Two rookies and a veteran were the final mushers to submit their paperwork for the 2017 Yukon Quest.

Swiss rookie Severin Cathry, American rookie Jessie Royer and Canadian Jason Campeau were the last mushers to sign up for the 1,000-mile race, which starts in Whitehorse on Feb. 4.

Registration opened in August with both the Whitehorse and Fairbanks, AK offices holding events.

Local Rob Cooke was first to sign up. The 2017 race will be his fourth Yukon Quest.

He was 18th in 2013, 16th in 2015 and 18th in 2016.

Gaëtan Pierrard, another local musher out of Mendenhall, signed up for his sophomore Yukon Quest this summer. In his rookie year, he finished last, but the pull of the “nature, the whiteness and the solitude” is calling him back.

Pierrard will be joined on the Quest trail by seven other rookies.

The field also includes four past Yukon Quest Champions: Hugh Neff (2016 and 2012), Brent Sass (2015), Allen Moore (2013 and 2014) and John Schandelmeier (1992).

The shorter Yukon 300, which will also start in Whitehorse was full within the first weekend of registration. The field of 25 mushers (and a waitlist of six) includes four-time Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt, who will be running the 300 for the first time.

More than half the field is made up of Yukoners.

Last year’s Quest was won by Neff. He has yet to win the race finishing in Fairbanks.

“Even though I’ve done the Quest so many times, I think I can do it better,” he said before signing up this summer.

This will be his 17th Yukon Quest.

The minimum prize purse will be US$120,000.

Mushers can still sign up for the Yukon Quest, until the end of the business day Jan. 6 for US$2,500.­­­