Meet The Mushers

Photo by Paul Cyr

Husband, Keith, and I along with the kids, enjoy all things outdoors. We spend most of our time outside running dogs, hunting, fishing, or in the garden.

My husband and I have been racing dogs for 13 years. We learned to run dogs at YMCA Camp Menogyn and a few years later we acquired our own team. A mushing friend invited us to a race and soon we were breeding dogs and racing. We now have 30 dogs in our kennel located near Grand Marais. I work as a nurse at the local hospital. Our usual roster of races includes the Beargrease, UP200, Can-Am and Gunflint Mail Run. Last year I made an attempt at running the Iditarod in Alaska but unfortunately had to scratch after 500 miles. I'd like to go back and give it another try. This year, however, we will stick to races in the lower 48. We are incredibly grateful to our community of sponsors in Cook County and beyond that have helped us achieve our mushing dreams.

I've run Can-Am 250 and 100 a number of times and always enjoy returning and seeing so many familiar faces. It's been quite a few years since I've run the 250 and I'm very much looking forward to returning to what's always a challenging trail! I run a mixed team of purebred siberian huskies and alaskan huskies, most of whom are of multi-generation Sibersong lineage. Many of the dogs on the team this year are young and have never done a race of this length, so my main goal for this race is to get as many of them as I can to the finish line with a positive experience.

I am back after a open hearth surgery last winter. I am one of the last who run the canam 250 with pure bred siberian husky. I have finshed the 250 7 times on 7 attempts ( never scratched).I have the record of 5 red lantern award. My goal is to finish the race with a healthy team. very glad to be at Fort Kent in march to meet my mushers friends and the people of the maine.

Hayes is a 6th generation Tennesseean that relocated to Maine after serving as an infantryman in the US Marines. For the past 25 years he has bred and worked Seppala Siberian Sleddogs, a heritage breed with deep roots here in Maine. Hayes currently serves as the president of the breed club and is actively working with the State legislature to make the Seppala the official state dog. "I want to thank my sponsors- particularly NATIVE Performance Dog Food, The Continental Kennel Club and Cultro. Thanks to the dedicated board and volunteers of the Can Am for providing a race that has become an annual tradition for my family. Thanks to my wife and family for standing in the gap during the winter months so that I can pursue my dreams. Thanks to Aspen Michaud and Jamie and Aimee Nichols for their help with the team. Thanks to the amazing Seppala Siberian and their deep spirit. And, finally, I want to God for creating a beautifully complex world, and giving us the mind to appreciate and explore it."

Animals have always been apart of my life. I have always worked with and around either dogs or horses and they never cease to inspire me. I have always been drawn to northern landscapes. Some people dream of sandy beaches, I dream of snowy adventures. Dog sledding for me merges everything that is important to me, discipline, honesty, hard work and perseverance. There is nothing I rather do than be out training my dogs, Being with my dogs — it is indescriptable. My partner and I have a kennel of 35 dogs together and we motivate each other to reach our respective goals. We have one daughter, Marianne, who has been raised in our mushing world and we believe raising her in such an environment brings very important values in her life. Raising and training sled dogs takes all of our living time, but there is nothing and no time better spent than with my dogs either in the yard or on the trail. Love the dogs first, the sport second!

I'm an helicopter pilot half of the year and musher the other half. I get to have the best of both worlds. I have always sought out adventure and love to travel desolate country. Luckily, one of these passions permits me to do the other. My partner and I have had dogs since we have been together and our aspirations are always growing!

Mushing is a life style for us. All the family is involved. It's so nice to race with my son since couples years. The can-am is my favorite race. I start mushing when i was 12 years old in sprint races. I am the third generation of musher in my family. I love the freedom to be in the trail with my dogs.

I born in a mushing lifestyle. All the family is involved in racing. I really enjoy to be with my dogs, i like everything around them. This year will be my third time racing the 250. This race is really challenging every time and i like that !

When I was 8, I put a harness on our house dog, a big St-Bernard! Then one day I saw a team of several dogs ant that's when I realized that I wanted to harness more dogs. As a teenager I was doing sprint races, and it was only in 1996 that I actually started doing longer distances races, racing from 60 miles to 400 miles in the same year, the Labrador 400. I climbed the ladder and I started winning the Can Am Crown 250 in 1998, the in 2019 I won it for the 10th time, six in a row. I did the race circuit in the North East America, but in 2003 I realize one of my dreams by running the Yukon Quest where I placed sixth. I won the Hudson Bay Quest in Manitoba twice and and I placed second at the UP200 in Michigan many times.What I like the most about dog sledding is to be in the wilderness, discover new territories and specially to listen to my dogs and to see that we are an amazing team between humankind the beast.

We are from Iowa. I am a pharmacist and my wife is a police officer and we have 3 boys. Currently we have 20 dogs in our kennel. I like the challenge of traveling with a large number of dogs in the 200-300 mile races. I have intentions of one day running longer races.

I started in dogsled sport around 22 years ago in New Zealand, mostly sprint and the occasional mid distance race. I then decided to move to the US with nine aging Siberians and give distance racing a go. We built our team up from scratch, with a combination of New Zealand and US bloodlines, and have competed in numerous races in the Western and Eastern US, in addition to Canada. For me, both training and racing is about spending time with my dogs and enjoying being in nature, nothing else. Since I first competed in the Can am, I have found the event to be full of incredibly friendly and helpful people, combined with amazing scenery. I look forward to the race and hopefully finishing the 250!

I am 15 years old and I live in Fort Kent. I started dog sledding when I was 8 years old, then raced the Can Am for the first time when I was 13. Dog sled racing has become a significant part of my life and I look forward to the races in the future. I would like to thank all of our generous sponsors for supporting our goals.

Passionnés de plein air et d'aventure, mes chiens et moi adorons explorer de nouveaux sentiers. Les courses de chiens de traîneau ont toujours été une de mes passions. L'adrénaline que chaque départ me procure est inimaginable.

J'adore entraîner mes chiens dans mes sentiers dans la forêt.Je pratique ce sport depuis plusieurs années et j'adore la chasse, la trappe et la pêche.Il faut dire que Parent, mon village est un milieu enchanteur pour pratiquer tous les sports d'hiver.

I love Can Am! The race, the community and my host family of course. I've been racing can am since 2019 and I've been mushing since 2009. I love being outside with my dogs, nature and beautiful landscape

I'm happy to be back competing in one of my favorite races! This is always such a fun event to attend. I'd like to thank everyone who helps put this race on. Without each and everyone of you putting in countless hours of hard work we wouldn't have this amazing race. I look forward to this race all year. So I'm excited to get back out on the trail! Good luck to everyone running today!

J'en serai à ma troisième participation à la Can-am !! Je suis très content de revenir ici pour cette fois terminer ma première 100 miles. rnrnJe suis fier d'avoir ma grande fille de 14 ans avec moi qui participera à sa première Can-am !! rnrnThanks a lot to all of the organisation an the volunter of this unique race !! Nothing can beat the start line on main street !!

j'aime entrainer les chiens voir leurs progrès, sur la trail plus rien existe, ces le moments présents , les chiens rien d'autre! I like training dogs to see their progress, on the trail nothing exists anymore, these present moments, the dogs nothing. the white leader is Keisha who I like for her determination, and the black one is Toudra who is the fastest in the kennel! My kennel is a recreational kennel established on the farm

I've been practicing dog mushing for a long time but I started to race only in 2023. It's gonna be my first attempt on a 100 miles race. I own and train sled dogs for over 23 years. rnI made multiple expedition in the first years. Since 2011, I provide dog sledding tours in the Gaspé's Peninsula.

I am a "pre-retired" cancer researcher at the University of Sherbooke in Quebec . I have been running dogs for about 20 years now and got serious about mushing just a few years back. I love the community in Fort Kent and the race organization. A special bonus is my great host family, the Saunders, the BEST one could ever hope for!! I am particularly happy to have my partner Caroline as my handler!

What started as a mission to find a canine running partner evolved into a life centered by dogs. Finding my first husky Loki as a puppy at a shelter might have started the journey, but my amazing retiree Smarty truly highlighted what joy we could have as Team Misfits. We live for the moments we become part of the forest while we're out sledding. This is our second year participating in the CanAm, and we are absolutely thrilled to be racing in Fort Kent!

Julia moved to Maine recently to pursue her dreams of running a mid distance team. It's all about the dogs and being out together on an adventure. Each dog brings something unique and special to the team. Julia loves seeing the dogs bond and grow together as they train and race. It's a beautiful and special thing to be working with such incredible athletes and friends. It's an honor and a privilege to share life with these incredible dogs that are apart of our family.

Passionate about hunting and the outdoors, I love being with my dogs in the woods, seeing them evolve within my team. Watching them give their all for me makes me proud of them and makes us a team.

