~ Racing ~

2027 Race Plans

2027 racing will be focused on bringing up the younger group and having fun with them- stay tuned as time progresses. 

2026 Race Results

Can-Am 250 Summary - We had been planning all year to run the 250 and train this amazing team to try our very best to finish it. The team was strong, steady and powerful. The trail was tough but I wouldn't expect any less with Can Am! Trails are always tough and that is part of the fun and challenge. The team did everything I had asked them to do and than some. They really are an incredible group of dogs. They snacked every 2 hours like pros and ate at the checkpoints for the most part quite well.. I did have to let them cool down a bit before getting a few to eat and drink but they did.

The run to Portage was a good steady long run, lots of breaking and snowbanking due to it being 40 degrees, glad there was some wind to help keep the temp down. Team came in strong and looking good.. they rested there but not great, Portage is a busy checkpoint, so rest is minimal.
Leaving Portage the trail had firmed up, temp dropped and the team was on fire! I left with all 12 dogs hanging on for dear life.. and drag matting the whole way to rocky brook. They were going too fast and I had all I could do to try and slow them down for the first 30 miles. Finally they settled. Had to bag Powder the last 14 miles in, she seemed sore in her hind end, still pulling strong but didn't want to risk it becoming a major problem. Coming in to Rocky Brook they were a little tired but not bad, ate good, rested GREAT!

Made the decision to drop Viper he had a sore wrist and wrapping it for 5 hrs didnt appear to help, and dropped Powder she snacked but wouldn't eat or drink, and she was still a little tender in her hind end, but we couldn't quite pinpoint the problem. So was worried dehydration would only make things worst for her down the trails.

Left for Sylver with a strong 10 dog team, but that trail was tough on them! Everyone warned me the run to sylver would break the team! They weren't wrong. We had some struggles. 2 miles into the run my foot pad was broken on my sled and only 1 bolt was holding it on, and it kept sliding the whole 38 miles, I tried a few times to fix it but I didn't have the right bolt with me. The trail was tough, punchy and hilly. They were snacking good and we breaked a lot to keep our attitudes positive and happy. There was a tight twisty section that Legend got slammed into a rock on the side of the trail, and I knew that was going to put him out of the race real fast. As soon as we got out of that section and we stopped for some loves and pets. He was non weight bearing on his right front.. shoot!
Loaded him in the bag and away we went for the next 18 miles or so. The team seemed tired and just off.. my leaders Streak and Taos weren't really into leading, I pulled Taos back and tried Amp for a bit he did good for awhile but the plowed roads I believe stressed him out and we had to turn around twice on it because he kept missing the very narrow trail to get back on, finally we made it but he just wasnt really into it after that. I tried Volt in lead after that as he was pulling like a tank and showing no signs of fatigue. Lol he reminded me why he is mostly a wheel dog. OK bad idea, he went back to run with his brother Coal in wheel. Put Cove up with Streak and her bouncy happy positive energy was just what Streak needed and the 2 of them ran beautifully for most of the run to sylver. I did notice shortly before Sylver that Streak was now doing a funny gait.. pulled him out of lead and put Taos back up, made it to Sylver finally.

Once there we went over Legend and he definitely was going to be dropped. Did the checkpoint routine and let everyone rest and eat. Checked everyone over.. everyone looked ok couldn't quite pinpoint Taos and Streak issues just yet. Decided to let everyone rest than walk everyone to see how they were all looking in 3 to 4 hrs.

Walking the team some issues showed up. Rocket had slight swelling above his toes and he was limping when he put pressure on his right front. So he had to be dropped.
Than Taos was doing a funny gait on his hind end but still couldn't pinpoint where the lameness was. 2 vets went over him. Said he looked good except when I trotted him.. never mind when he started pulling what he would look like. Streak was very similar to Taos but not as bad..technically they should be dropped. Now I have just Amp for leading and 6 dogs. So we decided to end our race there.
Was a very very very hard call, but the right one. We will be back to tackle this race again. We had a lot of fun on the trails! The volunteers and mushers were all amazing out there. We really do appreciate everything that goes into this race! There is so much work that goes into it. I truly got to see the other side of it when we scratched and all that goes into the checkpoints and what the volunteers really have to do! They are amazing people!

Thank you to everyone that has helped us in many ways this season to get us to the starting line of one of our dreams! Much appreciated!

