Jeff Conn of Ester, Alaska, crouches on his sled as his dogs make the final push at Lower Slide Lake. Conn and his team finished fourth overall in the multistate Pedigree Stage Stop race. | REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE - Jackson Hole, Wyoming 
Dog detour skews Pedigree race
Slopping food out of a large cooler for her tired dogs Saturday at Lower Slide Lake, Anny Malo lauded her team’s efforts just moments after wrapping up the Pedigree Stage Stop dog sled championship.
“They were amazing all the way through the seven stages,” Malo said. “I can’t believe how strong they were, and I was really pleased with all the team. All 14 dogs are still in good shape.”
With enough separation from the rest of the field on Saturday, all she needed to do was complete the run without any real hiccups. She placed ninth in the final stage and still cruised to the overall title, edging second place Emilie Entrikin by nearly 40 cumulative minutes.
But while the final stage allowed the Quebec native to take in the scenery and cruise, the first five stages showed a three-way race for the title. Lina Streeper entered Friday’s stage in Driggs, Idaho, atop the field, looking for her third-consecutive win at the Stage Stop. Just behind her was Malo, and trailing Malo was Erick Laforce, a fellow newcomer and winner of the first and third stages.
That congestion loosened in Driggs in heartbreaking fashion. Four mushers veered off the trail, Malo, Streeper and Laforce among them. Malo recognized the mistake, got back to the trail and finished third. Streeper and Laforce were not so fortunate. By the time the two front-running mushers realized the error, it was too late; they finished the stage second to last and last. While Malo hit the finish line in 2:12:55 that day, Streeper finished in 3:34:41 and Laforce came across in 3:51:33.
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