The suspension of Yukon Quest dog musher Hugh Neff has been upheld following a two-day hearing in Fairbanks earlier this month.

The three-member review board ruled that Neff did not present any “clear and convincing evidence” to overturn the suspension, the Yukon Quest organization noted in press release issued Tuesday.

Neff’s dog Boppy died Feb. 9 while his team was resting at the Clinton Creek rest stop, just before the halfway point between Fairbanks and Dawson City.

An initial report following the necropsy – animal autopsy – showed the dog died of aspiration pneumonia caused by inhaling vomited stomach contents.

The final report indicated the dog was in poor shape prior to the race, and was suffering from whipworm, stomach ulcers and muscle wasting.

“These things are very disturbing, and this dog was in a bad condition before it even aspirated and that was our biggest concern,” veterinarian Kathleen McGill, chair of the rules committee, told the Star in an April 25 interview.

The suspension was announced April 24, more than two months after Alaskan Quest musher Allen Moore crossed the Whitehorse finish line to win his third Yukon Quest.

The race organization ruled that because of Neff’s breach of dog care standards, he would not be allowed to race in next year’s 1,000-mile Yukon Quest or the Yukon Quest 300. The 300 serves as one of the options for mushers interested in qualifying to run the long distance race.

As part of the suspension, the organization ruled Neff will also have to run a Quest 300 before being allowed to run the 1,000 mile race again.

The rules allowed Neff to request a hearing into the suspension, so that he could present his defence. In keeping with Neff’s request, the three-member board was made up of one musher, one veterinarian and one community member.

“The purpose of the informal hearing was to provide Neff and the Yukon Quest with a full and fair opportunity to present their opposing evidence to a review board. Once the evidence was presented, the review board deliberated and made a decision.

“After two days of confidential testimony, the review board concluded that Hugh Neff did not provide clear and convincing evidence to overturn the censure. The review board voted unanimously to uphold the Yukon Quest censure.”

While Neff declined to be interviewed in the days after the suspension was announced, he did release a YouTube video in which he suggested the motivation behind the suspension was personal.