Thank you to my wonderful dog handlers that helped so much this weekend! Carol Lee Durant Brenda Fortin David and Asa Taylor you guys are amazing and much loved!!
And thank you to my amazing dogs, they really shined through in the toughest of conditions and we truly became a better and stronger team on that trail!
Congratulations to all the mushers that finished another Tough Can Am trail!! You all are amazing!

 

Greenville 60 Summary -

Greenville 60 miler 4th place out of 7 teams with a time of 6 hrs and 55 minutes.

This is hands down one of the toughest trails we have ever been on, with the tight turns and huge climbs. We train a lot on hills and that definitely helped during this race. I really thought we were going to be about 8 hrs of run time to compete this 60 mile run. We were taking it easy, snacking, re-booting a few dogs from time to time, and rolling in the snow. At one point I even bagged Streak for about 5 miles due to me being hypersensitive and swore he was limping. He was beyond pissed riding in the bag and the trail was getting technical the closer we got to to town, so I put him back on the line just not in lead, and kept it a nice easy pace, to my surprise-no limping at all! I figured something would be tight when we got home last night but unloading him out of the truck free running in the yard and stretching he looks great, PHEW! With Streak coming out of lead I put Jive up, she did great! She can be a bit nervous of snowmobiles, and anything new, but she handled it all perfect and crossed the finish line with confidence and drive!!! So proud of that girl! Amp definitely pulled his heart out and nailed every turn on this trail! I was beyond thrilled to watch him take after his daddy Hinder. Every dog worked hard on this trail but the one that cracks me up, is Cove, she worked so hard, never gets tired, snacks like a beasts and getting home last night unloading her she was ready to go again, playing running, and having a grand time! She is impressive and not even 3 yet!! Coal definitely should be noted, he is 1 impressive wheel dog, and I even told mom when he retires I am screwed, he is SO Strong and can pull me up those hills by himself! He never quits and just pulls his heart out! Really had an amazing team during this race, even though it wasn't the team I originally thought it would be with Taos and Volt being out, this team blew my mind and made me so proud!! Dog racing sure has its up and downs and this race was definitely an up! I couldn't stop smiling!!

Thanks to the race organization and all the volunteers out there, they sure do put a lot into this race every year and it shows!!

It was a lot of fun sharing the trail with Fayth Weed we traveled most of the race together and our teams looked damn good!

Thanks to Carol Lee Durant for coming along for this crazy adventure and all the help!

Thanks to Asa Taylor for taking care of rest of the crew at home!

2022 Race Results

Can-Am 100 - Wow what a fun trail yesterday and last night!! Team did remarkable and pulled their hearts out! Temps stayed cool enough for our sibes and they just kept a nice steady pace the whole race. Team rested and snacked very well at the checkpoint. Had to drop Trouble at the checkpoint due to falling in a hole and hurting his right shoulder. So proud of Taos and Streak leading the whole run!! Streak has come a very long way this season! Ran into fresh tracks of a moose on the trail last night coming back to Fort Kent.. and Streaks new thing is to bark while running when he knows moose are around.. talk about making me a bit nervous, luckily no encounter and I saw where the big animal had left the trail! The last 10 miles was fun and twisty in spots but very chewed up from other teams ahead of us.. we slowed down immensely and walked through those sections to try and avoid injuries! Made it in less than 10 hrs! Our best time yet! And only 2 veterans on this team! 9th out of 16 teams! The rest have never done and finished this race!! So very proud of this team! They were rockstars!!
Thanks to my 2 rocking handlers!!! They were so helpful! Carol Lee Durant & Cecile Willett.
And again thank you Asa Taylor for taking care of everything at home!
 

Kasey's Team - Taos, Streak, Amp, Dyna, Jett, Trouble, Turbo, Rebel, Volt, Coal

 

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GREENVILLE 30 - 36 hours before the race we got a pretty significant snow storm that continued on until just hours before the start. A total of 18 inches of snow accumulated.  The trail was very soft going and this course is extremely challenging with the amount of up hills there are. We entered 2 teams in this race. I had Taos and Streak in lead with Amp and Jett, Turbo and Hydro, and Volt and Coal in wheel.  My friend Cecile Willett raced the second team and she had Rebel and Edda in lead with Layla and Dyna behind them and  Hinder and Trouble and Drake and Timberjack in wheel. 

