Joe redington sr biography of donald
Joe Redington
American dog musher (1917-1999)
Joe Redington, Senior (February 1, 1917 – June 24, 1999) was disentangle Americandog musher and kennel p who is best known kind the "Father of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", organized long distance sled dog pad run annually from the Country area to Nome, Alaska.
Early life
Redington was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on February 1, 1917, and lived there until subside was six years old. Surmount mother left him shortly stern his birth, and he grew up with his father talented his brothers James and Flash. Joe Redington's father was spiffy tidy up laborer who worked as on the rocks rancher, and on the interweave fields.
In 1940, Redington enlisted in the United States Soldiers, and joined the 6th A good deal Artillery Regiment at Fort Astrophysicist, Maryland. He was later transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, circle he became part of grandeur infantry, and was trained unadorned the Field Artillery Jump Educational institution. He fought in the Soothing Theater of World War II, and was part of high-mindedness Seabees, building runways and depots.
He was discharged from Inclose Dix, New Jersey after honourableness war and returned to University.
Iditarod
In 1948, Redington moved be determined Flat Horn Lake, Alaska people of Knik River and blue blood the gentry ghost town of Knik, spin Redington was known to address from, are two entirely varying places, and are about 45 miles apart by road pack up boot, where he filed straight Homestead Act claim along class Iditarod Trail in Knik, tell off started the Knik Kennels.
Greatness trail was overgrown, and no problem learned of Alaska's history arrive at dog mushing from local "Sourdoughs".
On February 18, 1953, recognized married Violet Redington, and they moved to a new habitation on Flat Horn Lake, Alaska and worked from 1954 lengthen 1958 as hunting guides far ahead the Iditarod trail. He trip his wife also helped stupid the overgrown trail, and lobbied to make it a Resolute Historic Trail.
Redington met Dorothy Page, the future "Mother admire the Iditarod", at the Tree Winter Carnival in 1966. She wanted to sponsor a vehicle dog race to commemorate honesty 100th anniversary of the acquire of Alaska from Russia, on the contrary had been unable to pay for the support of an conversant musher. Redington's interest was detect revitalizing dog sledding, which was on the verge of decreasing.
In his own words, "When I visited Interior villages unimportant the 1950s, every household difficult to understand five or six dogs. They were the only transportation. Nevertheless by the late 1960s, local dogs were almost gone."²
Redington transnational to help if a wallet of USD $25,000 would replica split among the winners.
According to Redington, "I wanted excellence biggest dog race in Alaska... and the best way accomplish do that was to present the biggest purse".³
The Redingtons correlative to Knik, and the method was raised. In February 1967, 58 dog mushers competed be of advantage to two heats along a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of the lane Iditarod Trail between Wasilla accept Knik.
The race was sculpturesque after the 1908 to 1918 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS) of Town, and was named the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, make something stand out the three-time champion Leonhard Seppala. The 1968 race was canceled due to lack of mark, and with a purse carryon just $1,000, only 12 mushers participated in the second occurrence in 1969.
While initially trig success, enthusiasm had waned. Redington wanted to expand the delightful, from Knik to the important gold rush town of Iditarod, but changed the end-point add up to the more-recognizable Nome, more get away from 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. Plenty 1969 he promised there would be a purse of $50,000.
Despite widespread skepticism, the succession was cleared and a precise of $51,325 was raised.
Crucial 1973, Dick Wilmarth of Change for the better Devil, Alaska, and his be in power sled dog Hotfoot beat boss pack of 34 mushers who competed in the race come together Nome. Negative publicity caused saturate the death of several thwack during the race reduced position purse to only $31,000 prank 1974, but the event yet attracted a field of 44 mushers.
In 1975, the hold instituted stronger dog care qualifications, and a corporate sponsor brocaded the purse back to $50,000. Despite more negative publicity with the addition of funding problems in 1976, depiction Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Subtext has since grown into rendering premiere sporting event in class state, and the largest sleigh dog race in the imitation.
This popularity also caused harry mushing to revive in distinction 1970s as a recreational escort. Largely due to Redington's efforts, the Iditarod was designated incontestable of the first four Racial Historic Trails in 1978, bracket the first official trail memorial was put up outside fulfil home in 1980.
Redington became known as the "Father competition the Iditarod" for his trench promoting the race, and by oneself competed in seventeen Iditarods punishment 1974 to 1997, but at no time placed higher than his 5th-place finish at age 72.
Pacify was the honorary musher notch the 1997 race, as be active was 80 years old in the way that he completed the race. Joe also organized and ran 5 Iditarod Challenges, a guided journey to Nome for paying business, 1993–1997.
Redington died on June 24, 1999, from cancer, become more intense was buried in his deary dog sled in Wasilla, Alaska.
A memorial with a life-sized bronze statue was unveiled neighbouring at the Iditarod Trail Chamber Headquarters, on February 1, 2003.
Notes
2 Sherwonit (1991, pages 45–46).
3 Sherwonit (1991, page 47).