Streeper wins 9th Fur Rondy crown in sled dog championships shortened by unsafe trail conditions

If there was ever an occasion that may signal a return to normalcy, Blayne “Buddy” Streeper winning the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Race might just be it.

Streeper took his 9th victory career victory Sunday in a championships shortened by icy trail conditions. Event officials called off Sunday’s racing after deteriorating trial conditions were deemed unsafe for the dogs.

The win put Streeper just one behind legendary George Attla, who holds the Rondy record with 10 victories.

Streeper, from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, said despited the abbreviated race, it certainly felt like old times.

“It’s good to see Anchorage come back alive,” he said. “Well the whole world with the pandemic we’ve been under the last two years. Friday, a feeling I had people were just starting to look around. But (Saturday), it was like old times. There were people everywhere and tailgate parties and grandstands of people. People were sitting close together and mingling and talking and visiting. It was a really good atmosphere I was seeing ... That’s what the rendezvous is. That was the original thought of these rendezvous was to get the people out of the cabins and get them off the trapline and come to town and see people again. I think maybe Fur Rendezvous did that again.”

Even without a third day of racing, it would appear the field would have been a serious underdog against Streeper had Sunday’s races went off as scheduled.

He ran the fastest time on Friday at one hour, 31 minutes and 59 seconds. Rookie Tony Blanford of Anchorage, who was running Streeper’s second team, finished second just nine seconds behind.

Streeper extended his lead Saturday, running 1:26:11, a solid four and a half minutes faster than his closest competitor. He said the trail was fast, and had conditions been slightly better, it might have made for some good racing on Sunday.

“It was a fast trail this year,” he said. “All the snow had been compressed. The freeze-thaw allowed it to set up, which is really close to being ideal conditions. However, the freeze-thaw was a little too much and it’d become a little too icy for us. The race made the decision we had to cancel today in the best interest of the dogs. We’re all happy and healthy and we’re looking forward to our next event.”

Race organizers said the trail, which extends 25 miles from downtown Anchorage through the city to Far North Bicentennial Park and back, was covered with snow but the freeze-and-thaw weather pattern worsened trail conditions making it dangerous for dogs.

Rondy Race Marshal Janet Clarke said the dogs’ well-being is the main factor to consider and the conditions simply did not allow for them to run safely.

“Everybody in Anchorage has seen what has happened over the last week or so,” she said. “And that freeze and thaw and freeze and thaw turned into into a situation we couldn’t groom out. All it became is additionally more sharp icy little particles and that isn’t good for our dogs. They are running dogs. They don’t trot. They’re not slow. They are all-out gallops throughout this race. We know what conditions they can’t do and stay well and our dogs would not have stayed well in a third day.”

In the 76-year history of the sprint sled dog event, the race has been canceled previously seven other times, and one time there was only a three-mile race, according to the video announcement. The only other time when the final day was canceled was back in the 1980s because of the wind conditions.

Photographer Bill Roth contributed to this report

Fur Rendezvous World Open Championship Sled Dog Race

1. Blayne “Buddy” Streeper, Day 1: 1:31:59; Day 2: 1:26:11; Overall: 2:58:10

2. Erick LaForce (R), Day 1: 1:33:56; Day 2: 1:32:03; Overall: 3:05:59

3. Hans Gatt, Day 1: 1:35:38; Day 2: 1:30:42; Overall: 3:06:20

4. Tony Blanford (R), Day 1: 1:32:08; Day 2: 1:34:32; Overall: 3:06:40

5. Alix Crittenden, Day 1: 1:35:40; Day 2: 1:35:55; Overall: 3:11:35

6. Wendy Callis, Day 1: 1:37:10; Day 2: 1:36:02; Overall: 3:13:12

7. Don Cousins, Day 1: 1:40:57; Day 2: 1:33:34; Overall: 3:14:31

8. Frank Habermann, Day 1: 1:40:03; Day 2: 1:36:43, Overall: 3:16:46

9. Grant Beck (R), Day 1: 1:40:01; Day 2: 1:37:00; Overall: 3:17:01

10. Andria Bond, Day 1: 1:40:58; Day 2: 1:36:13; Overall: 3:17:11

11. Brent Beck, Day 1: 1:39:35; Day 2: 1:39:44; Overall: 3:19:19

12. Michael Tetzner, Day 1: 1:46:01; Day 2: 1:36:29; Overall: 3:22:30

13. Dave Turner, Day 1: 1:43:17; Day 2: 1:44:46; Overall: 3:28:03

14. Carl Ray Erhart (R), Day 1: 1:45:33; Day 2: 1:43:55; Overall: 3:29:28

15. Marvin Kokrine, Day 1: 1:46:42; Day 2: 1:50:11; Overall: 3:36:53