With the 1998 Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race well under way, a lot of people's attention is focused on the teams of dogs and mushers making their way across 1,100 miles of rugged wilderness trails from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, to Fairbanks, Alaska. Robert Hannon has more, next on Arctic Science Journeys. Without question, long-distance sled dog racing is among the most physically demanding sports in the world. Winning teams run more than 100 miles each day to cover the one thousand-plus miles in Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.
Experienced mushers say the way to the winner's circle is through their dogs' stomachs.
Mark May is a sled dog veterinarian, a former Quest musher, and racer in this year's Iditarod. He says there's a science and an art to keeping a team of hungry huskies moving down the trail. Now that is phenomenal. That much food can cause serious intestinal problems for the dog. Instead, mushers turn to science and nature for a better solution.