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The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the annual 1,000-mile trek across Alaska, commenced with more than 50 teams competing. See below how four entrepreneurial companies are helping to make this race, and many others, possible. Ensuring that teams stay on the course is of utmost importance. Approximately 15,000 wooden stakes, cut from Douglas fir logs and supplied by the Stake Shop of Anchorage, AL, are set up throughout the Iditarod course. Jerry Hagel bought the company in 1968, and today has four employees that supply stakes to half a dozen sled-dog races each year. During races the dogs burn more than 10,000 calories a day, making high-performance dog food extremely important. Certain teams in this year’s Iditarod are using high-performance dry dog food from Redpaw of Franklin, WI. Founded in 1998 by former biochemist, Eric Morris, the blend uses a better balance of fats and protein, and an optimal mixture of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Today the eight-person business outsources manufacturing to a private pet food company in Wisconsin, and sells its products online and in more than 300 independent pet shops in 35 U.S. state and Canada. Heavy-duty harnesses are also a must to keep the dogs in line and on course. Many teams have outfitted their canine team with Saddle Back harnesses made by Dogbooties.com of Duluth, MN. The nylon harnesses feature reflective tape and padding for each dog’s neck and chest. The dog-friendly fabric store opened in 1993 by a former registered nurse, Louise Russell, who started making rugged dog booties and other equipment for local dog-sled enthusiasts. Today the eight-person business makes a full line of accessories – including booties, coats and leg wraps for sled dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, military dogs and other working canines. Real time online tracking has become another popular trend in dog sled racing, particularly the Iditarod. Thanks to Trackleaders of Chapel Hill, NC, fans can now track teams from the warmth of their homes. Using data from GPS units that emit a signal every 10 minutes attached to each musher’s sled bag, a real-time map of the race is formed and can be viewed online. Mountain bikers, Matthew Lee and Scott Morris, co-founded Trackleaders in 2008 after testing the system during several bike rides. The company tracked about 60 events in 2012, including U.S. Army simulation exercises and biking, sailboat and sled-dog races. For more info, click here
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