There are hundreds of people who work behind the scenes so the mushers and their dogs can run the Yukon Quest. We will highlight some of these "teams". Some of the questions we have:
- How do you choose your team?
- What are the qualities you are looking for?
- How are people selected and do you have total control over who is selected?
- What are some of the responsibilities of team members?
- As a team leader, what are some of the difficult questions or situations you may have to deal with and how do you assign responsibilities to your teams?
Doug Harris will be this year's Race Marshal. His "team" is responsible for all aspects of the race – from the food drop to after the last misher crosses the finish line. Here's how Doug resonded to these questions:
Team Selection: When selecting the Race Judges we are looking for mushers with some race experience, individuals that have worked with sled dogs, or people that have been involved with other dog races. Basically it is individuals that understand what proper sled dog care is.
Qualities of Race Judges: In addition to knowledge of sled dog racing and sled dog care Race Judges must be able to interpret the rules and enforce them when required. They have to have strong interpersonal skills as they will be interacting with the mushers, handlers, veterinarians, race volunteers, and the public. They also have to be flexible as once the race starts it is very fluid and the all involved have to adapt to how the race is unfolding. They must be able to function with little sleep.
Selection Process: One of the responsibilities of the Race Marshal is provide a list of suitable Judges to the Rules Committee for review and approval.
Responsibilities: The Judges are responsible to ensure that the race rules are enforced fairly so that none of the racers have an unfair advantage over the others. A Judge will be at each check point and dog drop to assist the check point staff, to be available to answer questions on the rules, trail conditions, etc to the mushers and handlers. Should it become necessary the Judge on site and in conjunction with the Race Marshall commence search and rescue for overdue or injured mushers.
Team Leader Responsibilities: The Race Marshal is in charge of all aspects of the race. The race is defined as the event of the sled dog race from the time of the Food Drop until 30 days after the last team crosses the finish line. This includes, but is not limited to, interpretation of the rules, enforcement of the rules, fairness of the race, and the safety of the dogs and mushers.
In the absence of the Race Marshal at a check point the Judge on site will assume those responsibilities.
The Race Marshall has responsibility for the enforcement of the Official Rules and as such is the only person to decide upon disqualifications or withdrawals (involuntary removal of a team) throughout the race. These decisions are not taken lightly but the safety of the mushers and the well being of the dog teams are paramount.
The worst situation would be a musher and dog team having to be rescued. There are parts of the trail that basically in the wilderness; miles from any community. The rescues have to be done as quickly as possible while ensuring the safety of the rescue team. The rescue teams must be properly prepared and equipped plus have the experience to function in the extreme cold in remote areas. Luckily there is a safety plan in place with teams available.
Dr. Nina Hansen is the head vet. This is how she puts her team together.
I usually start recruiting the vet team in June or July. The team ends up being mostly veteran veterinarians (who have worked the YQ before), but I do take 1-2 new vets each year – usually they have worked another race somewhere and are not total rookies. We also generally have a handful of veterinary technicians (veterinary nurses), assistants, and a student or two.
Some of them are veterinarians who have been working this race for longer than I have and I met them when I started w/ the YQ 9 years ago. Some are connections I’ve made since. I’ve even had one vet school classmate come up to work it (after he worked the CB300 first).
I look for competent veterinarians with interest in sled dogs, but also for vets who I am confident will work well in the cold and while sleep deprived. I also need them to be able to work well in a team. The vets work in pairs or trios throughout the race – and after spending two sleep-deprived weeks together living out of a van nerves can get frayed – I need vets who can be professional in those situations. They also need to be able to sleep on a floor, in a vehicle, or on a plywood bunk, go for a few days without a shower, and roll with the constant schedule changes that happen during the race. I do have control over who gets selected!
The responsibilities of the vet team are to look after the dogs!! The veterinarians do all of the examinations/diagnoses/decision making. We have a couple of specialists (those with training beyond their veterinary degrees) that get involved with that as well. Our veterinary technicians, assistants, and students assist the veterinarians throughout. From taking notes to counting pills to restraining dogs and performing treatments. The techs and assistants also do most of the sample collection for our drug testing.
As the leader of the vet team the most difficult things that I deal with are the logistics! And sometimes we have interpersonal issues amongst the vet team. I don’t do a lot of assigning of responsibilities. We all essentially have the same job. I make the large-scale race schedule (i.e. who is at what checkpoint and when), but within a single checkpoint I let the team make their own duty schedule (except for Dawson).