With the start of the Yukon Quest sled dog race a little over two weeks away, the lineup is now at 23 mushers.

When the registration for the 1,600-kilometre race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse closed Dec. 15, there were 31 mushers signed up. Since that time, eight have withdrawn.

'That's the largest number of withdrawals that I can remember between last day of sign-up and start date,' Stephen Reynolds, manager of the Quest's Whitehorse office, told the Star Thursday.

Veteran Carcross-area musher Catherine Pinard is among those to have withdrawn.

It has just generally been a 'bad year', Pinard told the Star this morning. She was unable to provide further comment.

Pinard, 31, ran in last year's Quest, but scratched in Scroggie Creek. She also ran in the 2004 Quest and place 13th, and the 2002 Quest and placed 12th.

Another Canadian veteran to the race, Cor Guimond, called the Quest office Jan. 3 to let officials know he would not be participating this year.

Guimond has run the race six times. His most recent run was in 2001, when he placed 11th. His best placing was in 1995, when he came in fourth.

He cited difficulties in securing adequate sponsorship for the Quest as his reason for backing out this year.

Albertan Karen Ramstead has also pulled her team out of the race.

This year was supposed to be Ramstead's first Quest, but earlier this month her husband and Quest handler Mark slipped on ice while putting a dog team away following the Knik 200 race.

Mark broke his leg and ankle and required extensive surgery. He is not allowed to put weight on his leg for six to eight weeks.

'It just will not be practical for Mark to be in the checkpoints and honestly, without him along as part of our team, I just would not find the same satisfaction in participating,' Ramstead stated in a letter she sent to Quest officials informing them or her withdrawal. She has posted the notification on her North Wapiti kennels website.

'(Mark's) her handler and the Yukon Quest is a handler-associated race,' said Reynolds. 'They talked about it and she decided without him being able, it's just not going to be a good choice for her kennel this year.'

Ramstead has already expressed some interest in the 2007 Quest, he added.

Reynolds had speculated in December, Ramstead may be a rookie to watch in the Quest because of her reputation for having such strong dogs on her team.

The final Canadian to pull out of the race is 21-year-old Kolby Morrison from Carrot River, Sask.

Morrison, who has previously competed in rodeos, only started his own kennel and began racing for just over two years.

Eric Jayne, another rookie from Bethel, Alaska, has also withdrawn. Leading into the Quest, he needed to complete two qualifying races prior to taking on the Quest.

Both Morrison and Jayne cited poor training conditions in their area and lack of preparation time as their reasons for withdrawal.

The two hope to continue to build their kennels and pursue other races this year in the hopes of a future run in the Yukon Quest, states a press release from the race's office.

Dean J. Rosiar II, 22, had the high hopes of being the first rookie musher to compete and finish in both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in 2006.

Rosiar has been using a dog team and guidance provided by Huff Neff, who placed third in the 2005 Quest.

However, Rosiar withdrew from the Quest earlier this week after placing 11th in the Knik 200 and 13th in the Copper Basin 300. Neff is still scheduled to run the Quest.

Swiss musher Emil Inauen announced his decision to not run the 2006 race on New Year's Day.

Inauen ran the Quest in 2004 as a rookie and scratched at the Central, Alaska checkpoint.

He told Quest organizers he was having difficulties in his preparation and organization for the race from his home and training area in Europe.

Another Yukon Quest veteran to withdraw from the race is Mike King.

From Salcha, Alaska, King placed 17th in the 1996 Quest. He also ran in the '97, '98 and '99 races but scratched.

King told officials he was withdrawing from the 2006 Quest due to difficult in securing sponsorship.

'It's still two mushers more than the start of last year's race right now. Let's hope that's where it stays,' said Reynolds.

The 2005 Quest had 21 teams at the starting line, tying with a record-low in 1996.

Notable inclusions in the 2006 lineup are three-time Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt and the 2005 winner Lance Mackey.

Sixteen veterans will be running the race along with seven rookies. Among them is Saul Turner, the son of Quest legend Frank Turner, who has retired from the race after having run every one since the event's 1984 inception.

Three are still seven women and 16 men registered to run the race.

The mushers hail from around the world, with teams from Alaska, Yukon, Europe, and one musher, Yuko Honda, originally from Japan.

Five of the top six teams from the 2005 race are returning. They are first-place winner Mackey with a time of 11 days and 32 minutes; William Kleedehn, who came in second, only eight minutes behind Mackey; Neff, who placed third; fourth-place finisher David Dalton; and sixth-placer Gerry Willomitzer.

Two past Red Lantern winners will also be in the 2006 Quest: Wayne Hall and Paul Geoffrion. Hall earned the Lantern in 2002 and Geoffrion in 2003.

Other Yukon veterans of the race include: Whitehorse resident Kyla Boivin, who placed 15th in the 2003 race; Michelle Phillips of Tagish, who ranked eighth in the 2004 Quest; and Sebastian Schnuelle, who placed ninth this year.

The remaining veterans are: Kelley Griffin of Alaska, who placed 11th in the 2004 race, Fairbanks resident Eric Butcher and Rod Boyce.

Rookie Kiara Adams, a resident of Mount Lorne, will be the youngest musher at 18.

The remaining rookies are: Matthias Bun, 47, from Germany; Fairbanks resident Phil Joy, 33; 36-year-old Regina Wycoff of Healy, Alaska; and Two Rivers, Alaska resident Richie Beattie, 32.

The Quest will be begin in Fairbanks this year on Feb. 11.