Episode 123: A Bingham High Student Racing to the Top in the Sport of Dog Sledding

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She's had a genuine love of dogs all her life. Now, that love is leading a Bingham High School student to follow her dreams to compete professionally in the sport of Dog Sledding, also known as Dog Mushing. On this episode of the Supercast, we meet 17 year old Mary Christensen and her dogs, and find out what goes into getting these dogs to work as a team, racing to the top in competitive Dog Sledding.
We're here with Mary Christensen in her backyard in South Jordan, Utah. And Mary's gonna tell us why we're in her backyard. Mary, you're a student at Bingham. What's your hobby that brings us here today?

Mary:
You know the thing that keeps me going is dog sledding. That's my thing. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Dog Sledding. Now in my mind driving over here, I'm thinking she's a musher. Is that a term? Is that a thing?

Mary:
That is the right term, yeah. The term comes from the word to go, ‘marche’, which is a French word that is traditionally used with mules. We don't really use that word anymore, but the term musher still applies.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now you pronounce it a little more, you know, with a little more French flare than I did. Tell me again how you pronounce it.

Mary:
A musher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so you are a musher, let's go back to the start. We got the dogs in the background and I wanna meet them in a second, but tell me, how did you get started with this? How did this pop into your mind that this is what you wanted to do?

Mary:
Yeah, I mean, you know, it all started when I was six years old. I've always loved animals, but I watched this movie called Iron Will. It's an old Disney movie from when I was six. And I just became enchanted with this idea of being out in the snow with dogs. My mom, you know, didn't wanna crush my little girl dreams. And she was like, “oh, you know, that's such a cute idea. Let me learn all about it.” But you know, we live in Utah and we didn't really think that was an actual thing to do. But for my 12th birthday, excuse me, my parents found a kennel that did dog sledding up next to Park City. And they got me like a kennel tour and I went up there, fell in love with it. They kind of thought it might turn me off a little bit. You know, they're like, “okay, it's been six years. Maybe we can end this a little bit.” And I just, even more, I went to summer camp and now I can't be done with it. I just keep going.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they were thinking maybe we can scare her straight if she sees what it really involves and she'll move on.

Mary:
Yeah, exactly. Especially that summer camp. They're like, “oh yeah, a week with dogs, with strangers, no way she's gonna make it.” And I came back with like the biggest grin on my face. My dad's like “you are covered head to toe and mud, and I've never seen you so happy.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me what it means to be a musher. Do you compete? Do you go to competitions? What does that look like? 

Mary:
So, I mean, there's just different levels of it. I kind of started out more of a recreational musher, which is just, I had two dogs. Well, I mean, obviously I had one first, just kept growing from there, and I just took 'em out like on a little scooter and I'd be like “woo dog sledding!”. And then as I got more dogs, became more advanced, I just became more of a competitive musher. So I still do a lot of recreational mushing, but now I do a lot more races. And then there's like the touring side of dog sledding, which I do sometimes. I go and help out at my kennel, but I don't know, tours are not the most appealing aspect of dog sledding. So I consider myself competitive.

Anthony Godfrey:
So let's talk about all three aspects of that. You talked about recreational dog sledding. What does recreational dog sledding look like for you? Is that something you're able to do frequently and where do you go? And what's that like?
Mary:
So recreational is just like a really kind of like, not slowed down, but I mean, you just have a couple dogs. People use it with all sorts of dogs. I mean, they've got hounds out there. They've got Australian shepherds, they've got everything. There doesn't really need to be a set breed for recreational. And there's different parts of it where you can do like the cart aspect, the sled aspect, or even like a skiing aspect. There's all these different parts that can make up recreational mushing. But yeah, for me, when I do like recreational, it all kind of feeds into my training schedule. But that's kind of just when I wanna take a break and I don't really push the dogs super hard, just go for like a quick seven mile run. They just kind of go as fast as they want or as slow as they want. It's just kind of a training thing for them. We go up to some slow roads up in Park City, Peoa, Oakley, that kind of place.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's good for the dogs, it sounds like too. To just kind of get a break and just go out and run for fun at whatever pace they want, rather than going through a particular training routine.

Mary:
Yeah, they’re definitely, definitely not as on point when we do a little fun run, but they love it. I mean, when they come back their spirits are just so much happier. I don't know. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, good. Now you told me about skiing behind them, sledding behind them and carting behind them. Tell me how all those three differ. I have a guess, but tell me what that means.

Mary:
Yeah, so I mean the traditional one, traditional dog sledding, and really like the only term for it is when you have a sled and then in the summer you use a cart. That's kind of a big old rickety thing. It's like a tricycle, but it's a little more bent up.

Anthony Godfrey:
So is it a tricycle with skis on it? 

Mary:
No it just has big wheels, rubber wheels. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So the sled is like a sled, it has skis under it. The cart has wheels and are you able to do that in the summer? Is that what you said?

