With eight mushers withdrawing this month, the 2009 Yukon Quest's field has taken a bit of a hit in the new year.

The list of mushers who have recently pulled out of next month's race includes Jesse Beebe, Simon McLoughlin, Sonny Lindner, Scott Smith, Peter Bartlett, 2008 champion Lance Mackey, Mike King and Simi Morrison.

Lindner, of Two Rivers, Alaska, won the inaugural Quest in 1984, while Mackey has finished in first place for a record-shattering four straight years.

Mackey, who resides in Fairbanks, is the only musher to win both the Quest and Iditarod two years in a row.

This year's Yukon Quest had a registration high of 40 mushers before the January withdrawals. The number of mushers set to start the 1,600-km race in Whitehorse on Feb. 14 now sits at 32.

Despite losing a significant number of the field, the race is still enjoying a record number of participants since 2002. The maximum entry number for a Yukon Quest 1,600-km race is set at 50 mushers.

"It's better than last year," said Stephen Reynolds, the Quest's executive director on the Yukon side.

"Losing eight of those 40, there's 20 per cent of the field. It's not the number we would hope for, but certainly each musher has a variety of reasons that influence their decision to run the race, so we respect that and we hope they'll come back next year."

In the past, mushers have pulled out for such reasons as personal injury and conflicts with work commitments, as well as financial and training challenges.

Besides the Yukon and Alaska, the race has mushers from New Hampshire, Jamaica, Colorado, the Northwest Territories, Quebec and B.C.

Mushers who withdrew by Jan. 23 received all but $150 of their $1,500 entry fee.

Morrison, who resides in Marsh Lake, said it wasn't an easy decision to withdraw, but the health of both her and her dogs made it the right choice.

"It is disappointing, but to be honest it's not the end of the world because if I look at my dogs and look at myself, the health and happiness is more important than competing," she said.

"I just don't see any sense to go into a 1,000-mile race if I already have this little voice and doubts in the back of my head."

Morrison officially pulled out Jan. 19 as a result of back problems and a few minor injuries to some of the dogs on her team. She hasn't been out for a run in more than a week, but hopes to be back on the sled in February.

"Right now I'm trying to get myself back into better shape," she said.

"I just want to make sure I have a really nice end of the season. So still get some fun runs in and enjoy being on the sled and have happy dogs. If it looks good and I feel fit enough, maybe do another smaller race or mid-distance race."

Morrison said she doesn't plan on being among the 2010 Quest field, but might consider taking part in the race when it starts in Whitehorse again in 2011.

"I think if I would like to try again I would always pick a year to start in Whitehorse," she said. "I think starting in Fairbanks, the trail is much harder to start with from that side and I think it is harder to go through such a trail with a fresh dog team."

Morrison said the next big competition she might enter is Dawson City's Percy DeWolfe Race in March.