From Jamaica to Alaska

When Newton Marshall first learned dogs could pull sleds with people in tow, he laughed.

“I thought to myself that will never work. I could not even imagine it,” Marshall said.

The native Jamaican’s — and soon-to-be Iditarod musher’s — introduction to mushing was an obscure route at best. It started with Marshall working as a hired hand at a Jamaican resort giving guides to tourists on horseback.

When Marshall’s boss visited Canada in search of new transportation for tours in Jamaica he was looking for dune buggies. What he found was something entirely different.

Mushing.

His boss started slowly, acquiring three dogs back in Jamaica. Marshall, meanwhile, had no clue what his boss was thinking or planning.

“I was sure that he was up to something, but I could not tell what it was,” he said. “But soon after he returned some guys from Scotland and Minnesota came down and started building kennels and trails around the resort.”

When his boss left town for a couple weeks Marshall was put in charge of taking care of the three dogs.

“Since I had dealt with the horses my boss knew I was good with animals,” Marshall said. “So, every day I had to feed, walk and take care of them.”

The responsibilities grew as Marshall started working with people building the kennels. Although initially shy, he followed them and learned through experience.

“I didn’t really ask any questions because I was not sure what they were doing, but I just worked with anything the gave me,” he said.

Unknown to Marshall at the time, his boss was starting what Jamaicans call a dog tour, which is the equivalent of summertime dog sledding in Alaska.

“I heard about this dog tour, and I couldn’t put it into my mind what this dog tour was, what it was going to be,” he said. “I thinking it was just walking dogs with leash or petting them.”

After his boss explained the goal of this dog-related venture, Marshall laughed. But like a good employee, Marshall did as he was asked and started working with the dogs, getting them used to a harness and pulling things.

“It started slowly with them pulling water bottles, and then we moved to tires and then up to harnessing them into the sled and pulling people,” Marshall said. “But all this time we had to have someone out in front of the dogs kind-of running with them on the leash.”

For a man who had never seen pictures or videos of mushing, Marshall did not believe it was possible to have dogs under control and pulling in unison.

“I was saying to myself, ‘I don’t thing this thing will work,’ because I had never seen, you know, so I did not believe,” he said laughing.

Everything changed when the people from Scotland left and told Marshall he would have to take over and train the dogs. It was his first time behind the sled when all the pieces fit together.

“They put me on it for the first time and the dogs were just loping down the hill and through the trails. And I nodded my head back and forth with a big smile thinking this is going to work,” he said.

Work it did. The dog tours became a successful part of the guiding activities and left Marshall’s boss with a thought.

“He wanted to help some young Jamaicans with a chance to get out and try some races and give us an opportunity,” said Marshall.

Marshall’s experience with the dogs and training behind the sled made him an easy choice. “For me, it was a big opportunity. I had never competed for anything in my life and so it was just a big time shot for me.”

Competing in a couple races, Marshall enjoyed the sport, but it was his employer’s ambition and desire to see a Jamaican do well that allowed him succeed, he said.

“He starting sending out pieces of information and trying to get us hooked in with some big races.”

Marshall soon found himself in Whitehorse training for smaller races around Canada. These shorter races eventually prepared him for competition in the Yukon Quest.

“That was so tough, but the finishing the quest was a great feeling,” Marshall said. “I really felt like accomplished something that I never would have had the chance to do if I didn’t have the opportunity.”

Since finishing the Yukon Quest, Marshall has been training with Lance Mackey in preparation for the Iditarod.

Although he would not speculate about his chances in the Last Great Race on Earth, he was anxious to put his training to use. “Man I am just happy to be here, this is the biggest race of them all and I am here. It is just fantastic.”

Contact Lanier Hucheson at lanier.hucheson@frontiersman.com or 352-2265.