News release, 20 September 2003
For more information, contact Dave
Partee, President, Alaska Dog Mushers Association.
Annamaet Petfoods signs 3-year title sponsorship for sprint mushing race series
FAIRBANKS, Alaska—The Alaska Dog Mushers Association (ADMA) today announced the signing of Annamaet Petfoods, Inc., to a 3-year title sponsorship for ADMA's annual sprint mushing Challenge Series races. Dog teams, mushers, and support crews, both locally and from around the state, nation, and the world, converge in Fairbanks every winter to compete against each other on one of the premier trails systems anywhere.
"Annamaet has been a long-time supporter of dog mushing and a sponsor of Alaska Dog Mushers Association events for years," said Dave Partee, ADMA's president. "We're excited to have this long-term partnership so our races can continue to grow and attract top teams to Interior Alaska."
The title sponsorship agreement with Annamaet Petfoods runs through the 2005-2006 season. Other area businesses will continue to sponsor individual races in the series.
"Annamaet Petfoods is honored to be associated with ADMA and the sport of sled dog racing, both great Alaskan traditions," said Rob Downey, president of Annamaet Petfoods, from his Sellersville, Pennsylvania headquarters.
The series of five sprint races are run December through early February at the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds off of Farmers Loop Road in Fairbanks.
The Annamaet Challenge Series races include 4-dog, 6-dog, and 8-dog classes, the unlimited, or "Open" class, as well as skijoring with one, two, or three dogs. The first two races in the series also include a class for mid-distance mushers.
Competitors in the various classes will be vying for the overall Annamaet Challenge Series points championship. At every series race, the winners in each class receive five points, the runners-up receive four points, third place three points, two points for fourth place, and all other finishers receive a single point. At the end of the season, the musher with the most points in each class is awarded the points champion trophy for their class.
For more information on the Annamaet Challenge Series, schedule updates, and spectator events, visit the ADMA website at sleddog.org.
The Alaska Dog Mushers Association, Inc., founded in 1948, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the sport of sprint sled dog racing and the proper care, training and treatment of sled dogs. ADMA conducts the annual ACS Open North American Championship, the oldest continuously run dog sled race in the world. ADMA is known for its world-class trails and award-winning races.