Mushers disagree about calling race

FORT KENT — “You got it,” said the president of Can Am Inc. about holding a sled dog race here next February even though the second annual race had to be stopped Sunday because of warm temperatures and rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Not everyone was happy with the decision to shut down the Can Am Crown 250 International Sled Dog Race. But officials were happy because everyone was back in Fort Kent safe and sound on Monday. That wasn’t the case in Michigan where a musher and eight dogs drowned when a thawing river gave way under them.

The Fort Kent race, with 82 miles left and only 19 minutes between the first two teams, had literally developed into a dog race.

Andre Nadeau of St. Melanie, Quebec, the defending champion, was leading young Tim McEwen of Eldorado, Ontario, only because McEwen had missed a trail sign.

It was the second time the two had tangled. McEwen bested Nadeau last month at the Marmora 100 in Ontario. They will meet again next month at the Labrador 400 where Nadeau is also the defending champion.

The two leaders had a choice Sunday. They could have continued the race from Maibec’s lumber camp to Allagash if they wished. McEwen, thinking of the possibility of injuring his dogs on the quickly deteriorating trail, decided to settle for second place and $1,500.

Nadeau wanted to continue the race, but race officials said no. Nadeau gets $2,500 for his win. Officially, Nadeau’s time was listed at 21 hours, 56 minutes to Maibec’s lumber camp. McEwen was in at 22 hours, 15 minutes.

Fort Kent’s 250 was McEwen’s longest race ever. He took over the kennels from his father, 30-year veteran racer Don McEwen who was second at Fort Kent last year. The elder McEwen is a veteran of the famed 1,100-mile Iditarod in Alaska.

Russell O’Farrell of Malachie, Quebec, finished third. In only his second middle distance race after six years of mushing, O’Farrell was anxious to run the Fort Kent race. He turned 26 Sunday while mushing his dog team between Musquacook Lake and the Maibec lumber camp. He received $1,250. His time to Maibec’s was 30 hours, 38 minutes.

Nine other mushers, who reached the Musquacook Lake checkpoint before the race was stopped, also won money.

Paul Boudreau of St. Gerard Magella, Quebec, was fourth in 14 hours, 12 minutes to the lake 110 miles into the run. He attempted a run to Maibec’s, but turned back when two of his dogs were injured in the soft, breaking trails.

Barry Young of Rousseau, Ontario, was fifth in 15 hours, 52 minutes.

Next were two women, Penny Gray of Dixfield, at 16 hours, 37 minutes, and Kathy Hughes of South Colton, N.Y., with 18 hours, 1 minute. Hughes finished 9 minutes ahead of Spencer Thew, the owner of both teams.

The other finishers to Musquacook were Bob Hoyt of Ithaca, N.Y.; Jerry Winder of Durand, Ill.; Lindo Watkins of Labrador City, Labrador; J.P. Grossman of Belle Feuille, Quebec; Mark Kelly of Fort Kent and York Beach; Bill Wood of Fredericton, New Brunswick; and Barry Dana of Bangor.