Sponsorships after 4 years!!!

It has been 4 years since I have asked for sponsors. With having the past two years off of not really racing due to schooling, it is an understatement to state that we are VERY EAGER to get to the races this season. We plan to do as many races as possible and we need your help to get us there. We plan to enter 2 teams in most races and to do one or 2 fun and exciting new races. We have a lot of young and capable dogs on the team this year that need to get exposed to distance racing. With saying this I would like to take a moment and let you know just how much race entries will be for this up coming season, and this is just alone race entries, not including fuel for traveling and to stay in motels at the races, and never mind gear and training expenses. Race entries alone will be anywhere from $ 800.00- $900.00 and possibly more. So if you feel that you want to join our team and follow our up and coming adventure during these winter months than please go to our website to learn more about sponsorships! www.fortilliokennels.com The team and I will be forever grateful and we look forward to hearing from you! 

Also I want to let you know that every week over the next few weeks I will be posting about each dog on the team this year so you can get to know these wonderful and capable athletes. Each one brings something special to the team.

It's only $ 50.00 to sponsor a dog for this season, and we even have a few for just $25.00! Or you can sponsor the whole team for just $150.00! Thanks in advance!

Catch up!

So I realize it has been awhile sense I last posted on this! Been very busy with finishing up college. Finally graduated as a Veterinary Technician. Need to take the big test within the next couple of months to become Licensed. And than I will be done with that chapter and onto some more exciting things! 

This past March we made yet another trip out to Blake and Jen Freking's Kennel and picked up two new pups! Edda and Hydro. They bring some exciting new lines to our kennel and we are excited to have them become apart of the team. 

We have been getting the teams out as much as possible and when the temperatures allow. Really hoping we can continue this all summer, but with the humidity I doubt it. We have some exciting new and young leaders coming up and should have a very good racing season next year. We have some big plans this race season, as long as things all fall into place! More on that later. 

My knee is healing nicely, I have about 90% movement back, and can stretch it out 100% without too much pull. Doing stretches and exercises to get it back into shape. Slowly but surely! That is definitely one body part I never want to injure again... Such a long recovery time. UGH! 
Anyhow no more news really until we have pups, which hopefully will be by the end of summer! 
*Stay Tuned*
Fort Illio Kennels

Brownville Race Jan 31st 2015

With temperatures, weather and my last year of college this year hasn't been the greatest for us to get the team to the races! However we were able to pull off a fun race in Brownville Maine. Mom ran 6 dogs in the 20 mile class, and those fabulous 6 were, Wallace and Roland leading, with Drake and Komatsu behind, followed in wheel was Kubota and Timberjack. She had a nice clean run, very slow going due to the night before and half the morning they got about a foot of fresh snow. But she had fun and made it an positive experience for her younger dogs on the team. Her time was 2 hrs and 55 minutes and came in 8th place out of 12 teams! I ran the open class with 10 dogs and did 30 miles. My team was Wat, Bones, Kaltag, Rev, Sable, Throttle, Ace, Renegade, Waylon and Hinder. We came in 3rd out of 4 teams with a time of 3 hrs and 40 mins. Team worked really hard and did everything I had asked them to. The week before this race I had whiped out on an icey section of trail and tore my left knee, it kept popping in and out the rest of the way home with the team, which was 7 miles. I wasn't going to run this race due to my knee, but the trail was slow, and I really wanted to get the younger dogs exposed to a race. Especially the ones that have never raced before. So I pushed through it, but wasn't able to help the team at all. But we had fun none the less and that is what it is all about! :) We also had loaned out a few dogs at the race as well. Linda Powers ran Dixie in lead on her 20 mile team. And than Catherine Benson ran Yoda, Rosa, and Nikolai in the open 30 mile class. All dogs did well and finished strong.

Just want to take the moment and thank everyone for the support and help we have received in the past! Makes things a little easier for us that's for sure!

Not sure if we are going to do anymore races this year or not. Haven't really had the teams out much due to my knee, and how I keep re injuring it. I guess I need to just let the knee heal and worry about next year. Next year we have BIG plans and so stay tuned for them!

Meanwhile here are some photos of the race! Enjoy!

 Getting ready for take off!

 Taking Off!

 At the truck, teams are waiting!

 At the starting line!

 Coming into the finish!

 Coming into the finish!

 Mom taking off!

All the trophy winners!

Fall is our favorite time of year... well that is until SNOW COMES!

It has been awhile sense we checked in. A lot of things new going on here! I am still in college and now am in all the good classes where we are learning so much and doing a lot of hands on stuff! Way better than text books that's for sure! The only downfall with school is now it is way more demanding than before so racing may not be what we want it to be this year. We may be lucky to get in two races this year. But time will tell.

Of course this is the year that the teams are really rocking and we have more training runs and miles on than we have EVER had this time of year. It is amazing to me because with mom being down from back surgery and me running 28 dogs (two teams) we are able to keep the teams rolling and really putting in some outstanding runs! Mom will be down until about mid January so no running dogs for her until then! Thanks that I have my boyfriend Dj, his kids and great neighbors (Late Start Kennel) for helping me get the teams out safely!

I have 14 veterans on my team this year and they really are rocking! We have more leaders than ever before and they all want to lead all the time! On moms team she has all the yearlings and a few older team members to help train those crazy yearlings! The yearlings are doing amazing this year, and it is so fun to watch them really get it and have such drive!

Dixie's pups are growing like weeds, and when I say that they are all legs! I will post some photos of them in this blog! As well as some training run photos.

