PARK FALLS -- Rebecca Homann of Park Falls and the two fastest, most-powerful lead dogs in race director Ann Jandernoa’s Northwind Kennels took first place in the two-dog junior class of the third-annual Flambeau International Sled Dog Classic Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15 and 16.

Homann’s win, an impressive comeback Sunday by junior musher Lauren Scharp of Park Falls after a tough first day in the two-dog junior class, and incredibly good first-time showings by junior mushers Amy Pechacek of Park Falls, Shawn Meyer of Phillips and Ben Barylski of Fifield in the four-dog pro class, provided a level of excitement for local supporters and spectators that is seldom seen at other races.

Homann also had somewhat of a difficult first day Saturday that was reminiscent of her race with the same two leaders last year, when she was momentarily overcome by the tremendous speed and strength of the dogs, took some bad spills but still took second place in the junior class.

The difference this year was that, after recovering from similar spills on the first day but still coming in first, she made a near- perfect run with no spills on Sunday to clinch the first-place spot.

Adding to the local excitement was a second-place win in the two-dog junior class by another local musher, Marc Roth, who was coached by his father. Jandernoa said Roth’s participation again this year, along with the participation of other mushers from the Price County area for the first time, was evidence of how much of a community race the Flambeau International Sled Dog Classic had become in addition to the attraction it holds for mushers from outside the area.

Lauren Scharp, the other junior musher in the Northwind Kennels’ program who competed in the two-dog junior class, took some bad spills on Saturday that cut too much into her total time for a third-place finish. It would have been different if she would have had the same kind of run on Saturday that she had on Sunday, when she cut her Saturday’s time by two minutes for the second-fastest time on that day. Scharp ran Northwind Kennels’ dogs Tiny and Taz.

Taking third place in the two-dog junior class was Alec Osthoff of Minnesota.

More reasons for excitement for local supporters and spectators were the showings by Pechacek, Meyer and Barylski in not only the first sprint racing competition of their lives, but in the four-dog pro class against an array of veteran pro racers including multiple gold-medal winner Gary Callaghan of Madison, OH

Callaghan was the winner of the four-dog pro class and, of the 25 competing in that class, only eight others did better than Pechacek, who came in 10th.

Right behind her was Meyer in 11th place, and right behind him was Ben Barylski in 12th place. Jandernoa noted that Pekachek bumped up her time by a little over a minute from Saturday to Sunday, and missed getting ninth place by one second.

Jandernoa said their placings were “phenomenal” in view of the fact these were their first races and they faced such stiff competition. She said her goal was for the three competing in the four-dog pro class to finish in the top 15, allowing for the fact that most of the dogs she had available for the junior mushers were medium-sized and better suited for 10-dog race competition. She said she is currently trying to build up her kennel to include enough larger-sized, stronger dogs that are better suited to four-dog events for the junior mushers in the program who are able to run in the pro class.

Until then, she and the junior mushers are equally pleased with the performance of the dogs that took them to their impressive finishes. For Pekachek, the dogs were Badger, Blondie, Ace and Ice. For Meyer, they were Rambo, Little Guy, Mach, and his own dog Yukon, a son of Jasper.. For Barylski, they were Cody, Shadow, Luke and T-Rex. Barylski also has his own dog, a puppy named Beamer, also sired by Jasper. The puppy, still too young to race, was a gift from his father, and will go into training soon to be in Barylski’s team next year.

One veteran Wisconsin musher who raced at Park Falls this year was so impressed with the junior mushing program here, and with the race in general and all the community effort that went into building the course and holding another successful race, that she offered to help with the effort by donating a favorite lead dog. The musher, Amy Cooper of La Crosse, told Jandernoa in an e-mail the day after the race that she would be willing to donate a five-year-old dog named Chili for the junior mushing program.

Cooper, program and facility manager for the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, also had some comments about the race. “I can’t imagine the time, energy and sweat it takes to put something like that on. Not to mention the amount of stress involved. I loved the trail. It was a true test of speed, power, and sled handling. Possibly a bit much for novice drivers, I suppose, but you can’t take out hills and I know from my trails, you don’t always have a choice where you can put turns or how sharp you can make them. I’ll for sure be back next year,” she wrote.

While it was the local junior mushers who provided most of the interest for local supporters and spectators, the top contenders in the pro classes as usual guaranteed excitement for everyone. They made comments similar to Cooper’s as they accepted their awards from Flambeau International Sled Dog Racing Association (FISDRA) President Deb Klatkiewicz during a presentation at the race site Sunday.

They each commented on what they said was obviously a tremendous amount of cooperation and effort that went into preparation of the trail and organizing the event. They also promised to be back next year.

Klatkiewicz also commented on the considerable contribution to the race by one supporter that had received no prior public mention, the Plum Creek Land Company, owner of the land over which most of the trail runs. The remainder is on city of Park Falls property.

Dan Lemke, land manager for the company, described the area as including 860 acres north of the Park Falls Municipal Airport that is in the State Managed Forest Land Program. He described the land, along the Flambeau River, as multiple use and managed for timber, wildlife and recreation.

Lemke said the company is pleased be able to provide FISDRA a place for the race course and thereby help the community. He said the race is a very positive thing for the community and “we’re glad to be a part of it.”

Klatkiewicz said after the race that “spectators were treated to some outstanding racing and competition. The weather cooperated to bring together sled dogs and mushers on an outstanding racing trail.

“The improved parking and ‘Race Central’ viewing areas received many compliments from spectators. Not only could the start chute and signature first curve be viewed, but spectators could also move to the ‘luge’ area and see the dogs on the first straight-away for the race.

“Mushers were also very pleased with the new course. The multiple turns, hills and general layout of the course complimented each other. Many top mushers commented on the challenge of the course. During award ceremonies, mushers thanked the sponsors, Park Falls community and the volunteers for their efforts. Volunteers in both the start chute and on the trail received high praise for the skill in assisting the mushers and dogs. One musher was overheard to say that the trail help (volunteers on the trail) was ‘the best -- they are so well trained and help us (mushers) so much when we need it.