Families host Atta Boy mushers every night

Unsung and frequently unmentioned in the story of sled dog stage racing are the host families.

There are 15 homes in Sisters that open to the racers for nourishment and rest after each day's competition.

Ray and Katie Powers have hosted visiting sled dog racers for several years.

This year they specifically invited Lloyd and Mary Gilbertson, from Chatham, Michigan for a return visit. They arrived Sunday evening with third- and seventh-place winners in the six-dog competition, Peter Dobbs (New Zealand), and Vanessa Quinche (Ireland).

Rounding out the visitors was Quinche's husband, Hernan Maquieira, an Argentinean who is racing in the 12-dog event. Socializing with the visiting mushers is limited. They generally arrive after dark, tired from a day of competition. They leave again before daybreak to prepare for the next day's racing

At the Powers' they were treated to a warm fire and hot drinks before an early bedtime. Katie promised to be up earlier than even the mushers to provide breakfast for all.

A veteran racer himself, Lloyd is sitting out this event. Well, not really "sitting."

He stays busy driving, overseeing the dogs, and generally managing the teams. He and Mary brought 42 dogs with them, providing teams for Mary, Dobbs, Quinche, and Maquieira.

Lloyd is a breeder-racer who has come close to making a living off of his dogs.

He has fine-tuned the breeding process, crossing pointers with huskies to develop a dog with speed and endurance. He has also developed and markets his own brand of dog food, specifically designed for racing dogs.

Mary races half of the year and works as a nurse the other half. This is her second run at the Atta Boy 300.

In 1998, Mary finished third in Minnesota's Great Trail Sled Dog Race, sixth in the 1998 John Beargrease where she also earned "Rookie of the Year" honors and second in the 2002 Midnight Run where she won "Best Dog Care."