With six months to go before the start of the famous sled dog race, Yukon Quest officials have moved to recruit three key staff to oversee the event.

Kicking off on February 5th 2011, the 1,000-mile-plus meeting will be managed by Gregg Shaffer, with Dr Alan Hallman installed as head veterinarian.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Knaebel will follow her work on the trail earlier this year by performing the role of looking after race administration from its Alaskan headquarters.

Both Dr Hallman and Mr Shaffer have a long association with the Yukon Quest, with the former having worked in his current role for three of the 13 years he has been involved.

Mr Shaffer has performed various roles, including volunteer and sponsor, over the past 15 years.

Organisers stated: “The priority … was to maintain consistency and ensure experienced personnel returned to the race,” organisers stated.

The 2010 Yukon Quest, which took place in February, saw Hans Gatt hold off competition from Lance Mackey to take the title.