excellent Mom.

In the one pic the 9th pup is under her leg, I checked!

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Crystal's pups are on the way.

2008-04-09T03:34:00.000-05:00

Starting to get the new truck ready....meanwhile we're having fun.

**Crystal started having puppies yesterday evening....about 4 PM and has 8 right now (2:30 AM)...all happy, big and healthy.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Proud mom-to-be Crystal expecting 8 or 9 pups by April 12

2008-04-03T13:50:00.005-05:00

Hello....the Vet said Crystal was going to have 8 puppies for sure and maybe 9. They are all looking good and healthy from what we can see from the X-ray. We will be seeing pups by April 12 at the latest. Crystal's tail was wagging the whole time she was at the Vet....she loves the attention.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

APTN Interview with Newton at The Percy finish line

2008-04-03T13:22:00.007-05:00

Check out this wonderful interview on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Primetime News by Roxanne Livingstone with Newton at The Percy before and after the race.

Mush mon.

The Jamaican SuperStar!

2008-04-02T17:01:00.004-05:00

It's all smiles for the Jamaican superstar as he shakes hands with Larry Bagnel, MP of the Yukon Territory in Ottawa, at a local banquet.

Student and Trainer

2008-04-02T16:44:00.009-05:00

Hans and Newton pose for the camera by the Hans Gatt/Jamaica Dogsled Team truck.

Both student and teacher entered the 32nd Running of the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race!

Newton and Eastwood pause for the camera at The Percy Finish

2008-04-02T16:08:00.005-05:00

Susie is right, Eastwood is looking mighty comfy in the sled bag at The Percy finish line. He must have pulled the snow over Newton's eyes for a free ride! Mush mon.

Newton Wins "Sportsmanship Award" for The Percy

2008-03-30T09:49:00.003-05:00

Just got back to the hotel from the banquet and Newton did himself and Jamaica proud. Besides winning 7th place, which is the first money position paid, Newton was voted by all the other mushers as the best sportsman on the trail and won the ' Sportsmanship Award' for his friendliness and helpfulness to other mushers on the trail. Pretty damn nice!!!!!

Two French videographers did a private 7.5 minute video of the Percy and near the end interviewed Newton about how he sings reggae songs to the dogs while running on the trail. For the rest of the video as background they played " One Love" ....it was very moving!! It was a great evening for Dawson dog mushing and a proud night for Jamaica.

Danny you should be especially proud of your determination to see this venture through blood, sweat , tears and yes cash, to this point but I'm positive you and Jamaica have only seen the beginning of a wonderful human and canine interest adventure that will continue for many years.

One mush,
Dick

Susie from the finish line in Dawson

2008-03-30T09:36:00.004-05:00

Hi Danny and all,

The race was FANTASTIC! Hans said the Americans in Eagle loved Newton. They were so into having a Jamaican there as a dog musher! Of course Newton read the food board and asked for the Curried Chicken.

Newton gave lots of interviews on the trail, well lot's for up here on a dog race anyway, so I can tell you some of the things I heard him say to the people. First, he said he sings to the dogs to get them moving faster. They asked what he sings and he started singing a reggae song right there in the check point, dance moves and all. It was just great. He was there in his big parka with his dog team behind him. They asked if he could sing as he left the checkpoint but I don't know if he did or not.

Newton said that the race was very tough but enjoyable. He said the glaciation was the worst part, having the dogs skidding all over the place and his sled fish tailing downward toward the jumble ice, (which is brutal by the way - you have no idea. It's like four foot chunks of steel sticking out of the river at all angles.) But he said he made it and liked it.

Hans was debating whether to wait for Newton at that particular point because even in his opinion, it was really bad. Then he thought no, Newton's on his own and this will really test his skills and his ability to keep going. It was dark at the time as well by the way, making it just that much scarier and worse. Also, Newton lost the trail on the river at one point. That might sound like no big deal because after all, you are on a river. But this river is a km wide at points and that is not even the big deal at all. The problem is that at some places in the center or even close to shore, it is open water. You fall in that and you are dead. Next worse thing to the open water is the jumble ice as I described above. It can ruin the team, the sled, and the musher. You tend to bounce over the first two or three chunks then you smash into one.

