Rookie musher maintains lead of Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race after halfway mark

BIG PINEY, Wyo. (KIFI) - The 2024 Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race continued Tuesday in near perfect conditions at Big Piney/Marbleton — Stage Four held at the Upper Green River trailhead.

A freshly groomed trail, courtesy of Wyoming State Trails, combined with cold overnight
temperatures provided a firm and fast trail for the field of 15 international competitors.

The big story remains the European versus North American match-up between racers Remy Coste
of France and defending champion Anny Malo of Quebec, Canada.

With the Stage Stop Race clearing the halfway mark Tuesday, the two top teams are essentially neck-and-neck with team Coste ahead of team Malo by 00:05:01 overall with three of the seven stages
yet ahead of them.

Laura Bontrager of Newberry, Michigan advanced past Cathy Rivest to take over third position. All 15 teams converge again Wednesday at the Ham’s Fork trailhead at the southern end of the Wyoming Range for Kemmerer’s Stage Five.

The Pedigree Stage Stop Race consists of seven individual stages on National Forest land trails
which wind through the seven mountain ranges of western Wyoming and Idaho. Teams cover 30 to
35 miles per day on out-and-back courses.

The daily race schedule is as follows:

• February 1 – Stage Five – Kemmerer, Wyoming
• February 2 – Travel Day
• February 3 – Stage Six – Alpine, Wyoming
• February 4 – Stage Seven & Final Banquet – Driggs, Idaho