"It feels good. Kind of a big sigh of relief because I was really nervous. It's big shoes to fill. Martha's amazing," she said following last year's win.

Erin is the daughter-in-law to Martha Schouweiler who strung together four straight Beargrease 120 wins from 2015-2018. Last year, Martha took home a new title as the Beargrease 40 champion. She plans to race the 40 once again, while Erin preps to repeat as the 120 champion.

"I ran Beargrease last year and Martha ran the CopperDog. We both won those respective races, so we're just like okay we'll both try and defend our titles this year," Erin said.

Chad Schouweiler, Erin's husband and Martha's son, is the mastermind behind the training, race plan and handling for the two of them. He's also been known to do just about anything, even sleep next to a dog to calm them down and make sure they rest before getting back on the trail.

It's taken years for the Schouweilers to piece together this winning bloodline, but they expect six of last year's eight dogs to make up this year's team.

"Our dog team was so steady and so strong it was really, really nice for me to be able to count on. I had a huge core of dogs that I'd run with Martha for two years in a row. It was my first time on a team that should do well," Erin said.

This will marks Erin's fifth time racing in the Beargrease. Although she's completed this route once before, the nerves always kick in come race time given the competition in the field.

"It's just one of those races where you know you're running against the best of the best."

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the WDI-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/sports/erin-schouweiler-martha-char-family-dominance-beargrease-120-champion-ot...