Revised - The Yukon Quest International Ltd. is ending its partnership with Yukon Quest International Association Canada.

There are two boards running the Yukon Quest – one on the Yukon side, and one on the Alaskan side.

The main bone of contention seems to be the amount of mandatory rest time. The Canadian side was proposing 120 hours or five days; Alaska was demanding 50 hours’ rest.

According to a press release, the Yukon Quest International Association Canada is disappointed with the decision.

That was in reaction to a press release Monday in which the Alaskans stated that the two organizations were “unable to agree on significant proposed rules changes applicable to the race beginning in 2023.”

The Yukon Board states that it “categorically disagrees with that assessment of the situation.”

Tuesday, the Star reached John Hopkins-Hill, operations manager of the Yukon side of the Quest, and asked him what they have heard from the Alaska board.

“Nothing. We tried to contact them yesterday. We reached out to the board and to the office but as of right now, we haven’t heard anything back,” said Hopkins-Hill.

“They issued a press release without talking to us.”

Hopkins-Hill said that mandatory rest is not the contentious issue.

“I would say not. For a little bit of background, the initial joint board meeting was April 13 to begin the process of planning the 2023 race.

“At that time, one of the Yukon board’s proposals was to increase the amount of mandatory rest in an effort to bring the run-rest ratio back closer to the one-to-one that the race had in earlier years ... it was basically clear after that meeting that the two sides weren’t in agreement on that so there was a joint board executive meeting on the 25th.

“At that meeting, which is basically a negotiation session, the Yukon agreed to run the 2023 race following the 2020 rules. So to hear that this is all about rest is a little odd, when that’s been dead in the water for at least a week at this point.

“There was an additional Yukon meeting on the 27th to discuss what was discussed on the 25th and it was at that point that the Yukon board decided that it was an appropriate thing to ask the Alaskans to consider potentially adding a mandatory vet check on the Alaskan side and working to make sure we got the most accurate tracker data from the musher trackers that we could and also to keep track of how much veterinary equipment was used,” said Hopkins-Hill.

“The second joint board executive meeting was on the 29th. Basically, the Alaskans issued an ultimatum at that point that everything was going to be exactly as it was on 2020, with no changes. We left that meeting thinking that we were still gonna have a race.

“We came into work Monday, expecting to get to work on planning and we woke up to the press release from the other side instead,” he added.

A this point, it looks like the Alaska board will be holding its own 1,000-mile race.

“Certainly, if the press release by the Alaskan board yesterday was anything to go by, it appears that there’s going to be a 1,000-mile race in Alaska this winter,” said Hopkins-Hill.

“We were planning to work with them on a 1,000-mile race on the traditional route. We were going to lend them all the support and manpower and all the usual co-operation that takes place, but at this point, we’re just excited that we get to hold a number of races here in the Yukon and get back to all the communities that have supported us so much.

“And we’re gonna be mushing along the Yukon River – the namesake of the race. So we’re kind of excited. It’s not a dream outcome, but we’re looking forward to what we can do for mushers and put on a race that everyone involved can be proud of,” he added.

Hopkins-Hill explained what he thinks the main issue is.

“I think what it comes down to is there is obviously some big disagreements between the boards but I think the way this has played out and unfortunately played out very publicly, I think it underlines that there is a lack of trust perhaps going both ways between the two boards but we’re trying to make lemonade out of lemons right now, and I think we have a good plan in place and I think we’re going to have awesome races.”

Hopkins-Hill confirmed that a 100-mile, 250-mile and 450-mile race on the Yukon side will go ahead as well.

“Yes, that’s correct,” he said.

“Up until yesterday, we were under the assumption that we’d be planning – we’d be assisting Alaska in running a 1,000-mile race. The big difference that we were hoping for this year was a different division of labour between the two boards, really.”

Hopkins-Hill added, “we’re excited to get back in the communities and we’re gonna put on awesome races and I hope that all our fans and the mushers really enjoy it.”

Mark Weber, VP of the Yukon Quest Alaska board of directors, tells a somewhat different story.