Well got to get back to studying. Hope all are enjoying their fall time! Until next time here are some photos! 

 Wat and Kaltag

 Puppy team

 Dixie and Wat's pups

Wat and Yoda

Happy Trails!

~Fort Illio~

Puppies!

Dixie had pups on June 26th. She had 5 healthy pups, 4 boys and 1 girl. We decided to name them after heavy equipment, so introducing... TimberJack, Titan, Kubota, Komatsu, and Diamond. More photos to come, but here are some! Oh and they are all piebalds, and daddy is Wat!

~Fort Illio~

Tried, Failed, and LEARNED

We were beyond excited to be at the starting line this year for the Can Am 250! We felt very confident that we had the team to do it, and finish it. Unfortunately multiple reasons showed up pretty rapidly that we were not ready for this race, and no we did not have the team that was capable of finishing this race. However we learned a lot and plan to tackle it again, when timing is better, and we have a more seasoned team! First off the team was Wat, Bones, Roland, Kaltag, Nikolai, Hinder, Lumos, Rimbey, Dixie, Rimbey, Rosa, and Yoda. Problem number 1... No yearlings for this race, and if you do, only 1! We brought 3 into this race, and by the middle of the second leg they were fried. But the temps were very warm anyways so I am sure that was a big play in our situation, sense my guys run very hot! About 10 miles into the run, we were cruising right along, and most all of the team disappeared into this big whole going down hill, resulting in Dixie coming up out of it screaming in pain! I tried my best to stop the team as fast as I could, but snowhooks were not holding at all. I was able to get the team stopped but knew my time was very limited! I ran up and carried Dixie to the bag, went to put her in and the team takes off. I had to let go of Dixie and grab the sled and try to get Dixie to follow the team and I. She did follow us, but was limping the whole way, finally got the team stopped and put her in the bag and this time succeeded. But she is a very hard headed driven female and would not shut up the whole way to Portage in the bag. She didn't care that she was hurt all she wanted was to run and pull! Once arriving into Portage at a decent time considering carrying a 50 lb girl in the sled for 50 + miles, I had the vets check out Dixie. We gave her a Rimadyl, put on her therapeutic vest and signed her out of the race. She was not continuing on with us. Team rested and ate very well. Plan was to stay here for 5 hrs and than continue on to Rocky Brook. But I got a little ahead of myself and was faster at getting the team ready than I thought I would be and we pulled out a little before 5 hrs. Team really flew out of Portage, and I had all I could do to hold them back for the first 10-15 miles. At about 20 miles out Lumos was having a very hard time. Thought he was hot, kept stopping giving the team a break, and let them roll in the snow. After awhile Lumos would just drop and drag, I knew it was time to put the big boy in the bag. I had all I could do to lift him into the sled, because of course he was not going in the bag willingly! After fighting with him and finally winning he was in the bag and actually took to it for about 5 minutes. After that he started to bark his head off... Where was that Ibuprofen I packed...sure going to need it now! At this point the 3 yearlings were done. They were tired, mentally and physically. We were just moping along. By the time we got to one of the safety stations they said it was 20 more miles to the checkpoint. I said if we continue on like this I was going to have to put 3 dogs in the sled and one barely fit as it was. I decided to scratch at that point. Really did not want to, but as more and more pressure was being put onto the remaining dogs, I could see more and more injuries appearing. By the time we hit Rocky Brook I think I would of had to drop 4 more dogs. Trail was very punchy, and I think when Dixie went down in that hole, I am pretty sure that is where Lumos and Wat were injured there too. It took a whole 24 hrs to get my team to be back to their normal selves after this race. The warm temps and the hard going trail really took it out of them! And we only did 97 miles of the race. We can't wait to try this race again, but just not right off. We have some things we need to work on before and that will take some time to get there! But we will be back!! Here are some photos! Now onto some puppy training! Happy Spring everyone!! ~Fort Illio~

Odyssee Appalachienne 100 Miler Feb 16th

It was a last minute decision to go to Saint Pamphile and run this race. Over the years we had talked about it, but always chose to do Greenville race because it was closer and more practical. When Greenville got cancelled, we decided to drive to Canada and run one team in the 100 mile race. Team was, Wat, Bones, Roland, Kaltag, Dixie, Waylon, Rosa, Nikolai, Yoda, Rimbey, Hinder, and Lumos. Wallace had a sore shoulder, so Nikolai went in his place for this race. This was Nik's first time running a longer race, and he did awesome! He certainly has a bright future. The first 40-50 miles to the checkpoint went pretty fast and it was a nice clean run. Well for the most part, that was up until my sled hit a cement pillar that was hidden in the trail and broke my plastic runner off the sled. I had to run the remaining 30 miles on one runner. But thank a lot for Gino Roussell that helped me fix it and we were able to tape it back on and it held! The last 4-5 miles in Bones was acting a little funny, and sure enough once we got into the checkpoint he had a swollen wrist. He was dropped at the half way point. Wat and Bones led the first leg, and Wat and Roland led the second leg. On the way back we kind of went past one of the turns and had to turn the team around twice, resulting in a little tangle. Once we got that straightened around the rest of the run was pretty uneventful. Team clicked right a long and a nice pace and we finished with a time of 9 hours and 25 minutes, putting us in 7th place out of 10 teams. Here are the full results, http://www.odysseeappalachienne.ca/resultats/2013_100_milles.pdf Also some photos to enjoy of us resting at the halfway point. Next up... Can Am 250!