Fostering a strong bond between sled dog and musher is the key to success in the Iditarod.

This is according to Fairbanks competitor Jessie Royer, who told KTUU.com that she does not used handlers for this reason.

She is all set to pack up her dog harnesses and compete in this year’s Last Great Race, which kicks off on Saturday (March 6th 2010).

Ms Royer, who is aiming to build on previous finishes with a top ten placing this year, even went as far as to claim the Iditarod is "somewhat easy".

Praising her lead dog Kuling, she told the news provider: "She’ll just take you through checkpoints, storms. She can find a trail when there seems to be no trail visible. She just doesn’t know what the word quit means."

Finishing strongly in the race will be down to a mixture of determination and luck, Ms Royer concluded.

Another Fairbanks musher looking ahead to the start of the event in Anchorage is Lance Mackey.

He has been training with rookie Newton Marshall as he goes for his fourth Iditarod title.