This is my second time coming to Can Am and I am thrilled to be coming back, I look forward to it all season. Two seasons ago I had a very memorable race borrowing two of Sibersong's leaders Felicity and Kona, which I am beyond thankful I had the opportunity to have two such very special lead dogs for my first Can Am. Those two showed me the incredible spirit, fortitude, and pure joy that sleddogs possess. We accomplished what we set out to do by having a blast on beautiful trails and finishing strong with tight tugs and wagging tails. This year I am bumping up to the 100, while still running a purebred Siberian team comprised of my dogs and Sibersong's dogs. I am just so excited to take to the trail again with these amazing dogs, and I appreciate the race and volunteers for everything they do that enables us to take part in such a lovely event.

I first raced in Fort Kent in 1993 in the 250 mile race. I was 32 years old at the time. This year will be 32 years since that race. I am signing up for the 100, butI hope to enter the 250, if I can get enough training, to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the first time I raced in Fort Kent.

Fayth is a Flight Nurse and Certified Veterinary Technician who has been involved with the Can-Am volunteering with the veterinary team since 2012. She ran the Can-Am 30 for the first time in 2022. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to run again this year! When Fayth is not volunteering as a veterinary technician or working she is a recreational musher helping to train sled dog teams and assisting sled dog kennels. She lives at home with her three Siberian Huskies and loves hiking and adventures with her dogs.

pour moi les chiens ce n'est pas une passion, cest un mode de vie un amour inconditionnel, car peux importe la mauvaise journée que l'ont vient de passer une chose sur ils seront toujours la à vous attendre, a vous aimer sans vous juger et sans vous mentir.rnrnsled dogs are a family affair for me. I learned with my parents from an early age.

I am a single mom of 2 wonderful kids. I got into mushing as a mid life crisis and now I am hooked!! Luckily my family loves our 12 Siberian Huskies as much as me. I work for a land trust helping our ecosystems adapt and build resilience to climate change and shifting the trajectory of land conservation in Massachusetts to center Indigenous knowledge and return land to Indigenous stewardship. I am so happy to be back at the Can-Am 30 this year after running it for the first time in 2022. You all run a great race and make us all feel so welcome. There is nothing I love more than to be out on the trails with my team. We are so lucky to be able to experience the beautiful trails here in Wabanaki Territory. LAND BACK!

Between my jobs as hockey mom and English professor, I find time to run dogs! I love to spend time outside with my four-legged friends, and I enjoy the friendships I've built through the shared life-style of dog sledding. Thank you to all those (colleagues, family, and friends) who have supported me and enabled me to get here to the start line.

Hi Everyone My name is Steve Babin. I live in Caribou Maine with my Amazing Family. My amazing and supporting wife Tracy and kids Chantelle, Nathaniel, Jonah, and Dawson. I want to give a big shout out to my family for supporting me during the many hours gone training our K9 athletes for this big race. Our kennel name is Team Babin Racing Hounds. My wife is also competing in the 30 mile race. This is my second Can Am 30 race. I also competed in the Wilderness Sled Dog race in Greenville last year and came in first place in the 4 mile 4 dog sprint race. That was lots of fun. This year I am more focused and will try not to take to many selfies and videos as I really want to improve my time from a few years ago. I want to thank my wonderful sponsors Jeffs Auto,VanBuren Tulsa, Harrys Motorsports, and the Caribou Snowmobile Club. I also want to thank our Mechanic for helping us keep our motorized vehicles going during training season. I want to also thank my two awesome dog handlers Jonah, and Nathaniel. You guys are the best. Good Luck to all the racers and see you all at the finish line.

14 years ago, during the 2012 Can Am Crown Sled Race I met who would now be my husband and competitor in the 30.we met on Main St amongst the crowd of spectators and were married the following Sept. Can Am has always been a big part of our lives. We have both volunteered in many capacities for this great race. I guess building our own kennel and racing this race has been a natural progression. Our whole family is involved, with our daughter have raced in past races and our 3 boys aspiring to race in the future. We all work together to care for our dogs and get them race ready. We are very fortunate and thankful to be sponsored by The Caribou Snowmobile Club, Van Buren Tulsa, Harry's Motor Sports, and Jeff's Auto Sales.

