Iditarod board approves rule changes for dogs

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA » The board for Alaska’s most famous sled dog race will kick mushers out of the competition if one of their dogs dies while on the trail, race officials said.

The Iditarod Trail Committee board debated and eventually approved the change among others at its meeting in Anchorage on Friday.

Reaching a compromise, the board of directors added the caveat that if a dog’s death “was caused solely by unforeseeable forces,” then a musher may be allowed to stay in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

The rules previously allowed the decision of withdrawing a musher to be left up to the race marshal and the marshal’s judges.

The board also approved a change that reduces the number of dogs that a team can start with from 16 to 14. HOUSTON » Houston Texans safety Andre Hal has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and insists he “will beat it.”

He received the preliminary diagnosis of cancer of the blood cells from team physician Dr. James Muntz and has consulted with doctors at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, the team said Friday.

The Texans added that Hal is “undergo testing and evaluation and is discussing his treatment options.”

Hal is 26 and starting his fifth year with the Texans. He was drafted by Houston in 2014 out of Vanderbilt. He started all 16 games last season and had three interceptions.