CANINE

Name: HONDO
Age: 4
Owner: JESSIE ROYER
Musher currently running this dog: JESSIE ROYER
Team Position(s): USUALLY HE RUNS WHEEL OR ANYWHERE IN THE BACK HALF OF THE TEAM. BUT WHEEL IS A TOUGH POSITION AND HE HANDLES IT REALLY WELL.
Number of completed Iditarod races: 2
Current Location: NOME, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 26F / OUTDOORS

What are his unique personality characteristics?

HE LIKES HIS FOOD. HE’S DEFINITELY A HAM. VERY, VERY PERSONABLE. LIKE, HE’D JUST AS SOON CRAWL INTO YOUR LAP AND CURL UP, YOU KNOW, AND GET LOTS OF LOVING AS ANYTHING. SO HE’S A VERY SWEET DOG.

What is that litter’s “theme” name and other siblings’ names from that litter?:

WELL, WITH HONDO AND SPUR, WHICH IS A COWBOY THEME, I GUESS. THERE’S ONLY TWO IN THE LITTER. BUT HIS MOTHER’S NAME IS TWIX, AND SHE WAS ONE OF MY MAIN WHEEL DOGS, TOO. SHE FINISHED, LIKE, MULTIPLE IDITARODS WITH ME. AND THAT LITTER WAS LIKE, M&M, TWIX, REESES, ROLO. THEY ALL FINISHED LIKE 6 IDITARODS WITH ME. AND HIS GRANDMOTHER WAS TESSA, WHO FINISHED MULTIPLE IDITARODS WITH ME. SO HIS WHOLE LINEAGE, HE COMES FROM A LONG, LONG LINE OF IDITAROD FINISHERS.

What is the bloodline?

SO MY ENTIRE KENNEL IS RELATED, EVEN THOUGH THEY ALL LOOK DIFFERENT. I HAD A FEMALE NAMED REBA WHO WAS OUT OF DOUG SWINGLEY’S ELMER. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER ELMER. SO REBA WAS OUT OF ELMER. AND I GOT 2 FEMALES OUT OF REBA: COOLY AND TESSA. COOLY WAS MY 2009 GOLD HARNESS WINNER. SO COOLY AND TESSA. EVERYTHING HERE IN MY KENNEL IS EITHER OUT OF COOLY AND TESSA, OR GRANDDAUGHTERS OF COOLY AND TESSA. AND HONDO IS A GRANDSON OF TESSA. SO IT GOES BACK TO GOLDEN HARNESS WINNERS. ELMER WAS A GOLDEN HARNESS WINNER, TOO. COOLY WAS AND HONDO COMES FROM AT LEAST 5 GENERATIONS OF IDITAROD FINISHERS.