I am a widowed mother of three handlers (oops I mean kids. LOL) ages 13, 11, and 9. I've been "in dogs" all with Siberian Huskies for 20 plus years. I have made three separate trips to Mushing Boot Camp over the years. My kids and I split our time between our cabin in Starks, Maine and our permanent home in Baltimore Maryland. Since 2008, I have owned and operated Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC which provides educational dog sledding and dryland (wheeled) dogsledding programs for kids and adults. I was awarded the Leonhard Seppala award by the Maine Highlands Sled Dog Club for contributions to, mentoring in, and promotion of the sport. When I am not running dogs, I am a partner in the law firm of Simms Showers LLP practicing commercial and maritime litigation. I am an alum of the University of Michigan and the University of Washington School of Law and I am an avid Michigan football fan. Go Blue! I would like to thank my handler of the last four years, Allan, who comes out every week to assist me with dog sledding programming and the rest of my village who scooped me up back in 2020 and supported me through all of the chaos we call life. I am running in memory of my late husband, Eric R. Benson, who ran the Can Am 30 twice and who died suddenly in April of 2020.

Je m'appelle Rocky Bérubé, chargé de projet en informatique et enseignant en informatique. Avec ma conjointe Delphine Perreault, qui me soutient et m'aide à réaliser mes objectifs, nous avons bâti une vie centrée sur nos chiens. Ils sont bien plus que des animaux de compagnie, ils sont notre famille. L'an dernier, nous avons pris la décision de déménager pour créer un environnement propice à notre passion pour les courses de chiens de traîneau, avec des sentiers à proximité pour l'entraînement quotidien de notre meute. Presentation text in English: My name is Rocky Bérubé, a project manager and IT instructor. Together with my partner, Delphine Perreault, who supports me and helps me achieve my goals, we have built a life centered around our dogs. They are more than just pets, they are family. Last year, we made the decision to move in order to provide an ideal environment for our passion for sled dog racing, with access to trails for the daily training of our team.

I have been mushing for 13 years. My son and I have a kennel of 12 dogs. My very first time to run the Can Am race was supposed to be in 2024. My dogsledding season got cut short when I broke my ankle in three places while starting out on a training run with my team. My brother quickly volunteered to take over my team, but he did not get to race either when there was a lack of snow and the race got cancelled. My training for this race started in March of 2024 when I had to learn how to walk again. I attended 12 weeks of physical therapy and had to get myself in shape before I could start training the dogs. It has been a long road of recovery. Therefore, this race means even more to me this year than it did last year. Crossing the finish line will prove how far I have come. I am excited to see the course that I have heard so much about and share the trail with my son. Thank you to all of the volunteers, spectators and my family for their support. Without you all we would not be here today. See you at the finish line.

Thirteen years ago I got into this sport. Every year I add more dogs to my kennel. This is my fourth year participating in the Can-Am Sled Dog race. I love being out on the trails with my dogs and the other mushers. I plan to move to Alaska in the future. Thank you to everyone who puts on this race.

I am excited to get back into mid-distance racing after eleven years of racing sprints and dryland. I am now retired and able to put in the time it takes to train a mid-distance team. I am looking forward to returning to Fort Kent after eleven years. My wife, Debbie and I manage a small kennel of 24 Registered Siberian Huskies in Upstate NY. I have been competing in dog powered sports for 16 years.

En tant que mushers le chalenge principale n'est souvent même pas pendant la course..........pour moi en tout cas. Le défi c'est de trouver le temps nécessaire pour entraîner les chiens et en prendre bien soin pour les amener à être fin prêt pour franchir la ligne de départ..........et la ligne d'arriée aussi vite que possible! Le défi aussi c'est de concilier tout ça avec la famille. J'espère être en mesure de relever le défi pendant encore plusieurs années.............et avec l'aide de mère nature aussi...............qu'elle nous apporte encore et encore de la neige PLEASE!

I am very happy to participate in my first 30 miles with the Can-Am Crown !! I learned to dog sled before I even walked. Dogs are my greatest passion. It is a great privilege for me to live this experience with my father who is participating in the Can-Am 100. My greatest wish is to enjoy the trail and that my dogs finish the race happy and proud of themselves !!

I would like to thank my incredible friends and mentors, Steve & Tracy, at Team Babin Racing for the guidance and support during my rookie season. I also want to thank my father for making the trip to be my handler as well as my encouraging wife who has supported me through countless hours of training and dog discussions. I hope to be back next year to race the 100 mile.

Running dogs is my happy place. This all started when I asked for a dog sled ride. And then I asked if I could volunteer to help at the kennel. And then I was running my first race...and now here we are--all dogs, all the time. I wouldnt have it any other way. I'm forever grateful to Ingrid Bower and Patty Richards for their faith in me to run their dogs and their ability to know when I'm ready for a new challenge. I also want to say thank you to my mother--she inspired the true beginning of this journey by handing me books with tales of the trail and always encouraging me to chase my dreams. And, a BIG thank you to my wife and our son for putting up with me and all the dog hair. It takes a village to raise a musher. I love you all.

