This year the economic downturn has been on everybody's minds, and the organizers and competitors of the Yukon Quest are no different.

2009 champion Sebastian Schnuelle recognizes the difficulties the Yukon Quest Association faces every year.

"One thing we feel is that the people who organize the races have trouble coming up with the prize money,” he said. Schnuelle has also noticed smaller fields in many of the races.

Hans Gatt says the economic situation has driven the cost of travel upwards.

"That's a big issue for us,” he said.

Schnuelle says the average cost to travel to a dog sled race on a weekend is $1,000.

While the Yukon Quest's purse of $150,000 may seem like it is worth the expenses, Gerry Willomitzer says the purse usually recovers costs spent throughout the season.

"The prize money that we make never made anybody rich,” he said. "Nobody's making money doing this.”

Winning a large purse is nothing like winning the lottery, the mushers say. Instead of looking at the prize as free money, Willomitzer says the mushers see it as a replacement for money spent.

"He managed to recover $30,000 from what he spent or borrow,” he said.

That being said, the prize money helps the mushers come back every year, whether they recover costs or not.

"It's the prize money that makes us come back and enables us to do this,” said Willomitzer.

For those mushers dedicated to the sport, they do it for the love of their dogs, the competition and the lifestyle.

"If it wasn't for the life and the love I wouldn't do it,” said Gatt.

Normand Casavant says food prices rising around the world have effected the dog world as well.

"The dry food in one year, sometimes you pay $10 more (a bag),” he said.

Casavant moved to the Yukon purely for his love of dog racing and his dream to compete in last year's Quest.

"I sold my house in Quebec to do that,” he said.

While he is signed up to compete this year, he doesn't know how much longer he can keep competing due to financial restraints.

"You're always at the limit of your money,” said Casavant.

While Casavant would like to see more involvement from the government to help Canadian mushers, others disagree.

"What's always surprised me is we are professional mushers and we rarely see money from the government,” said Casavant. "We see postal cards everywhere with dogs all over Canada.”

Gatt says being able to sustain his own racing is more important to him than government handouts.

"I wouldn't do it if I couldn't pay for it (myself),” he said.

Willomitzer says the Yukon Government has done a great job of supporting the Yukon Quest Association instead of the individual mushers, like when they donated $50,000 to the purse two years ago.

"Then its up to the mushers to perform well,” he said. "I think that was a great thing to do.”

There are many races around the world that are off limits to Canadian mushers, while our races see few international competitors.

"If you come here and want to do the race you have to live here,” said Casavant. "It's an international race and its fun to have other mushers come here.”

Gatt, like Casavant also moved to Whitehorse to be able to compete in local races.

"I just simply moved here because I wanted to race here,” he said.

Races in northern countries in Europe, although tempting, are too expensive to compete in, Willomitzer says.

"I'd like to race in Norway but I don't want to live there,” he said.

It seems the harsh winter conditions aren't the only challenges the Yukon Quest mushers face throughout the season.