Musher Hugh Neff responded to the Yukon Quest’s decision to censure him via a YouTube video posted Thursday.

In the seven-minute video, Neff emotionally spoke about the censure that will prohibit him from entering the 2019 race in any capacity and he will have to race the YQ300 before racing the 1,000-mile distance again.

Sitting in his Tok, Alaska home with a Yukon Quest banner behind him, Neff said he believes people are trying to force him out of the race. The censure recommendation was made by the Quest rules committee and was then voted on by both the Yukon and Alaska boards of directors.

“It’s just sad that we’ve come to a state in dog mushing where it’s not about trying to improve tough situations but where people are just trying to destroy people’s careers and lifestyles,” he said in the video. “I think that people are trying to force me out of this race that is my life. I’ve given my life to the Quest.”

The censure to Neff is a result of the final necropsy report for Boppy, a dog on his team who died during the 2018 race.

The necropsy showed Boppy died of aspiration pneumonia but also found other conditions such as stomach ulcers, a whipworm infestation and muscle wasting.

In his video, Neff took issue with the fact that the Quest’s decision was made without speaking to him or the people who were at the Clinton Creek hospitality stop when the incident with Boppy occurred.

“They never even interviewed the people at Forty Mile where this happened and that just blows my mind. So their just going off the paperwork and their own feelings about what they see number wise,” he said. “Instead of interviewing me, interviewing the people where this happened, this is just, the way I see it, a personal vendetta that a few folks have against me and that don’t want me to be a part of the Quest.”

Neff said he will appeal the decision, but mentioned he doesn’t want to go in front of a board of people he believes are against him.

“I don’t want to grovel, and I will protest this but I’m not going to go in front of a board of people that I know don’t like me and won’t respect my word to get them to try to change their minds, which this is the opportunity they’ve been waiting for,” he said. “But I will not disappear from the Quest. If anything I’m going to be more a part of the Quest because it’s who we are.”

According to the Quest rules, Neff will have 30 days to request an informal hearing by a Review Board.

At the end of the video, which Neff’s Facebook page said was only half of the interview, the two-time Quest champion broke into tears talking about his love of the race.

“More than anything, more than anything I love, I love the Quest,” he said through tears. “That’s why I just don’t understand why they’re doing this to me. But you know, I ain’t backing down. No way, no way.”