The course was approximately 35 miles and was a nice long loop. We didn't do any head on passes but some teams did depending on where they were in the line up. We did do some passing and all the teams were well mannered and made passing easy.  The last 10 to 12 miles to the finish line the snowmobile traffic was absurd! There were so many machines and the corners were sharp and the hills were steep. I would here them coming and I would make sure we were in a safe spot and almost every time stop to make sure we didn't have any encounters. Made for the last 10 miles a long run. But safety first! Luckily all ended well! I couldn't help but think about Cecile and how she was doing on the trail but I kept calming myself down as I knew she had Rebel and Edda in lead and they are 2 awesome veteran race leaders. We crossed the finish line in 5th place out of 14 teams with a time of 4 hours and 54 minutes. Cecile came in 9th with a time of 5 hrs and 41 minutes! We both placed top 10! Amazing! So proud of these dogs and how they rocked those conditions! And very proud of Cecile in her first race!! Definitely was a fun weekend and event and plan to attend this race again!! 

 

2021 Race Results

Bradford ME Sprint Race -1st, 2nd and 3rd place today out of 9 teams in our class!!! We had a fun time at the Bradford sprint race! Well planned race with plenty of trail help! Trail was quite technical and hard and fast! Made for a scary ride the first trip out! Definitely better driving the second loop around. Good job Carol for coming into 2nd and Veronica Jones for coming into 3rd!! Very proud of our siberians and drivers!! Thank you to Asa for all the help as always at the races and in the kennel. And thank you to everyone that came and rooted for us and helped us to the line!

Kasey's Team - Taos, Hinder, Jett, Hydro, Amp & Volt
Carol's Team - Edda, Rebel, Dyna, Meadow, Streak & Trouble
Veronica's Team - Ace, Drake, Throttle, Timberjack, Layla & Coal

 

 

2019 Race Results

Can-Am 100 - Going to this race was a last minute decision. Being sick with a very bad sinus infection/head cold for the last 2 1/2 weeks and anything I did I got winded. Anyhow after running the team and seeing how strong they looked on Thursday I said well if they can do it we should atleast give it a go. After all this event only happens once a year and we have been training all year for this event.
The run to the checkpoint was for the most part uneventful, except for the moose on the side of the trail. Photos to follow. Stay tuned. It was a bit warmer than we would of liked but I put on the sun jackets my mother made on the 3 darkest dogs and I just kept helping the team as much as I could. Which quite frankly wasn't much at all. The only thing I could do was pole, but on a trail this hilly that benefits very little. It was so sunny on the trail and I actually thought it was going to be cloudy. Being on doxycycline for this sinus issue, being In the sun was a bad idea without sunscreen. Let's just say I may have some interesting new racing strips on my face. And it was burning by the time we arrived at the checkpoint. We pulled into the checkpoint and team was HOT. Everyone did snack immediately while made me very happy. I was worried some of my guys than run warmer may not. But they all ate and drank great! When the vets approached I had them check over a couple of dogs that I wasn't quite sure on but Hinder, Ace and Jett and got a check mart. Kaltag didn't pull for the last 15 miles in, so I decided to drop him. Couldn't find anything wrong with him and he was super perky today. But I didnt want to risk him being too tired and getting injured. Team rested well for 3 hours and once it became our time to leave they were ready that we even went sideways across the road.
The second run was much better, colder and firmer trail. Again nothing all that eventful on the way back except it was great to be out there with them enjoying another great Can Am trail, sick or not. Dogs had fun and therefore I had fun watching them! The last 10 miles clipped by pretty quickly and we cruised right into the finish. Hinder lead the whole race and saved my butt on two tricky turns that had plowed road. Ace lead for about half the race and he is always a steady leader. I also put young Taos in lead off and on throughout the race and he did phenomenal. He led half the race as well. That boy is going to be something special. The whole team worked their butts off, I am very impressed with them all. We came in 15th place. And received the red lantern award. Which than I gave to really good friend Gino Roussel because he was really missing being out on this trail!
I want to thank everyone that puts this race on from organizers to volunteers! Definitely a class act race! It was nice to see all our musher friends on and off trail again!
And a big thank you to my 2 handlers mom Aka Carol Lee Durant and my other half Asa Taylor! As well as all the people that helped handle the dogs at the start and finish. A big thank you!
Cant wait for next year!!

 

 

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