Dogs get the vets’ OK for ECX
Published 5:00 am Saturday, January 25, 2025
- Veterinary student Shanti Coleman, left, takes notes while veterinarian Janet Beagley of Olympia, Washington, checks Magpie on Jan. 22, 2025, on Main Street in Joseph.
JOSEPH — Some 20 teams of sled dogs got a doctor’s OK Wednesday, Jan. 22, to run in the Jan. 23 Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race southeast of Joseph during veterinary checks in downtown Enterprise and Joseph.
The vet checks saw doctors checking vital signs and any apparent flaws in the dogs’ health to make sure they are fit for the challenging races.
There will be a 200-mile race, a 100-mile race and a two-day 62-mile race. The 200-miler is a qualifier for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races.
The Iditarod runs across the Alaskan wilderness from Anchorage to Nome, while the Yukon Quest goes from Teslin to Faro in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Both races are 1,000 miles long. The Yukon Quest starts Feb. 2. The Iditarod begins March 1.
The ECX begins at noon Thursday at the Ferguson Ridge Ski Area 8 miles southeast of Joseph.
