Meet Laura's 2021 Puppy Team!
This page introduces you to the yearling team of 2020/2021. Laura has decided to devote this season to the future of the Nature's Kennel race team and train/race a young and inexperienced team. With so much young talent born in 2019, she realizes the importance of giving these young dogs a quality education and a large variety of experiences during their first year in harness in order to keep a strong team in the future. A few of the A-Team dogs have stayed with Laura for the season to help train the youngsters, and the rest of the A-Team is spending the season with Blake Freking in MN. Be sure to keep an eye on their season by following Manitou Crossing Kennels on Facebook!
The page also includes information about our dog sponsorship program that allows fans to sponsor their favorite dog in exchange for race and kennel memorabilia. The Nature's Kennel dog sponsorship program is dedicated to supporting Laura's 2021 yearling team. All of the proceeds go toward the team and their training and racing adventures throughout the 2021 season! This is how the club works; once a dog receives a sponsor, the sponsor's name and picture will be listed next to the dog and that dog will no longer be available for sponsorship. They become that person's sponsored dog for the entire race season. Once you have sponsored a dog, you will always get the first chance to sponsor that dog again for the following race season.
Benefits of joining the club include exclusive Nature's Kennel and race memorabilia. Scroll to the bottom of the page for detailed information on the memorabilia that you will receive!
The "Scooters" Litter
Sire: Baker
Dam: Jett
DOB: August 11th, 2019
by
Tracy Morrow!
Sponsored
by
Tracy Morrow!
Sponsored
by
Don and Cyndy Rastovski!
Sponsored
The "4th of July" Litter
Sire: Baker
Dam: Ann
DOB: June 24th, 2019
by
Don, Cathy, Poco, and Angus!
Sponsored
WHITE
White is a gentle soul who is always ready to enjoy a belly rub and giant hug. He partners up well with anyone, but he especially enjoys it when he gets to run with his brother, Blue. White is already a leader in the making. He is one of the most photogenic dogs on the team, so get ready to see a lot of him on Facebook this year!
by
Alex and Ollie Ege!
Sponsored
The "Space" Litter
Sire: Ebb
Dam: Ramblin'
DOB: October 20th, 2019
by
Thomas Rosenbloom!
Sponsored
by
Rhonda and Jake O'Grady!
Sponsored
WOODSTOVE
Woodstove is amazing! If he was dumped in a can of black paint, he could easily pass for a black lab. He loves to swim (uncommon for Alaskan Huskies), loves to please his human, and is an all around jolly soul. I had to leave the cabin for about 1/2 hour the day he was born, and he crawled away from his mom and underneath the woodstove, where I found him as soon as I got home. He gained a scar on the top of his head to tell his tale and, of course, he had to be named Woodstove.
by
Richard Rosenbloom!
Sponsored
COMET
Comet is a tiny little girl but she sure doesn't know it. I keep having dreams where we are running in a race and she is the little superstar in lead. We'll see if those dreams come true! Comet loves playing with her big retired buddy, North, when he is supervising the happenings in the kennel.
The "Random Names" Litter
Sire: Elmer
Dam: Normandy
DOB: October 6th, 2019
by
Pat Berglund!
Sponsored
The "AUSSIE" Litter
Sire: Hick
Dam: Normandy
DOB: February 10th, 2019
The "Ken Dolls" Litter
Sire: Winkle
Dam: Erin
DOB: August 7th, 2019
Noogie
Sire: Lightning
Dam: Ebony
DOB: June 20th, 2019
The "Alaskan" Litter
Sire: Baker
Dam: Flo
DOB: March 21st, 2019
by
Richard Carstens!
Sponsored
The "Fishing" Litter
Sire: Titan
Dam: Mammoth
DOB: March 15th, 2019
The Veterans
Woodstock
Age: 8
Race Record:
2015-Iditarod
2016-Yukon Quest, Iditarod, Percy DeWolfe
2017-Iditarod
Woodstock is back in action for the 2020 race season! Some of you may remember him as the good natured and patient dog who partnered up with Thomas at the back of the team for years. Well, he is now back to racing and is doing a phenomenal job teaching the yearlings the ins and outs of being a lead dog!
by
Sharon Smith!
Sponsored
ARUBA
Age: 8
Race Record:
2016-UP200, Iditarod, Percy DeWolfe
2017-Iditarod
2020-Apostle Islands
Aruba is a wonderful little leader. She does everything well and gets along with everyone. She's pretty speedy for an 8 year old too! She's a great influence on the young dogs and is always fun to have around.
