Patch

Sponsored by Terry and Connie Eddy

Every December for the past four or five years, I load dogs and gear, put up the ‘out of office message’, and head north of Montreal to get early sled miles in with friends Julie and Denis. These trips were about miles for the dogs, but also incredible opportunities to learn from experienced and dedicated mushers, champions of so many races. I learn about the athletes themselves, the dogs that populate the pedigrees of the Canadian teams. I look at their dogs and ask questions, and listen, and sometimes a chance opens up to add a team member.

I ran Patch as a favor to Martin, who had asked me to run two of his young dogs on a short 15 mile run I had planned. I of course took it as a shopping opportunity, and a chance to ask about Martin’s dogs and lines, many of which I knew from the years of visiting. Of the two dogs I ran, Patch stood out for his drive, and while his trot wasn’t perfect he had a driving lope that I couldn’t ignore. Patch seemed to want to go fast.

In the spring, when I knew Martin was shopping for dogs in AK, I reached out and asked if he’d let Patch go. After some negotiation, he agreed, and also let me know that Patch had run on Denis’ winning 250 team that spring. Patch’s family tree goes back to Jenny, a foundational dog that is behind many of the Canadian teams, and is the grandma to Wocket and Marian. Born in 2019, Patch is also the right age, bringing depth to the group of 3 year olds.

Patch is a sweet serious boy, reserved when on his tether but a friendly and gregarious dog when running around loose. Trained by Martin with heavy training as a yearling, and then cultivated for a winter by Denis, Patch has a solid foundation that I am fortunate to benefit from. Patch is one of the happiest sled dogs I’ve ever seen, and pairs perfectly with his cousin Wocket, and has developed a loving relationship with his puppy neighbor Lucan.

Born: 2019

Franklin (Tremblay/ Massicotte) x Magic (Massicotte)

Race record:

2022 (with Denis Tremblay)
Can Am 250 1st place