Mary:
Yeah. So the cart you use during the summer and fall and spring. Usually you try to stay more in the summer because in spring and fall it gets muddy, you wanna use a four wheeler. Sleds are only available when it's snowing. So yeah, a cart's a good alternative when you don't have snow.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the skis does that mean you just slap on some skis and let them pull you along? Cross country skiing at its best?

Mary:
Yeah. I admire everyone who does, it's called skijoring, and I cannot do it. I tried it once and kept face planting. I mean, those dogs are just fast, you have no control. But some people just live for it and there's like really competitive skijoring. So skijoring is more put in like the mushing category where dog sledding is just like on the sledding.

Anthony Godfrey:
How far do you travel to compete?

Mary:
It just depends. There's like a Colorado circuit. That's really, really nice. There's like a professional world like sled dog organization, I guess, racing organization. So if you wanna start going professional, you get your professional points from the Colorado circuit or there's like the Indiana circuit, just that kind of places. But I usually go up to Colorado sometimes, but Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, and there's one in Utah. That's kind of just where I center.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so do you have a trailer that you load the dogs and the sleds into? Tell me how that works.

Mary:
Yeah, so I have my dog trailer. It's just like a huge wooden box on a big trailer, kind of like a flat trailer. And it's just screwed in and each has boxes in all of them, and then it's got like air holes and everything and they can touch each other through the top of it. They just go in there and it's really dark and really warm and they just love being in there. My sled just slides right on top and you just strap it on and you're good to go.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've got it down, it sounds like. 

Mary:
Yeah, a lot of taking off my sled for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
So how many in a year would you say?

Mary:
I mean, it varies. I I don't race on Sunday, which is kind of hard because Saturday, Sundays are really easy because they're always two days, at least. So that's like a really easy weekend. So last year I did three. This year I'm only planning two. But yeah, it just varies. I mean, sometimes worlds are in question, sometimes Colorado circuit works out, sometimes it doesn't. So it really just depends. There's not an average I'd say. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Where does it go from here? Do you continue what you've been doing or is there another level you're aspiring to? What's next?

Mary:
I just wanna grow my kennel. I'm probably good with the dogs I have right now until I graduate high school. I mean, I spend hours out here with them every day. I don't know if I could throw another dog on top of that. I mean, I'm trying to get on the journey to World Championships, which is in Canada one year and New Jersey the next. And so that's kind of, my hope is to get up to there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Canada, New Jersey. That's where it alternates.

Mary:
Yeah. It switches off. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Interesting. Now you also talked about touring. Talk to me about that.

Mary:
Yeah. So touring is a lot of where dog sledding money comes from, just because, I mean, you look at it and you're like, wow. You know, dog sledding people aren't like bidding on that. There's not really like a huge market for that, but so touring is really where it comes from. There used to be a really, really, I mean, there still is a problem with ethical touring. But actually, just recently in Park City and like Summit County the kennel I work at got a bill passed that makes sure that everyone's at the same standard. So Utah is actually like just excelling with our standards right now. But yeah, so, I mean, that's just something that everyone really has to do. You can't be a musher really without touring. I mean, I can, because you know, my parents are awesome and they're like, oh yeah, we'll pay for your food. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So the touring is when you take other people on a ride?

Mary:
Right. So it's like my kennel up in Park City that we do it at. We have like our touring dogs and our racing dogs and our racing dogs are, they kinda look like these guys over here that are just super fit and thin. And then the touring dogs are more like Husky looking dogs and they're just, they're just troopers. They'll take you around on a three mile loop and they're really strong. A lot of people will really like it and it's a really good experience for a lot of people.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. That sounds fun. 

Stay with us. When we come back, Mary Christensen will introduce us to some of her sled dogs and tell us what it takes to take care of the pack.

Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
In the background we've heard a number of dogs, Blue in particular, who has been pining for some attention. I think. You talked about the hours that you spend with dogs every day. Tell me about what it involves just day to day care and training of the dog. 

Mary:
I'd say, if I was just to go the most basic I can, I've got my dogs down well enough that I can do a complete dog job in like 30 minutes. But usually I spend an hour, hour and a half out here at least. You clean up all the poop, that's the main job. I'm a professional poop scooper. You clean out bowls, you give them more water, you exercise 'em, fill up straw, give them food, just let them play. Sometimes I have to get between their arguments and just help them figure it out. There's really never a boring day with the dogs.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a lot of responsibility because they rely on you every day for all of that. And that's a long list.

Mary:
Yeah. I mean, that's why my parents were really smart in doing this by not just throwing me into the mix. I started with one dog and it was my little puppy and they're like, okay, if you can do this then we'll move up a little bit. So I started with my one dog and once they saw that I was just really in it and I just really wanted to have him grow, I got my second dog and then my third dog and fourth and fifth, and just grew from there. So it doesn't really seem like a responsibility to me anymore. It just seems like, kind of like a privilege to have this.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's exciting. Well, and Blue is really upset that I'm not interviewing him right now. 

Mary:
Oh, he's a diva, that's for sure. He thinks he's all that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I could see that. So let's have you introduce us to the dogs. Maybe I'll have you go in with the dogs and kind of introduce them to us right here by the fence.