There is nothing better in life than getting out on the trail with my dogs. From the very first time hooking up my original siberian huskies we were hooked, and there was no looking back. Going from a few siberian huskies to a full kennel of Alaskan huskies has been the most rewarding and challenging journey of my life that i couldnt be more greatfull for. I consider myself verry fortunate to have found mushing and to be able to spend my days doing what we all love to do together as a team.

I retired in May 2021 and moved to Maine to run dogs. My team consists primarily of purebred Siberian Huskies. I have one new Streeper Girl. This will be my first official race. I want to finish and have a great time with my team.rnI have been running dogs for five years, primarily on dry land (ATV and Bike). I've been running up to 10 Siberian huskies to choose my team from.

I am 16 years old and live in Fort Kent, Maine. My interest in dog sledding began while volunteering for the Can Am sled dog race with my family. Three years ago, I decided to give mushing a try and loved it. My first race was the Can Am 30-mile in 2023, and I came in 5th place. Since then, I have raced in the 100-mile Wilderness and Chic-Chocs. I am really looking forward to running more races this year and seeing what my team of dogs can do.

I am originally from NH, but now reside in Naples, ME. My profession as a sales rep has introduced me to the mushing world. I've had the pleasure of learning about the Seppala breed for the last 4 years from Jonathan Hayes. I enjoy the dogs so much and am grateful for the opportunity to learn to mush. My first lesson was to never let go of the sled followed by my second lesson which was also never let go of the sled, so I don't. I'm sure the dogs have enjoyed pulling me sideways but I've learned to get myself up and keep going! Very excited not only to be a sponsor of the Can Am but to be running my first race!

I'm from Naples, ME and operate a diesel shop. Met Jonathan Hayes through my wife a few years ago and went with him to Alaska for some Iditarod qualifiers. Mushed for the first time at Dallas Seaveys Kennel and started mushing with Jonathan after that. This winter I am joining Jonathan in Alaska again for the Centennial Seppala Expedition.

My Siberians are my joy, my passion, my family, my best friends and the reason behind my motivation. I started training them in 2018 and never looked back, they changed my life. I now consistently train 10-14 dog team(s) and have been focusing more on mid distance. The Castarek kennel has come a long way with love dedication and hard work. I wouldn't be with this amazing group of dogs and where I am now without a few very important people and my mentors who I cherish. The kennel name also represents a dog, Casper, whom greatly influenced who I am today and I am proud to honor his memory within our name. I've been dreaming of this race for many years now and had planned to attend the last two seasons but sadly it wasn't the right timing so I was forced to withdraw. I'm more than excited to finally get the opportunity to run it with my best friends for 2025! Wishing everyone a safe and fun run!

The dog team and I are thrilled to return and see all the friendly and smiling faces at Fort Kent! This is a special and sweet race. An absolute favorite run. This year I dedicate the race to all 24 Siberian huskies at Thesewoods Kennels in Underhill, Vermont. While 6 huskies make the run today, it takes the entire kennel of dogs to make our race team. We spent months running in mud, slush, rain and snow. It truly takes a village as is said but for me it is the 4 legged kind. While it is countless hours caring for 24 dogs, the wagging tails, smiling and happy furry faces make it all worth it. Can Am we run for you! For all our dogs, May the snow be soft beneath your feet, May the warmth of your humans that love you fill your heart, May you be happy and fulfilled to be the best sled dog ever. Run true! Run happy! Run fast! Happy trails Thesewoods Kennel Dogs! Thank you everyone involved in putting on this great race! And of course, to all you crazy and fun spectators, hip hip hooray to all of you cheering us on. Your support and encouragement mean so much. It really makes our sendoff thrilling and rewarding. Thank you!

I have had the privilege of running dogs for about 5 years. Starting out with Siberians and misfit hounds; steady but reliable. My partner had already been running dogs for many years with a kennel of his own and was looking for some aid so I excitedly volunteered. As we grew together so did our kennel where we transitioned to hounds, keeping our Siberians as pets. Now we enjoy running teams of up to 16 dogs over 30 miles, enjoying the solitude of the forest and runners on the snow just like mushers have for hundreds of years. Passionate about dogs and history. Working for the Town of Tamworth known as the sled dog training location of the 1929 Byrd Antarctica Expedition. Dog sledding being the oldest form of transportation it is only natural for me to gravitate to the old school ways of doing things. Couldn't be more thankful to learn and grow with the dogs not just on the trails but everyday. Looking forward to continuing the dream and spreading awareness of the rich sled dog history of New Hampshire,