There was very little rest. Newton ran a hundred miles straight, then spent 6 mandatory hours in Eagle, Alaska, during which time he had to feed the dogs twice, massage injured shoulders, take care of feet, put out straw etc. plus eat himself and then get the whole outfit set up to take off again which takes about 45 minutes if you really know what your doing, just on its own. As a result, Newton had about 2 hours to himself over 2 one-hundred mile runs. He said he slept about 1 h 45 minutes, then was up looking after the dogs again. Welcome to the Yukon Quest.

Anyway, Newton wasn't even tired when he got into Dawson. We think he's going to make it on the Quest.

Newton came into Dawson with Eastwood in the sled bag, that being his largest dog. Eastwood looked a little too comfortable in that sled bag! There were lots of good pictures.

John Stewart had a great run too, and most importantly they are both qualified for their 200 mile race for the Yukon Quest now. They came in far ahead of the required time limitation behind first place so they made it easily into qualifying. In fact, out of 16 mushers, Newton came in 7th, meaning he did very, very well especially for a FIRST serious race. Most would have rested a lot longer in Eagle, waited for daylight and so on, but he took off right on time.

That's all for now.

Take care all, it was a great race and there is a lot more to tell, lots of laughs and so on.

Susie

Newton Finishes 7th in The Percy!

2008-03-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

Guys, I can't get anyone on the phone in Dawson....but from the official results
Newton is 7th, in a time of 24hrs and 44mins. This is a wonderful result;
the winning time was 22hrs and 20 mins. Hans was 4th with 22hrs 58mins.

Newton has now completed one of two qualifying races for the Yukon Quest. I
can't tell you how proud I am of this young Jamaican braving -20C and racing
on a sled for 24 hours........try it if you think it is easy.

More when I talk to Susie, Hans and Dick.

One mush
Danny

Newton on his way in The Percy

2008-03-27T13:48:00.002-05:00

Newton and his team began their run in The Percy at 10:14am PDT. According to the Dawson City page on the Yukon tourism site it's -21C -- that'll get anyone mushing!

Keep track of Newton in The Percy with Google Earth

2008-03-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

The Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race is now underway. There are live hourly updates on Google Earth. Very cool, check it out just click the link from The Percy homepage (thepercy.com).

Go Newton.
Mush mon!

More on Crystal from Ken at Elfstone Kennel

2008-03-27T10:19:00.004-05:00

Crystal was born March 23, 2003. She is always on the right side in the photos of Robb's team. She is due April 11 with her first litter. Right now she looks like a big sausage with legs. Cute as can be. She either has 4 big ones in her or a whole herd. Not sure which.
Top: Donna with mom-to-be Crystal
Bottom: Crystal in action on Robb's team

Ken (proud papa)
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Pups on the way at Elfstone Kennel

2008-03-25T16:03:00.006-05:00

Hello….some news from Minnesota: Robb’s main leader Crystal is pregnant, she will be Robb’s leader next year in the 6 dog events. Robb was here when she was bred and will get to name one of the pups. Looking ahead to a 3rd season some of these pups could be on the JDT-sprint team! Check back for name and baby pics.

Crystal says hi.

Ken Davis
Elfstone Kennel
Saginaw, MN

Jimmy Buffett cheers on Newton

2008-03-25T08:55:00.001-05:00

Team godfather, singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett had these words of encouragement for Newton for his upcoming run in The Percy: “You are one brave Jamaican mon up there in the frozen North. From all the way down here in the Caribbean, I send you all my good wishes, admiration and most of all respect for what you have accomplished and what you will accomplish.”

Newton Marshall Preparing for 210-mile race, March 27-28, 2008

2008-03-24T10:11:00.003-05:00

Newton has been training his team since November and it looks ready for The Percy. Newton's main leader Felix will not be running, he is out of the race due to a pulled hamstring. That is a set back because Felix is a double Golden Harness leader - which means he won the Yukon Quest twice in lead. He would have had absolutely no problem leading a winning team across the finish line in the Percy DeWolfe. So it's too bad he's gone, his enthusiasm and skills will be missed.

