Allen Moore races SP Kennel's Black Team. He has specializied in mid-distance races and is a dominant competitor in the Sheep Mountain 150, the Knik 200, the Tustemena 200 and the Copper Basin 300. The Copper Basin 300 is a perpetual favorite which he has won three times.Allen also consistently shows a rare talent for developing young dogs to their full potential, successfully racing six Iditarods with teams of SP Kennel's youngest racers.
Allen raced the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race for the first time in 2011 and placed 6th. A rugged year for the event, with over a third of the field scratching due to challenging race conditions. In 2012, raced the Quest a second time. This time he led for most of the second half of the event and came in 2 nd place by ony 26 seconds. It was an exciting race!
Allen also received the highest honors in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod in the year 2011. He was awarded the Sportsmanship Award in both events for aiding competitors in distress.
Allen came to Alaska over 20 years ago. As the father of two active girls he soon found himself with Alaskan Husky sled dogs, not only in a dog yard but running around the house. Sprint mushing became important to the girls and thus to Allen as well. As the girls grew older their hobbies changed, but Allen always kept the dogs. One of his daughters, Bridgett Watkins, has returned to her "mushing roots" and has raced the Red & Black Team in many mid distance races.Allen graduated from Arkansas State where he played basketball. He has always been a passionate athlete. Maybe that's why he enjoys dog mushing as he does. He likes training, conditioning and coaching canine athletes, but it doesn't stop there. Allen considers his fitness as important to his mushing as the dogs' fitness. Therefore, you will find him most mornings in the "work out cabin" -- a 140 square foot log cabin with a treadmill, Bowflex and workout weights.
Allen enjoys his family and fishing.
There are three "future mushers" in the family. Timber Watkins is still an infant, but cheers for his family at all the dog races. Jennifer, Allen's oldest daughter has had her 3 year old Jacob Allen on a dog sled already! And Sam, a 4 year old nephew, "helps" feed dogs and takes care of all the inside dogs when Auntie and Uncle are gone.
