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Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom MUSHING HIS TEAM TO VICTORY -- Milo resident Rico Portalatin earned top honors in the longer distance competition of 34.2 miles during the ninth annual Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club and the town of Brownville’s Brownville-KI and Beyond Sled Dog Race on the morning of Jan. 27. Portalatin’s team covered the route in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds to win by over 29 minutes.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom MUSHING HIS TEAM TO VICTORY -- Milo resident Rico Portalatin earned top honors in the longer distance competition of 34.2 miles during the ninth annual Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club and the town of Brownville’s Brownville-KI and Beyond Sled Dog Race on the morning of Jan. 27. Portalatin’s team covered the route in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds to win by over 29 minutes.

Annual dog sled races return to Brownville Junction

Staff, Piscataquis Observer •January 31, 2018

BROWNVILLE JUNCTION — Results from the ninth annual Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club and the town of Brownville’s Brownville-KI and Beyond Sled Dog Race held on Jan. 27-28 are as follows starting with Saturday’s events:

30 Mile (34.2 miles) 8 Dog Class — 1 Rico Portalatin 2 hours, 23 minutes and 27.26 seconds; 2 Kasey McCarty 2:52:29.64; 3 Ingrid Bower 3:10:58.89; 4 Heather D’Arcy 3:21:13.49; 5 Kaitlyn Sutherland 3:21:45.72; 6 Asa Taylor 3:25:11.69; and 7 Catherine Benson 4:20:47.12.

20 Mile (20.2 miles) 6 Dog Class — 1 Kelly McGrath 1:19:00.92; 2 Kelly Berg 1:34:44.78; 3 Kim Berg 1:36:47.67; 4 Lydia Dale-Mesaros 1:38:18.48; 5 Jeff Ladd 1:58:28.41; 6 Carol Durant 2:01.05.95; 7 Sydney Plante 2:04.12.52; 8 Emile Toledano 2:21:13.53; and did not finish, Peggy Kipp.

Skijor 20 Mile (20.2 miles) 2 Dog Non-Competitive (NC) — Sean deWalski 1:34:32.90.

10 Mile (11.4 miles) 4 Dog Class — 1 Fran Plaisted 51:25.36; 2 Jeff McRobbie 58:02.75; 3 Joy Cacoulidis 1:04:38.51; 4 Rachel Arnold 1:06:42.55; 5 Joan Chapman 1:15:33.67; and 6 Don Banker 2:39.39.33.

Fun Run (various distances) — Amy deWalski 1:01:31.59; Laurie Schneider 1:15:15.35; Tara Crossman 53:12.72; and
Linda Powers 46:06.11.

Sunday races, 20 Mile (20.2 miles) 6 Dog Class — 1 Peggy Kipp 1:45:44.18; 2 Kim Berg 1:47:14.94; 3 Kelly Berg 1:49:22.54; 4 Lydia Dale-Mesaros 1:50:49.44; 5 Ingrid Bower 1:57:35.86; 6 Rachel Arnold 2:02:34.72; 7 Romil Limson 2:11:10.87; 8 Heather D’Arcy 2:12:13.70; 9 Kaitlyn Sutherland 2:12:18.80; 10 Joy Cacoulidis 2:14:31.30; 11 Laura Anderson 2:19:27.63; 12 Emile Toledano 2:37:20.98; and 13 Eric Benson 2:41:30.15.

Skijor 20 Mile (20.2 miles) 2 Dog — NC Neil Fisher 1:31:02.25 and NC Sean deWalski 1:41:21.53.

Fun Run 20 Mile (20.2 miles) — Jeff McRobbie 2:22:26.44.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
MUSHING HIS TEAM TO VICTORY — Milo resident Rico Portalatin earned top honors in the longer distance competition of 34.2 miles during the ninth annual Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club and the town of Brownville’s Brownville-KI and Beyond Sled Dog Race on the morning of Jan. 27. Portalatin’s team covered the route in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 27 seconds to win by over 29 minutes

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
PINK PAW PATROL — Catherine Benson leads her eight dogs out from the end of Railroad Avenue in Brownville Junction for a 34.2 mile run with the team wearing matching paw wear.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
HUSKY BUT STILL ABLE TO RUN FAST — Asa Taylor and his team head onto the trail on Saturday morning during the ninth annual Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club and the town of Brownville’s Brownville-KI and Beyond Sled Dog Race, featuring several different distances on Jan. 27-28.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
HOUNDING THE OFFICIALS –Volunteers help hold Carol Durant’s eager team in place prior to running in the 20-mile race on Jan. 27.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? — Heather D’Arcy starts a three hour and 20-plus minute journey on Saturday morning in Brownville Junction, she would finish fourth among seven mushers in 3:21.13.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THE JUNCTION GOES TO THE DOGS — Coming out of the gate is the team of musher Kasey McCarty, who had the day’s second-best time in the 30-mile race at 2:52.29.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CANINES, TRAINS, AND NO AUTOMOBILES — Ingrid Bower would finish third in the 30-mile race at 3:10.58, starting and finishing in Brownville Junction.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
ALMOST TIME TO GO — Kim Berg and her team await the official’s instruction to get into the chute prior to running in the 20-mile race on Jan. 27 in Brownville Junction. Berg finished third among nine entrants in 1:36.47.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
LOCAL MUSHER — Rico Portalatin of Milo and his team get ready prior to the 30-mile race. Portalatin and his dogs were the first team on the trail with the staggered starts, and the eight dogs turned in the winning time of 2:23.27.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CALL OF THE WILD — The sound of dozens of dogs expressing excitement could be heard along Railroad Avenue in Brownville Junction prior to the start of the sled races over the weekend.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
STRETCH BEFORE EXERCISING — One dog does its own pre-race preparations.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
SOMETHING CAUGHT THEIR EYE — Four sled dogs watch the people and other dogs walking by prior to the start of the races on the morning of Jan. 27.

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