Husky News

The list of mushers for the 2008 Eagle Cap Sled Dog Race has nearly doubled, and many teams are coming to pay tribute to Dean Fairburn, a resident of Hailey, Idaho, who was killed last summer while kayaking the rapids of the Payette River.

Dean Fairburn was going to race the Iditarod until his death this past July. Courtesy David Boyd

Jennifer Fairburn will come to Joseph for the race dedicated to the memory of her late husband. The 45-year-old Dean won last year’s 200-mile race through Wallowa and Baker counties. His bib (No. 1) will be retired and a trophy will be established in his name. Each year, the names of those who win the 200-mile race will be engraved on the award, which will be given to a supportive local business. Chief Executive Officer Ray Potter said the nine-member board of directors will select the recipient.

Fairburn was already slated to compete in March in the 2008 Iditarod, a run through 1,150 miles in Alaska.

Fairburn had been a raft guide for about 20 years. On July 1, he traveled with a team of five to the South Fork of the Payette to kayak through the advanced Staircase rapids. Graded as Class IV, they are long, difficult rapids that require sharp maneuvering in turbulent waters. Fairburn became the latest of seven deaths at the South Fork in the last 29 years, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Source: Wallowa County Chieftain