JETT
Age: 4
Race Record:
2018-John Beargrease 100, Midnight Run, Copperdog 150
2019-John Beargrease Marathon, UP200, CanAm Crown 250, Hudson Bay Quest
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200, Iditarod
I remember watching Jett run as a yearling and thinking out loud that I could picture her making the A-Team someday. She lived up to my expectations by having a great season with Blake Freking in 2019, even spending time in lead during every race. Then in 2020, she turned into one of my main leaders. She is an amazing dog to work with and I have never seen her phased at all by any difficult trail conditions. She is going to be sharing her leadership and knowledge with the yearlings to make more future superstar leaders!
by
Judy Carstens!
Sponsored
PEREZ
Age: 5
Race Record:
2019-John Beargrease Marathon, UP200, CanAm Crown 100, Hudson Bay Quest
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200
Perez has had a very reserved personality since he was just a pup. He has taken much longer to mature than most dogs but the wait was well worth it. In 2018 he spent the year training with Ed and he grew up a lot as Ed created a bond with him. Then in 2019 he spent the season in Minnesota where he trained and raced with Blake Freking. His shell has now officially cracked and he has turned into a great leader! He is a very patient guy and I think he will enjoy working with the young dogs this year.
by
Michael and Kathleen Mathews!
Sponsored
BENCH
Age: 5
Race Record:
2017-Iditarod
2019-Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, UP200, CanAm Crown 100
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200
Bench is a super fun and talented dog that seems to float effortlessly down the trail. He never works too hard but always works hard enough. He had his debut year on the A-Team in 2019 and has spent a lot of time running at the front of the team ever since. He can be a bit of a clown sometimes but is always a big sweetheart.
by
Sharon Smith!
Sponsored
WINKLE
Age: 8
Race Record:
2014-Iditarod
2015-Eagle Cap Extreme, UP200, Canadian Challenge, Great Northwoods Challenge
2016-Yukon Quest, Iditarod, Percy DeWolfe
2017-Iditarod
2018-Yukon Quest, Canadian Challenge
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200, Iditarod
Winkle is best described as continually happy, hard working, and passionate. Laura jokingly calls him her “husband” due to his awesome personality, and Ed makes fun of the exaggerated ”poop dance” that he performs while running. He is always a rock solid dog that has finished every race that he has started. Winkle is an amazing influence on young dogs, and he is having a great time running with the youngsters this year.
by
John and Carlynn Booth!
Sponsored
MARK
Age: 4
Race Record:
2018-UP200
2019-John Beargrease Marathon, UP200, CanAm Crown 250
Mark is a handsome little guy with a beautiful gait and a lot of passion to boot. He gained experience training and racing with Blake Freking in 2019 and then joined the A-Team with me last year. He had a poorly timed tendon strain last year that prevented him from racing but he still became an amazing leader during the training season.
BARNEY
Age: 3
Race Record:
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200
Barney is a huge-headed sweetheart that I have always been in love with, partially because he is one of Maple's offspring! He gained experience training and racing with Blake Freking last season and I'm really excited to have him on my team helping train the yearlings for the 2021 season. He runs anywhere in the team (including lead) and with any other dog. He's a blast!
ANDY
Age: 3
Race Record:
2020-Gunflint Mail Run, John Beargrease Marathon, UP200
Andy is another Maple offspring that is joining the youngsters this year. He also gained experience training and racing with Blake Freking last season and, like Barney, he runs anywhere in the team including lead. And he is very patient with the yearlings.
The Team Coaches
MAPLE
Age: 8
Race Record:
2014-Iditarod
2015-Canadian Challenge, Great Northwoods Challenge
2016-Yukon Quest, CanAm Crown 250
2017-Iditarod
2018-Yukon Quest, Canadian Challenge
2019-Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, UP200
Maple is Laura’s soul mate and before she retired in 2019, she was her main leader and go to dog. She excelled in both the 2016 and 2018 Yukon Quest and led the team for the majority of both races, never seeming to do anything less than perfectly. She is extremely smart and will do anything for Laura. You can find her anywhere Laura is, especially riding shotgun in the truck.
by Rodney Haun and Michelle Jackson!
Sponsored
NORTH
Age: 8
Race Record:
2014-Iditarod
2015-Extreme Cap Extreme, UP200, Canadian Challenge
2016-UP200, Iditarod, Percy DeWolfe
2017-Iditarod
2018-Yukon Quest
North is an amazing sled dog who retired in 2019. He now hangs out with Laura and Maple and is usually either sleeping on the couch, playing with his squeaky ball, wandering through the kennel, playing with his favorite yearlings, or riding in the truck!
Want to Sponsor a Dog and Join the Nature's Kennel Race Team?
Your $500 Dog Sponsorship Includes:
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Your name and picture displayed on the Mighty Mutt Club webpage
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2021 Nature’s Kennel Race Team t-shirt
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Nature’s Kennel bumper/window sticker
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Nature’s Kennel 2021 race team poster
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4x6 photo magnet of your sponsored dog
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Your dog’s dog booties worn in races throughout the year
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A trading card for your sponsored dog
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Memoribalia from various races
