Jen and Blake Finished the Race and Set a New Record!

Jennifer and Blake Freking have finished in 50th and 51st place in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and set a new record for Siberian Husky teams racing in the Iditarod. Blake’s Siberian team finished the race in 11 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes and 36 seconds–sliding past the previous record set by Shawn Sidelinger in 1998 of 12 days and 8 minutes.

An all Siberian Husky team was once the standard in sled racing, but it has since fallen to the leaner, agile hybrid Alaskan Husky and other mixed breeds made up of greyhounds, labs, and pointers.

Stunt Puppy is proud of Blake, Jennifer, their dogs performance, and their perseverance in the face of grief. Being a part of Blake and Jennifer’s amazing journey across the Alaskan trail has truly been an honor.

Jen’s Story Makes News

News organizations around the world have picked up the accident story of Jen Freking and the snowmobile that ran into her team on Sunday, March 9th. Here are a few examples:

KARE 11–Minneapolis, MN

ABC News–Alaska

Race update: After nine days, 11 hours, 46 minutes, 48 seconds on the trail (official time), Lance Mackey has won his 2nd consecutive Iditarod Sled Race. Jeff King is the second musher to arrive in Nome. Jen and Blake are currently stand in 56 and 57 out of 82 musher still in the race.

Tragedy on the Trail

Sunday, March 9th, around 10pm, Jen and Blake Freking were camping along the Yukon river between Nulato and Galena when they were hit by a snowmobile. The machine was going about 40mph and crashed into the stopped team. Jen’s dog Lorne was killed and her dog Aries was been seriously injured. Aries has been airlifted to Wasilla Vet Clinic. After careful consideration, Blake and Jen have decided to continue on to Nome. Their focus is not on the competition, but to safely travel the trail together.

It is devastating to lose such a sweet, hardworking dog like Lorne. Our hearts go out to Blake and Jen and we wish Aries a speedy recovery.

More Iditarod Pictures

Blake and Jen Freking are working their way down the trail. Together, they are holding strong at 54 and 55, respectively. Two pictures of Jen were featured in the March 6th photo gallery:

Iditarod Race Update

Today is day 3 in the frozen tundra and our friends, Blake and Jennifer Freking, are moving toward the front of the pack. Their starting positions were numbers 54 and 60, respectively. Out of the 95 racers still on the trail, Blake, Jennifer, and their amazing dogs had moved up to positions 41 and 42 and then back down to numbers 57 and 58. It’s still early in the race, but clearly, it will be a challenging journey.

A photo of Jen and Blake’s dogs, Frog and Coho, was featured in the March 2nd image gallery on the official Iditarod website. Click here to see all the images (Frog and Coho are number 13 in the March 2nd gallery). To check out the rest of the race action for yourselves, visit www.iditarod.com

Keep up the great work, Team!

Team Stunt Puppy in Action

Team Stunt Puppy is proud to welcome Chester, Gonzo, Ziggy, and all the dogs from Manitou Crossing Kennels. Blake and Jennifer Freking are the proud owners of one of Minnesota’s largest groups of sled dogs and they are about to leave their mark on The Last Great Race–Alaska’s Iditarod.

Ten days from now, the 35th Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Race will launch hard working mushers and their dogs into the international spotlight. Blake and Jennifer are on the road to Alaska, complete with 3 sleds, 32 dog crates, 38 dogs, over 1000 pounds of gear, and a 1000 gallon gas tank! There’s no such thing as packing lightly when you’re bound for the cold, rough terrain of the Alaskan wilderness.

We wish them safe travels and good luck! Check back often for progress reports.

Fun at Outdoor Retailer

We just got back from Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City, UT. Bauer joined us in the booth and he was a big hit as usual.

Along with our Stunt Runner™ being a Product Pick in the Outdoor Retailer Daily, we met a ton of new folks.

Of course, Bauer was required to wear a badge. And in case you didn’t know his species, we all do now.

Here’s an excerpt from a KCRW Public Radio interview we did from the show.

Holiday Pet Safety

We’ve all heard poinsettias are dangerous for pets etc. There are many more things to watch for. Here’s a good article we found from Washington State University.

Unbelieveably large gap in posting

Ok. Ok. We haven’t been posting lately. Actually, Shanon hasn’t been posting. That’s not to blame her. That’s to say I haven’t even been involved for months. So, a new years resolution (a little early) is to post more.

The message for the day. Just because it’s Winter, doesn’t mean you and your dog shouldn’t be outside

Case in point. We had our first big snow in Minneapolis this weekend. It was amazing. For Bauer, my Golden, it’s the best time of year. All new kind of smells and fresh tracks fill the yard. The creek freezes over and he can go anywhere in the Park.

The easiest way we both get exercise is when I shovel. In between shovels, I throw the ball. Does it get lost? YES. Does he find it? YES. He loves to dig his head in the snow.

The one issue we do have in the winter is that ice clumps between his pads (yes, there is some product promotion coming). The Stunt Puppy Everyday Booties OR the Traction Booties fit the bill. We sell them in ones so if you lose one, it’s easy to replace. And they’re a bargain at $4 each. End of promotional message.

Enjoy the Winter. Get out with your dog!

Calling all Runners for the Monster 5K-9

Stunt Puppy is proud to sponsor the first-annual Monster 5k-9 on Saturday, October 27th and Sunday, October 28th. The human/dog race will be held in two cities on October 27th (Minneapolis, MN, and Wausau, WI) with the third race in Eugene, OR, on the 28th. The Monster 5k-9 is part of a Monster series, organized by Team Ortho, a non-profit charity organization that raises money for Orthopaedics research.

Human racers receive special Stunt Puppy/Team Ortho race shirts, while their K-9 counterparts get a Stunt Puppy Everyday Collar and a treat from Sojos. In addition to the race itself, there is also a doggy costume contest. The Stunt Puppy team will be on hand for the Minneapolis race, so if you’re in the Twin Cities area, feel free to stop by the Lake Harriet Pavilion! Photos and a recap to follow. . .