14 Mushers (and counting…) enter 2008 Yukon Quest on first day

The 2008 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race saw 14 mushers enter their names on the opening day of registration. Seven rookies and 7 veterans will be amongst those at the Starting Line in Fairbanks, Alaska on Saturday February 9, 2008 for the 1,000 mile journey to Whitehorse, Yukon. Defending Yukon Quest Champion Lance Mackey, who won the 2007 race with a record time of 10 days, 2 hours and 37 minutes, was one of the mushers who dropped by in person to the Yukon Quest Cache in Fairbanks. Along with Mackey were Sonny Lindner (Yukon Quest’s first champion) and Bill Cotter (1987 champion). Other mushers who ran in the 2007 Yukon Quest who will be joining Mackey, Lindner and Cotter on the Start Line include Michelle Phillips (6th), Dave Dalton (10th), Kelley Griffin (14th) and Brent Sass (15th). 7 Rookie mushers including Ken Anderson (former Iditarod finisher), Julie Estey (former Executive Director, Yukon Quest Int’l Ltd.), and Mike Mayer all from Fairbanks, AK along with Becca Moore from Willow, AK, Michael Ellis from NH, Didier Moggia and Jeremie Matrishon from Whitehorse, YT, will take to the start.Applications continue to be received. Swiss musher Andreas Moser sent in his application in the final minutes of Opening Day registration. Applications that are mailed in and postmarked prior to August 4, 2007 will also be added to the list. Check back this week to see other mushers as they get added to the list of 2008 Yukon Quest Mushers. “We are very pleased with the first day sign-ups,” said Tania Simpson, Managing Director of the Yukon Quest in Fairbanks,” and we are planning for many more mushers to enter the race as the summer and fall continue. Our goal is to have a slate of 40 entrants on Race Start Day.” The Yukon Quest Early Incentive program is back again for the 2008 race year. Mushers who enter on the first day (including those whose applications arrive postmarked August 4th or earlier) will be eligible to have their $1,000 entry fee refunded. All mushers entering in the months of August and September will be entered in two additional draws for prize winnings. The First Day Incentive winner will be drawn on August 10, 2007, to allow enough time for all mail-in entries to be received by the Yukon Quest. The final day to sign up for the 2008 Yukon Quest is December 14, 2007. The 2008 Yukon Quest mushers’ profiles will be available online shortly. Please check out 2008 Musher Profiles from our home page (http://www.yukonquest.com) early this week.