About Us

Born in Switzerland and living in Whitehorse since 2000, I have always had a passion for animals – I grew up with a dog and rode horses from a young age. Although I am not a musher, I have been running my own business since 2018 doing bodywork for horses and dogs and have had the pleasure of working with a handful of Yukon mushers, which grew a passion for the dog sledding world. I hope to bring my knowledge to the board and help with one of the greatest races!

I came in the Yukon by accident, and I stayed for the dogs. This will be my third year on the runners, and I decided to be part of the YQ Board to get another perspective on the sled-dog races. I am also very excited to be part of a new era for the Yukon Quest. See you all on the trails!

I love living and working in the forest. I grew up in the Kawartha Lakes area of southern Ontario, went to Sault Forestry College in northern Ontario, and then moved to the Yukon in 1993. I have been living on a trapline with my family and have been active with the Canadian Rangers since then. My husband and I have raised three children and a few cats and dogs. I’ve only had the opportunity to mush once, and it was fun! I joined the Quest Board to establish a working relationship with the Rangers, who break the trail for the Quest Race.

Vice President

Hi my name is Carol locke. I am the Vice President of the Yukon Quest Board of Directors. I was born and grew up in a small Manitoba town called Macgregor. Currently I am a police officer with over 20 years of service. I transferred to the Whitehorse RCMP in the summer of 2013 with my husband and two dogs. I knew as soon as I arrived that I wanted to be involved with the Yukon Quest, and in February 2014, I volunteered at the Carmacks checkpoint. From then on, I was hooked. I have volunteered with the Yukon Quest every year since and plan to do so for many years to come. I have worked to make the Yukon Quest better every year with volunteering as the Checkpoint Manager in Pelly Crossing, helping at the start line in Whitehorse, and as of the late, managing the pre-race Vet Check. I am a dog lover and support all means to promote dog care. I enjoy hiking, camping, and travelling with my husband and two dogs. My two dogs are Husky-crosses named Tundra, who is thirteen years old, and our one-year-old pup named Camp. My goal is for the Yukon Quest to become the best dog sled race in the world that promotes exceptional dog care with the mushers that participate. I look forward to seeing you all on the trail!

Jonathan moved to the Yukon from the UK in 2001 and quickly found cross-country skiing was hard work, and he didn't know how to ski. A very good friend, Ray Zaidan, told him as he had a young Rottweiler he should skijor, and Puppy the Rotty taught Jonathan how to ski and Jonathan watched Puppy lead and pull. It was still hard work work, but faster. Then Asha the Rotty came from the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter, and speed and skiing ability improved. Somewhere, sometime, someone lent Jonathan 2 Alaskans... and speed significantly increased, as did distance. In 2006, Jonathan was the only skijor competitor in the Yukon Arctic Ultra 100-mile skijor, when he placed first and his record time remains unbeaten to this day.

Jonathan has competed in many and various races over the years, in the Yukon, Nova Scotia, Quebec & the USA, completing two YQ300s, the only person to complete the Percy deWolf 200, 100, 100-skijor, and numerous shorter races. He also organised the Yukon Brewing Copper Haul Twister League and Hot Hounds Dryland races in the 2000s. More recently, he finished second in the last two YQ100s.

Jonathan co-manages 42 mixed breed dogs with his partner of quite some time (J yay!) Deb Knight, under Skywolf and Snowpigs banners.

It was the Yukon Quest that drew Shelly to the Yukon from Quibell, Northwestern Ontario, in the spring of 2022. Arriving with two livestock guard dogs (pictured here with Echo) and six chickens in a truck box camper, Shelly put down roots very quickly and now lives with her partner on a 50-acre farm 10km south on the Yukon River from Dawson City and works in Human Resources for the City of Dawson. Shelly is currently building up her kennel and, in the meantime, is committed to helping the Yukon Quest maintain its status as a premier dog sled race. She looks forward to the Quest returning to Dawson in the near future and is excited to help as much as she can in her new role as a board member.

Aaron Peck, his wife Eva and 4 children reside in Grande Prairie Alberta. Aaron has been running sled dogs for 30 years with a primary focus on long distance races such as the Iditarod. Aaron has competed in the Iditarod 10x, and has also competed in the Yukon Quest 450 the last two years as well as other races like the Caledonia Classic 200 and the Canadian Challenge 320. Aaron has a passion for sharing the sport of dog mushing with others through his dog sled touring business Elevation Sled Dog Adventures. To learn more about Aaron and Elevation Sled Dogs visit www.elevationsleddogs.ca

President

Anne has been involved with the Quest, directly and indirectly, since 1992. She has served on the Board several times, handled for her partner, Frank Turner, for 13 years. Being a handler has given her a unique perspective on the race. Anne is committed to the re - development of the race, in a post - Covid world, and adapting the race to take into account changing communities, and changing conditions along the trail, including the varied impacts of climate change.

Frank Turner has been involved in the Quest since its inception, working with other founders to develop the race in 1983 - 84. He ran the race 24 times, placing in the top 6 many times and winning in 1995, and receiving the Vet's Choice award twice. He served as a musher Rep in the past and now sits on the Board. He is committed to helping the Quest move forward, and to making the race exciting, fun for the mushers, and safe for all the dogs.