Mary:
Yeah. We’ve got three of the dogs out here and then two are put away right now. So I've got my Siberian Husky right here, his name’s Blue. He's the power of the team, but he gets distracted like none other. All the dogs just play into each other and you have to really balance their personalities. And then this one right here is Shelby. She's my newest one. I got her this summer, more like early spring I guess. She's a little older but she kind of has helped teach some of my younger dogs what dog sledding is. She's a Seppala Siberian Sleddog and she's the queen bee. I mean, she just sits on her house and all the dogs respect her. And then this one, who is loud when I'm around, this is Sage. She's really, really tiny and she has the tiniest little voice, I think. But yeah, she's a Seppala Siberian Sleddog too. And she is just a little wiry thing and she’s just, she's crazy. I don't know how to describe her. They all just have the most like intricate personalities that is really kind of a hard balance, trying to figure out where they all fit. Then she has a brother, Tuck, who is put away right now because he didn't really feel like coming out. But yeah, it's just, it's kind of like a puzzle piece. That's each one you have to fit together and find where they like to be, who they like to be hanging out with, what they like to do, what they don't like to do and that kind of stuff.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about where you get these dogs. Are they all pups? It sounds like Blue, you got as an adult. So tell me about how they came into your life.

Mary:
Yeah. Okay. So my first dog I got her when she's a little puppy. I bought her off KSL. That's where all the good dogs come from, I'm convinced. But I bought her from a family that she was too excited for, and I was like, I want an excited dog. I want a dog that's ready to go. And so that's where I got her. And then my next dog, Molly, was abandoned at my kennel and I just clicked with her and I just said, let me take her home. And that was that. She’s just been with me forever. And then Blue, he's had kind of the hardest story of all. When he was a puppy he was really severely malnourished and abused. A neighbor actually came and took him to the pound, which he was then adopted by a really nice family that just couldn't really care for him the way that he needed. So I was like, “oh, sweet’. And it actually was just crazy, the story of getting him because I was planning on getting a completely different dog. Then that night I just felt like that dog wasn't right. And I just texted this random number out of the blue that said he was gone, he was sold. And I was like, I don't know, like this dog just really feels right and I went and met him and he was crazy and it just felt right. But he's the one that I'm probably most proud of because he's come super far. Then Tuck and Sage, I actually bought from a really good friend of mine named Allan Berge in Wyoming and he raises Seppalas, he races 'em. I met him at a race and he usually sells each of his puppies for $600 and he sold both of them to me for $500. So I was really happy about that, because he just likes helping people who are kind of up and coming. Then Shelby, she was another dog that was surrendered at my kennel. And I was like, you know what? I've always wanted a more white dog and she's more white than the other ones. And so I took her home and she's just the best fit.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's great to hear you talk about your dogs with such passion and love and obviously a deep connection to every single one of them. How long have you been away from them since you got 'em?

Mary:
It's really hard for me to be away from 'em like when we go on trips and stuff. I usually try to bring up to my kennel, but I sometimes have a lot of siblings that I have watch 'em. I'm sure they hate watching 'em cause I'm like, ‘you have to do this and this and this’ and it's in this exact order and I call 'em four times a day. ‘Have you done 'em yet? Have you done them yet? Do they look happy?’ You know? And I have them FaceTime and send pictures cause I just like really worry. My family when we’re on the trip, they're like, ‘no Mary. It's okay. Like they're just dogs.’ But it's hard for me to get away. And I don't really let anyone else go in or even take care of 'em cuz even if I'm like on my deathbed, I'm like, ‘no, you don't understand. I have to feed them.’ 

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's a lot for you to balance. You're a junior at Bingham right now. Is that right? That's a lot of work to be a high school junior and take care of these dogs and to keep this hobby up. But obviously it's a passion for you. So when you talk to people about this, do people at school know about this first of all? And how do they react when they find out that you're a musher? 

Mary:
There's a lot of different reactions. At school I don't really ever hear my name. I just hear Mar-dog. That's kind of my nickname. It's on my SBO jacket. I mean it's got everything. Everyone just calls me Mar-dog. So usually that's kind of a dead giveaway. But when I tell people who really don't have any idea it's either usually like, ‘oh, I don't believe you, like that's a lie’ or they just wanna see pictures. And I'm like, oh, don't worry, I have millions.

Anthony Godfrey:
They wanna see the receipts.

Mary:
Yeah, exactly. People are like, no you don't, I actually do. But yeah. I try to bring it up kind of naturally, because it's a little overwhelming when I'm like, guess what guys, I can talk about this for three hours. Let me tell you about each one of my dogs.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I am a dog person. We have three dogs at my house right now, but nothing like you do. Nothing like the work that you put in and I admire it. Now Mar-dog. Thank you for letting us talk with you. And boy, it's great to meet you and the dogs and I'm just so impressed with your level of dedication and the passion that you bring. These dogs are lucky to be in your life.

Mary:
Thank you. That means a lot to me. 

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Well, take care and best of luck this year.

Mary:
Yeah. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.