Yellowknife (Apr 06/05) - Face in her hands, tears streaming down her face, Jordee James-McQueen sits heartbroken.

Finally able to look up, visibly shaking and flushed, she expresses disbelief and shock over accusations that she may have cheated during the Canadian Championship Dog Derby.

Jordee-James McQueensaid she has always been an honest and fair competitor and is hurt by accusations that she cheated during the Canadian Championship Dog Derby.

"I think it's so absurd that they would say something like that," said the 17-year-old, choking back the tears.

"My parents always taught me to be fair and honest. I am really hurt by these allegations"

Since the final day of racing, fellow musher Marcel Marin and his mother Diane Perrino have pelted James-McQueen with allegations of wrong-doing during the race.

Outside assistance?

The first was a written protest by Marin following the Dog Derby, which stated that James-McQueen was getting outside assistance from her handlers during the race.

Derby president Kevin Rowe said Marin put in an informal complaint following the first day of racing.

In response, race officials went around to all teams reminding them that teams are not allowed to receive outside assistance unless there is risk of the dogs - or a musher - being injured during the race.

Marin said the times he observed handlers assisting Jordee were not emergency situations.

He also said snowmobiles were being used to pace the dogs (make them run faster).

Rowe said those accusations were investigated fully and dismissed. They are now investigating a second complaint from Diane Perrino.

Perrino told Yellowknifer and Rowe that James-McQueen was observed switching dogs in the middle of the race.

Eye-witness accounts

The accusation is based on an eye witness account from Gary Pirker who works with Perrino's husband Larry Quiring.

Pirker said on Friday, the first day of the race, he was on Great Slave Lake.

"Some buddies and I went for a ski-doo ride and pulled over on one of the islands to have a beer," said Pirker.

From Pirker's vantage point he said he witnessed something strange, although admits he isn't sure what he saw.

About 200 yards away, approximately the distance of two football fields, Pirker said he saw two snowmachines, one yellow and dragging a komatik, assisting a dog team.

He said after they were done the two snowmachines left and he said he could see something moving in the komatik.

"It was a free animate object, either a dog or a 24- inch-tall child," he said.

Angela James, Jordee's mother, said it's easy to explain the movement in the sled. On the first day of racing she took Jordee's brother and cousins, who are six and seven years old, out on the track with her.

Testimony becomes confusing after that.

Perrino stated that Pirker told her that the event he witnessed happened on Saturday, the second day of racing.

If that is the case Angela said it couldn't have been her snowmobile that he saw because she only took the komatik out on the first day of racing.

She said it was using too much gas to haul the sled around.

As to why they were assisting the sled, Angela said the dogs were in danger of being tangled up in the harnesses.

Angela said Jordee was having problems with her leaders all weekend because they were running too slow and causing the other dogs to tangle.

"Those were Johnny's (Beck) dogs. We didn't want to see them get hurt," said Angela.

Other then instances when the dogs were at risk, Angela said her and her husband kept well away.

The rules state that handlers riding the trail must stay 50 metres behind the team or 200 to 300 metres in front.

Rowe said that it is not illegal for handlers to assist a dog team when the animals are in danger.

According to Rowe there has never been a case of cheating at the Dog Derby.

Dog mushing is an elite sport and the dogs are treated like high-performance athletes.

Animals are urine tested for performance enhancing drugs and every dog is microchipped making, switching animals virtually impossible.

Random checks on both have always ensured compliance to the rules.

'They would never cheat'

Those facts aside, Angela, Jordee and the people who know them have all said they would never cheat.

"We've always promoted the Northern aboriginal heritage in a way that's fair and honest," said Angela.

"Our intent and purpose was just for participation and for a young girl to finish and get her name on her papa's trophy."

Jordee ran the race in honour of her grandfather, the late Danny McQueen, a well respected musher who won the race a record five consecutive times.

"They wouldn't do anything like that," said John Beck, last year's Dog Derby champion.

Jordee raced using five of Beck's dogs, animals known for their performance.

"Their grandfather put his heart and soul into mushing and he passed that onto his family," said Beck.