By paNOW Staff

UPDATED: Walker scratched, DeMarie leading Canadian Challenge

Feb 20, 2013 | 11:38 AM

Gerry Walker, last year’s Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race winner, has been scratched.

An announcement on the race’s official website said Walker, of Pierceland, was scratched “in the best interest of his team”.

Treasurer Bernie Zintel would only say the decision was made by Walker “for the dogs’ sake” and it was due to the dogs.

He reached LTs Lodge at 9:21 a.m. – a minute ahead of Stefaan DeMarie, of Christopher Lake.

With Walker now scratched, DeMarie is now the race leader. He left LTs for La Ronge with all 12 dogs at 2:15 p.m.

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Rookie Nicholas Mears from Australia is now in second place. He’s about 50 minutes behind DeMarie and an hour-and-a-half ahead of Red Deer’s Jillian Taylor.

Walker suffered a setback on Tuesday when he was forced to drop two dogs from his team of 12. Mears is now running with a team of 11 dogs.

La Ronge is the next pit stop for the eight sled dog teams.

Mushers will then continue north to Grandmothers Bay before heading for the finish line in La Ronge and arriving sometime on Friday and Saturday.

In the 8-dog event, Anna Bolvin-Knudsent of Porcupine Plain has cut Jason Campeau of Okotoks, Alta.’s lead to less than one hour. Fourteen-year-old Kade Nilson from Choiceland won the junior event and Steve Taylor is the open champion.

To follow the races live visit the Canadian Challenge website.

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