“It’s a process that occurred between the Yukon and Alaska boards. And it came to an impasse ... Friday night, regarding just what the race was gonna entail for 2023.

“Initially the Yukon presented a proposal to the Alaska board to fundamentally change the rules of the race to move from 52 hours of rest to 120 hours of mandatory rest ... it was such a drastic change that we went to our Alaska board and had a meeting and discussed it, and then it was presented to the Rules Committee and both those entities were against the changes, so (we) went back to a joint meeting and let them know our side.”

The joint executive committee was scheduled to meet, but “prior to that, they sent out an alternative proposal, which was that the Yukon would run a 100, a 200 and a 550-mile race on the Yukon side and the Alaska side would be responsible to manage and run the 1,000-mile race which would start in Whitehorse and finish in Fairbanks but they would not support it financially at all. We would be financially responsible for the race. They would provide logistics on their side as far as the trail,” recalled Weber.

“They also wanted to run their three races with their own rules without presenting them to the Yukon Quest Rules Committee ... we stated in the executive board meeting that the two voting members on the Alaska side rejected that proposal ... they then told us that they wanted to move – that we needed to move to dissolve the corporations ... they were adamant that it was going to happen the way they proposed or no way or they were going to dissolve the corporations,” Weber added.

Weber explained the Alaska side’s position.

“The Yukon Quest has procedures that are outlined in our bylaws which state that any changes to the race have to go through the Rules Committee and the existence of the Rules Committee is for the very purpose that no board individually or no person can make changes without consulting a second outside, so to speak, dealing with the professionals in the industry, our industry of dog mushing.

“I ended the meeting by saying ‘I want us to run a 1,000-mile race this year from Whitehorse to Fairbanks. I want us to have a 300-mile qualifying race ... and that we 100 per cent support that race. And she (Susie Rogan, Yukon board president) said ‘we do not.’” said Weber.

The Star brought up the Yukon side’s assertion that both sides agreed to run the 2023 1,000 race using the 2020 rules.

“It would be accurate to say that they would allow us to run the 1,000-mile race using the 2020 rules but we would be 100 per cent financially responsible for it,” stated Weber.

The 300-mile qualifier was the second sticking point.

‘Our qualifiers have always gone through the Rules Committee and they were not willing to put those races’ rules through the Rules Committee at all. They wanted to set their own rules for those races,” said Weber.

“So it was just kind of like trying to operate outside the checks and balances of the corporations and it was difficult for us to cooperate with that.”

Then there was the issue about running the 550 (which is now a 450).

“They wanted to run a 550 and they wanted a large purse and I felt it was in competition with the 1,000,” said Weber.

Weber did point out that the Yukon side was willing to host a banquet for all the races and man the checkpoints on the Yukon side.

However, according to Weber, the Yukon side’s position was “if you won’t run the race our way, then you can run it on your own. We’ll support you somewhat, but we’re not gonna support your rules and we’re not gonna support you financially.”

Weber also explained why they thought that 120 hours of mandatory rest would be excessive.

“To do 120 hours of mandatory rest turns it into a race between checkpoints, almost a sprint race, and sometimes detrimental, because they don’t stop checkpoint to checkpoint, because they can’t afford to stop because they have to take so much time at the checkpoint.”

Regarding an alleged lack of communication from the Alaskan board Tuesday, Weber said “I haven’t heard from them.”

As far as a possible reconciliation, Weber said, “We don’t see that they’re going to move from their positions on the other races or move on their position to support the 1,000-mile race in any way shape or form from the standpoint of the philosophy of the race or the financial end of the race.

“This saddens me and I’m heartbroken about the situation ... it’s very sad that we’re at this position.”

“We’re open to anything, but we’re so diametrically opposed right now. Our position is that we’re willing to change, subject to the procedures as outlined in the history of the Quest.

“If someone came to us and wanted us to be part of a 1,000-mile race in Whitehorse – absolutely. We would consider the proposal, I guess. But right now we’ve been told ‘there’s absolutely no way we’re budging from our position’. We got pushed into this situation through their stance, and we’re certainly not in support of this situation. Our board is just heartbroken by it.”