Expect the Unexpected – Day 1. –
by Jake Robinson –
The 31st edition of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race is underway! After an exciting ceremonial start in downtown Jackson (which is a thrill for dogs, mushers, and the brave passengers each musher takes), 18 teams representing 3 continents, from as far North as the Arctic Circle, as far South as central Oregon, and everywhere in between, descended upon Pinedale, WY. This 34.2 mile trail starts with a gentle decline into the river valley before multiple miles of long grades that adds up to significant climbing before turning for home and ends with an up hill grind that can seem endless if you’re having a tough day out there (which I have…). Notably low precipitation across the Western US means that snow is being worked and reworked to form a trail, but old, dry snow tends to not pack as well and can make for softer, sugary trail conditions. Trail reports confirmed that there was a very solid base, but some granular soft snow on top.
That didn’t stop Bruce ‘The Moose’ Magnusson from executing a stunning first day and besting two former champions to take the lead in this year’s race. Bruce was able to beat the 6-time winner, Anny Malo, by one second! While this is very tight racing, this means the Bruce will start behind Anny tomorrow and be able to keep an eye on her, and putting this experienced veteran of this event in the drivers seat. Malo also put on a stellar first lap, displaying her experience in being a multi time winner of this event. Tomorrow will be one of the handful of times in recent history where Malo will not be wearing the famed yellow bib. While everyone has their struggles and challenges in training for this event, both Magnusson and Malo had relatively good training conditions this year, which is in contrast to the low snow, extreme cold, and intermittent ice storms that plagued the rest of the field over the last few months. This will undoubtedly help both of these beautiful dog teams as the race wears on and chinks in the armor begin to show throughout the field.
Remy Coste, who took this race by storm in 2024 and is one of the few people to win this race on their rookie run, finished just over a minute off the pace with his eight dog team. Hailing from France by way of Sweden, Coste has become known for his ‘shock and awe’ style of racing, often putting on impossibly fast day one performances and banking major time against the field. While the Coste team has had significant battles with weather this year, and were unsure if they would even be attending this years event until a few days ago, a measured, more conservative opening bell was out if character. Has Coste adopted a new strategy and philosophy? Or is he just waiting for more conducive conditions to turn up the heat? By running only 8 dogs, Coste, in theory, could run an entirely fresh team tomorrow. This small team, early race approach worked well for him in 2024 and we will see if history repeats itself.
Michael Tetzner from Germany had an unexpected breakout performance for a 4th place finish. Michael is leading a tight pack of quality dog teams with 4th-9th separated by less than 3 1/2 minutes. Fan favorites Alix Crittenden and Liam Connor are within this group and were able to put on big runs in later stages that catapulted them into the higher standings. Teams to watch within this group are Alix, Liam, Stephane Roy, and Tristen Rivest. All are savvy racers from quality outfits who have a history of solid finishes.
The race has adopted a few key changes over the last several years which layer in to the strategies that mushers develop. The first is the expansion of the pool to 16 dogs and the team size to 12. Notably, only two teams in the entire field ran 12 dog teams, indicating that most mushers are choosing to use this expansion to bank rest into the remaining members of their team. The second major change is a reduction in stage locations. The race was famous for having each day in a new location across Wyoming and Idaho, which made for exciting changes of scenery and exposures to a lot of fans and communities, but grueling travel schedules for mushers and their teams. This new format has teams racing two consecutive stages in Pinedale, Big Piney, and Lander, making the logistics less challenging for all involved.
Will Bruce ‘The Moose’ duplicate another winning performance in Pinedale or cede ground to the experienced and battle ready Malo? With all eyes on Coste, will we see a breakout run at breakneck speed or will he continue to race at a more conservative pace than has been typical for this program? Who will emerge from the rest of the pack to fill out the top five? Stay tuned for more exciting racing action!
Bruce Magnusson, leader after day 1.
Remy Coste 3rd place after day 1
Anny Malo, 2nd place after day 1
