The goal of AARP Division Racing is to keep senior mushers and dogs remaining active and engaged, doing something we love. We not only spend quality time with our dogs, who often are experienced racers themselves and love to be racing again, but we have fun at a dynamic sport that occupies a very unique place in the world. We invite mushers who are new to the sport, young or young at heart, to participate and learn from the experienced dogs and mushers and break into racing in a more relaxed venue, while having fun with fellow Alaskans who will support your new experience. The AARP division runs on the same schedule as the 4-dog class of the Annamaet Challenge Series.
Just want to let you all know, with a BIG Thank you to Ann Secrest and AARP Alaska for their sponsorship again this year, that the AARP Division in the Annamaet Challenge Series 4 dog class is on again for this season.
>If you wish to enter the AARP division, you need to declare this at sign up, and fill out the simple (orange) form, including musher and dog’s ages, so we can do the math. We ask that you pay a $1 fee, (in addition to the regular 4 dog class fee), which we decided to donate as a tip to our ADMA treasurer to get a coffee or snack (for his/her registration assistance). You can request to go out last (if more than one person wants to, you’ll be last or close to last). After the race we’ll have announcement of standings and prizes for all. You get to pick your prizes, from the basket of prizes….first place gets first pick, etc, but every entrant gets one. Our points champion wins $100 at the end of the season!
>You must be an ADMA member to participate. (Racing membership is $50, good for the whole season, and includes a trail pass.) The AARP Division is run as part of the regular ADMA 4-dog Challenge Series of races. (Thanks to Rob and Mary Jo Downey and Annamaet Petfoods for sponsoring the whole season!!!) You must follow all of the regular ADMA rules—passing, sled bag, hooks, etc. Rules are posted on-line at www.sleddog.org, and are available in writing at every race. ADMA is also offering a “season pass”…for $50 you get an entry for every challenge race held for a single class this season.
You can be any age and still race in the AARP division. The “scratch” handicap for humans is 50 years. The “scratch” handicap for dogs is 8 years. We’ll add time to your official finish time if you’re under 50 and if your dogs are under eight years old. We’ll deduct time from your official finish time if you’re over 50 and if your dogs are more than eight years old. The time deductions and additions go on a sliding scale. If Junior mushers wish to race in the AARP Division, we can develop a handicap that increases as age decreases.
You must declare your own age and the age of each of your dogs for each and every race. You don’t have to run the same dogs from week to week.
You can draw with the rest of the class and go out in bib order, or you can request to draw last and not see the competitive mushers on the trail. The first race the 4-doggers typically go 4.5 miles, and work their way up to 5.9 miles over the race season.
The whole goal of the AARP Division is to get out and have fun—to allow ourselves, and our old dogs to participate in something that we love.
If you have questions or need more details, contact Edie Forest at (907)378-5103, or email: standingbear@mosquitonet.com