2 years after 'major' concussion, Alberta musher again drops from Yukon Quest

Alberta musher Jason Campeau pulled the plug on his Yukon Quest run on Tuesday but not before overcoming a personal hurdle on the trail.

Two years ago, Campeau, who's based in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.,was forced out of the 1,600-kilometre sled dog race after suffering a concussion in a mishap on the trail. It happened before he'd reached the halfway point.

In aFacebook postbefore this year's race began, Campeaudescribed it asa"major" concussion that took him "a very long time to recover from."

This year, he was back and his goal was to at least get through that troublesome section of trail.

"You know, obviously that was pretty traumatic, two years ago on that trail. And you know, I wanted to do it and just get that over with and face that fear," he said on Wednesday.

"I got through all the hard part and did overcome it."

There was more trouble ahead though histeam later hit a slippery part of trail, the dogs lost their footing, and a couple of them"got banged up," Campeausaid.

Nothing serious, he said, but enough to warrant dropping out of the race at the next checkpoint.

"I decided that if I was to go on, it would have been about me and my ego not about what was best for my team," he said.

"I've always stated that you've got to put the dogs first."

Campeau's other goal in this Yukon Questwas to use it a practice run for Alaska's Iditarod, next month. His dog handler, Pat Noddin, has also been running a team in the Quest this year and was still on the trail on Wednesday.

"I've got a really good team and you know, I think they can do real well," Campeau said.

The departures of Campeau, along with Quebec musher Denis Tremblay,from the race on Tuesday leftjust 13 mushers still on the trail.

That'sa much smaller contingent than in recent years last year, 30 teams started the race and 27 of them reached the finish line.

The remaining mushers still led by Yukoner Michelle Phillips and last year's champ, Brent Sass are now headed for the race's halfway point at Dawson City.

They're expected to reach Dawson sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday.