Hans Gatt laughed when asked why he came out of retirement to compete in the 2011 Yukon Quest International Sled-dog Race.

"I never decided to retire, I don't know where that's coming from,” the Quest's reigning champ said. "I never said that; that's a rumor which keeps getting repeated. I said last year I might not run a 1,000-mile race, and instead run

Wyoming – that's not retiring.”

Gatt's plans for this year's races were still up in the air at the end of the 2010 Iditarod last March.

Initially, he wanted to enter the 2011 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled-dog Race in Wyoming, starting in January, as well as the Iditarod.

But running both those races would have been difficult to maneuver.

Priorities changed over the summer after Gatt's sponsor, Eagle Pack pet food, which also sponsors the Iditarod, felt it would be important for him to partake in the Alaskan race.

Competing in the Stage Stop and Iditarod doesn't fit together, Gatt explained, because both races require different training schedules altogether.

"So the other option was to run the Quest of course and the Iditarod, just like last year. It works out well, and we'll just try to do it again,” said Gatt, who has won four Quests so far. "That was the main reason for it.”

Gatt became the 17th musher to sign up for the Quest.

"Obviously I like the Yukon Quest, there's no question about it, it's just really hard to stay away from it,” he said.

"We went to the sign up, and there were really no local people signing up, it was all people from Alaska. There are less mushers in the Yukon than in Alaska, that's one reason.”

Another reason for fewer Yukoners entering is likely financial, he said, adding that race costs are becoming more expensive.

"It's kind of hard to run both races, financially and logistically, and a lot of people just don't want to do that, because it puts a lot of stress on everybody involved,” Gatt said.

"Unless you win the race or end up in the top three; otherwise you're paying out of your own pocket, that might be one reason.”

The other Yukon representative signed up for this year's Quest is Hugh Neff, who divides his time between Annie Lake and Tok, Alaska.

Georgina Leslie, Yukon Quest executive director in Whitehorse, pointed out that deadline for sign ups is Dec. 10; between that date and Jan. 10, competitors will incur a late-entry fee.

Leslie said that, whether more Yukon mushers sign up or not, the show must go on.

"We would love to see our people know that they're ready and want to come and sign up, but if they don't then that's certainly their decision,” Leslie said.

"It's an iconic event here in the Yukon. It'd be nice to have Yukon mushers, but that's how their kennels are working and how they want to strategize their whole winter.”

To date, 19 mushers, the majority of which come from Alaska, and 50 volunteers have signed on.

"I would think, as an athlete and their dogs, they're looking for different experiences, just like some runner might go in one race this year and another race the next year,” Leslie said.

"We have several more from the Yukon last year who are going to be doing different things this year.”

Gatt is still hoping more Yukon mushers enter the race.

"I try to talk them into signing up,” Gatt said of his fellow Yukon mushers.

"I just hope we see more mushers signing up from the Yukon; there's lots of time. It will be a shame, because obviously the locals like the race, support the race, and they want to see some mushers in the race.”

Added Gatt: "It is a tough race, you're out there for long stretches with your dog team, which you don't see in any other race, really, because even in the Iditarod there are a lot more teams, a lot more checkpoints, a lot more people. The Quest is very unique.”

The 2011 Yukon Quest will start in Whitehorse on Feb. 5.