Salcha musher Amy Dunlap posts a fast time with a small team to take Fur Rondy lead

Blayne Streeper, from Fort Nelson, BC, drives his dog team outbound past the Alaska Native Medial Center campus during the first day of the 2019 Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Race in Anchorage on Friday, February 22, 2019. (Bob Hallinen photo)

Driving a team of 12 dogs, Fur Rendezvous rookie Amy Dunlap of Salcha outran a host of bigger teams to seize the first-day lead in the Open World Championship Sled Dog Race.

Dunlap finished the 25-mile race across Anchorage in 1 hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds. She was 42 seconds ahead of second-place John Erhart (1:25:01), who drove a team of 16.

In third place with 15 dogs was Ricky Taylor (1:25:12). Defending champion Blayne Streeper and his team of 18 dogs were fourth in 1:25:18.

John Erhart, of Tanana, AK, leads James Wheeler, from Clam Gulch, AK, around a tight corner near the Alaska Native Medial Center during the first day of the 2019 Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Race in Anchorage on Friday, February 22, 2019. (Bob Hallinen photo)

Marvin Kokrine, from North Pole, AK, gets cheered on as he drives his dog team outbound past the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium building during the first day of the 2019 Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, AK on Friday, February 22, 2019. (Bob Hallinen photo)

Though Dunlap is a Rondy rookie, she is no stranger to sled dog racing. She is a veteran of the Open North American in Fairbanks, and she competed in the 2016 Fur Rondy Invitational, a replacement event staged when poor trail conditions led to the cancellation of that year’s Open World Championships. Mushers that year did three-mile runs on three straight days.

Dunlap’s husband Jason placed fourth in the 2017 Rondy and was 11th last year. He’s not racing this year.

Dunlap was one of only four mushers in a field of 23 to run with 12 or fewer dogs. Don Cousins had 12 and Wendy Callis and Todd Whitcomb both had 11, and all but Dunlap finished near the back of the pack.

Racing continues Saturday and Sunday, with mushers leaving the start line at Fourth Avenue and D Street beginning at noon each day.

First-day standings

1) Amy Dunlap (12 dogs) 1:24:18;

2) John Erhart (16) 1:25:01;

3) Ricky Taylor (15) 1:25:12;

4) Blayne Streeper (18) 1:25:18;

5) Courtney Agnes (16) 1:26:04;

6) Guy Gerard (14) 1:26:10;

7) Ken Chezik (16) 1:27:01;

8) Michael Tetzner (16) 1:27:08;

9) Lina Streeper (14) 1:27:31;

10) Marvin Kokrine (14) 1:27:38;