# Integrity...



## Poka_Doodle (Oct 24, 2017)

Okay @TAH you do probably know more about this then I do, but I'm going to share this. 
Dallas Seavey 4 time Iditarod champ had a positive drug test on his dogs last year. He has recently become a face of the sport and a favorite by many, myself included. I'm not going to go into too many details, but he released a statement yesterday and withdrew his name from the starting list. What do y'all have to comment on this?


----------



## Sourland (Oct 25, 2017)

What satisfaction is there in 'winning by cheating'?  I believe it was the top ten finishers who had their dogs tested.  Race officials were not going to release who the guilty musher was - thereby becoming guilty by omission.  By doing so they cast doubt on all.  The other finishers said they would not race this year unless the guilty party was identified.  I salute them.  There have always been questions and rumors about the Seaveys.  It is sad that this had to happen.


----------



## TAH (Oct 25, 2017)

Pokadoodle to tell you the truth I am not sure what to think. 

This is coming from someone that knows Dallas personally.


----------



## Bruce (Oct 25, 2017)

They had that story on NPR yesterday. Seems odd because not only were his dogs tested per the usual rules, he ran EXTRA testing:
"_Iditarod mushers know that sled dogs from each of the top 20 teams get drug tested each year after they finish the race, he said. Seavey, who placed second, said he had also organized additional tests for his dogs in Nome so he could compare the results to those from blood samples taken before the race, in hopes it would help him determine how long it takes his team to recover._"

https://www.adn.com/outdoors-advent...enies-giving-his-sled-dogs-a-prohibited-drug/

Why would he do this if he had drugged his dogs? Either he was screwed by someone else (the possibility of someone putting drugs in the food sent out for the race weeks ahead of time, or at the rest areas when he was sleeping inside, per his suggestion as a possible occurrence) or he is the Lance Armstrong of the Iditarod.


----------



## Poka_Doodle (Oct 25, 2017)

@TAH thanks for saying that. That helps me choose a side. Honestly he may have done it, but have been too tired to remember it happened. It may not have been intentional either. And that just comes from that I've heard how tired they get from his dad talking after the 2013 race.


----------



## Bruce (Oct 25, 2017)

I'm sure they get very tired. But they aren't carrying illegal drugs, there could be no accidental doping of one's own dogs during the race. I'm of a mind to believe him but who knows how all the facts will come out.


----------



## Poka_Doodle (Oct 27, 2017)

Bruce said:


> I'm sure they get very tired. But they aren't carrying illegal drugs, there could be no accidental doping of one's own dogs during the race. I'm of a mind to believe him but who knows how all the facts will come out.


Agreed. One thing is that he claims to have never heard of the drug. Okay, maybe, but strange. We've had  to use it with our dogs when they were old, so just a little strange he hasnt had any of those dogs on it. Also, he's been around dogs for the majority of his life...


----------



## TAH (Oct 27, 2017)

Poka_Doodle said:


> Agreed. One thing is that he claims to have never heard of the drug. Okay, maybe, but strange. We've had  to use it with our dogs when they were old, so just a little strange he hasnt had any of those dogs on it. Also, he's been around dogs for the majority of his life...


But also several other racers said they had never heard of it!


----------



## Poka_Doodle (Oct 30, 2017)

True... tbh, I think it was the anti-mushing people. Or Dallas got it from the Vet while he was nearly asleep and gave it by mistake.


----------



## Bruce (Oct 31, 2017)

I just can't imagine a vet would give a banned substance to a racer ACTIVELY in a race. I go with Poka's first thought, someone wants bad press to squash the race or Dallas specifically.


----------



## Poka_Doodle (Dec 1, 2017)

Okay, so I've been following this, and think its coming out to be obvious that PETA has done this to him. Curious what you guys think about whats going on.


----------



## Sourland (Dec 1, 2017)

@Poka_Doodle , please provide more information - links ?


----------



## Bruce (Dec 1, 2017)

Poka_Doodle said:


> Okay, so I've been following this, and think its coming out to be obvious that PETA has done this to him. Curious what you guys think about whats going on.


If so is it possible they think dogsledding is cruel to the animals? If so, I guess they've not seen just how happy those dogs are to get in the harness and GO.


----------



## Poka_Doodle (Dec 2, 2017)

Yeah. PETA thinks it’s cruel for them to make their dogs run and pull.


----------



## Sourland (Dec 2, 2017)

@Poka_Doodle , where did you get your information that the group we are not supposed to mention was involved in this?  I am very interested.


----------



## Sourland (Dec 2, 2017)

Poka_Doodle said:


> Okay, so I've been following this, and think its coming out to be obvious that PETA has done this to him. Curious what you guys think about whats going on.



All that I have been able to find is that a 'whistle blower' erroneously provided information to this group that was quickly disproven by local humane groups.  Can't find anything that this group was involved in the doping.


----------



## TAH (Dec 2, 2017)

I believe at this point they can't poke a finger at anyone, they can guess but so far I haven't found anything saying they can make a decent answer to who did it. 

It could be PETA, it could be some selfish person running around that caused this because Dallas has won 4-times. I dunno. 

The last update from Dallas himself was he was going to look into all this himself, Good luck Dallas... I dunno if he will find anything but right now everything looks up in the air, to me. 

I know he doing a different race for 2018.


----------