Newton started with a pool of 14 dogs and aside from Felix he has lost one other to injury so he still has 12 dogs to choose a 9 dog team from. I just asked him who he's running with and he said that a small (35 pound), 3 year old white dog with black eye lashes and blue eyes, named 'Killer', is taking Felix's place. She is a young leader and will run lead with Mona, an 8 year old veteran leader.

In swing will be Nell and McKinley. Both have come in first place in the Yukon Quest and know what they are doing, and Nell can lead if she needs to. Behind them, the first team dog is Einstein running solo without a partner. I confess that he was in fact in Hans' Iditarod team this year, he is a bit of a ringer for the team. But was dropped due to the hot weather on the trail and he doesn't deal with heat well. Frazier and Sly will be the pair of team dogs behind Einstein. Einstein is running without a partner because this is a 9 dog race and he is the best to be alone. He tends to intimidate his partners unless it is his old buddy Wyatt, who barks right back at him. Wyatt is in John Stewart's team though.

Newton's two wheel dogs, Eastwood and Redford are huge strong dogs. They look like a pair of horses.

We have a couple dozen plastic bags of dog food stacked in the feed shed ready to be packed into the dogsleds, plus the cookers, jackets, snacks and personal gear. Right now I'm looking out the window and Newton is brushing snow off his sled with a hand whisk. That is TOTALLY unneccessary but kind of cute to watch. Now he's lining up the velcro on the top so it zips up perfectly and there he goes, walking it over to the garage to put it inside. He's taking good care of the equipment and sleds.

I just had this email interupted by a phone call saying that we have two rooms at the Aurora Inn in Dawson City. Also we are getting emails from other mushers asking when we are heading up the highway. It is a 500 km drive and there will be at least 11 teams driving up from Whitehorse, no doubt we will see each other on the mostly empty road.

Just about all the teams in this race are from extremely competitive yards, (including Newton's and the three other teams going from here), but there are a few less competitive yards going up too, such as Simi Morrison. Simi moved here from East Germany a few years ago and is just getting her team together. She has run a few 200 and 300 mile races but is still considered a new comer and a rookie. That goes to show you what Newton is up against seen as this is his second race ever, and his first race was only 30 miles on a great trail. This trail is different. I was going to skijor the race but the ice is too difficult this year so I am taking a sled.

We're all restless to load up the trucks and getting driving to Dawson.

Bye for now, Susie

Ken's on the mend

2008-03-20T16:02:00.002-05:00

Ken broke his wrist and dislocated his elbow coming back from a camping/fishing trip with the dogs. He's on the mend and will be good as new before next season -- can't say the same for the fish! Thanks for the picture Rick.

MarviasPanamaJournal.com and Facebook Fanclub

2008-03-20T12:51:00.005-05:00

Check out this great shout out from Marvia Lawes, a Jamaican pastor residing in Panama, on his blog Marvias Panama Journal. Rev. Lawes found out that Canadian Gerard Bazin has started a Jamaica Dogsled Fan Club on Facebook. What fabulous support for our young mushers and SUN DOGS!

Mush mon,
The Jamaica Dogsled Team

Congrats to Hans Gatt on great Iditarod finish

2008-03-13T10:30:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Hans on your 6th Place finish in the Iditarod. Good job to everyone involved with team Gatt... including the dogs! Looking forward to following the Percy DeWolfe race, and wish both Hans and Newton good luck.
Donna and Ken

Hey Hans,
Congrats on the race man. Miss you guys.
Danny

Back in Action!

2008-03-11T13:16:00.009-05:00

Robb is already hard at work doing what he loves. His dogs were happy to see him and happier to pull for him. Here you can see Robb guiding a couple through the JDT's museum and getting ready for a tour, while the guests getting excited to go out. Look at them GO!

A HUGE welcome home hug from the General Manager

2008-03-10T18:49:00.002-05:00