• Name: Stump

• Age: 10

• Gender: Male

• Weight: 54 pounds

• Position: Lead (honorary)

• Musher: Mike Ellis, Two Rivers (Yukon Quest veteran and Iditarod rookie who runs Siberian huskies)

 Ellis: "Stump's 10 years old and he pretty much single-handedly got me through my first Quest. It was 2008 and not much of a trail out there in the Yukon. There were a lot of times where I said nothing but, 'Go ahead, Stump. Good boy. Good boy Stump, go ahead ...' So he's here today not to set any records but to kind of honor him. He's going to lead us through Anchorage today and then stay in the truck for the big trip. I've got more faith in him than any dog in the world."

-- David Hulen