Iditarod sled dog race- the last great race!

[3Roosters]

Update : Wade Marrs is on mile 365(via gps). Looks like Jessie Holmes, Brent Sass and Aaron Peck are in resting mode in Ophir checkpoint. It appears there are a number of mushers resting in earlier checkpoints of Nikolai(mile 263), McGrath(mile 311) and Takotna(mile 329). It sounds like it has been warm so THINK some mushers are taking their mandatory 24 hr rest in one of these checkpoints in hopes of colder weather.....ie..most train in zero or below temps so these 20-30 degree temps above zero arent what they or there dogs are used to so waiting for colder temps or nightfall( kinda like hunting our dogs in 30 degrees more than normal). So perhaps that is why a number of teams are taking there 24 hr stop now...perhaps thinking, hoping dog teams continuing on will slow as race progresses and be tuckered out when it comes time for thier 24 mandatory stop...chess game..
Stay tuned..

 

[Zogman]

Defending Iditarod champion Brent Sass pulls out from race over health concerns​

By Anchorage Daily News
Updated: 9 minutes agoPublished: 14 minutes ago

Defending champion Brent Sass drives his dog team during the Iditarod restart in Willow on Sunday, March 5, 2023. (Bill Roth / ADN)

Defending Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Brent Sass pulled out of the 2023 race early Saturday morning due to health concerns, race officials said.

Sass scratched at 7:42 a.m. at the Yukon River checkpoint of Eagle Island, about 400 miles from the finish line in Nome, “as he didn’t feel he could care for his team due to current concerns with his periodontal health,” the Iditarod Trail Committee said in a statement.

Sass, who lives in Eureka, arrived at Eagle Island at 9:38 p.m. Friday as the race’s leader — more than four hours ahead of the next competitor to arrive, Brushkana musher Jessie Holmes. Sass had 11 dogs in harness, “all in good health,” when he pulled into the checkpoint, Iditarod officials said.

 

[3Roosters]

Sad deal. To the other mushers, MUSH ON!

 

[3Roosters]

Update: all mushers are sad to see Brent withdrawing as all would like to beat the defending champion! Now for the update: the top 5 mushers have all completed their mandatory 24 hr stop and mandatory 8 hr stop.( at whichever check point they choose).( All are different based on thier dog teams.) Going forward it is about strategy and how their dog teams and the other dog teams/mushers are doing. There is one other 8 hr mandartory stop that everyone must stop at is White Mountain..EVERYONE MUST stop there for 8 hrs..so...if you are ahead there it is to your advantage as if you are ahead there..you will be in the lead when leaving.
The top five mushers in the lead..altho perhaps not ahead are:
Jessie Holmes..of history channel"life below zero" fame
Nic Petit- " his team quit, stopped on him a few years back on the Bering Sea losing his position before the lastcouple of checkpoints.
Richie Diehl.
Pete Kaiser
Ryan Reddington
Only Kaiser has won before so i am thinking he has the advantage.
Jeff King's lead dogs quit in a snowstorm a few MILES from the finish ALLOWING Dallas Seavey and his team to pass the last like 5 miles to win a number of years ago.
I expect the finish to happen tues nite or early wednesday morning.. depending on the weather..damn...that would be tiring..record is 8 days 3 hrs...that is a lot of sleep deprevation!

 

[riverview]

hoping jessie holms finishes well.

 

[3Roosters]

2024 race is now 3 days in. Going to be interesting again this year! 5 time champ Dallas Seavey already has had some excitement as he had to dispatch a moose less than 24 hrs into the race! Defending his dog team. I am gonna have to dig into what kind of sidearm mushers pack to drop a moose. Close range of course. What does the peanut gallery think about what he was packing to drop that moose at close range? One of the dogs was injured during the moose encounter so was dropped from the team at the next checkpoint and airlifted to a vet in Anchorage. Surgery, still in critical condition.. I think i am reading the rules correctly, in such cases, before the musher can continue, they must field dress the animal before they can continue and report it at the next checkpoint...so authorities go get it and distribute the meat to the locals. From the sounds of it..it sounds like some of the mushers and dog teams following had to actually go up and over the body of the moose as it was in the middle of the trail on a downhill corner. crazy.

 

[701FishSlayer]

One must be a crazy bastard to participate in this circus.

 

[3Roosters]

One must be a crazy bastard to participate in this circus.

ha. flew up there a few yrs back with my older bro to watch the start! Item on bucket list checked off! wow..just wow. Older bro would go back every damn year! www.iditarod.com.

 

[3Roosters]

New controversy:
I call BS. I'd defend my dogs!

Dallas Seavey penalized for Rule 34 infraction regarding dispatch of moose​

Posted by Iditarod_Staff in Iditarod
Date: March 6, 2024 1:52 pm

Iditarod Race Marshal, Warren Palfrey, convened and a three-person panel comprised of race officials today to discuss (bib #7) Dallas Seavey’s encounter with a moose early Monday morning enroute from Skwentna to Finger Lake.
After further investigation, the details to the event are as follows:

• A moose was dispatched approximately 14 miles from Skwentna on the trail towards Finger Lake at 01:32 a.m. on Monday, March 5, 2024.
• Approximately 10 minutes was spent at the site of the encounter, to which then the musher and team proceeded approximately 11 miles until 02:55 a.m. where they camped for three hours, departing approximately 05:55 a.m.
• Musher and team then proceeded to Finger Lake checkpoint arriving at 08:00 a.m. The moose was later retrieved, processed and salvaged and is being distributed by Iditarod support based in Skwentna.
  

Rule 51 in part states: Time penalties will be imposed when determined by race officials a rule infraction has occurred and a competitive advantage has been gained. Time penalties require a majority decision of a three-member panel of race officials appointed by the Race Marshal. Time penalties may be imposed up to a maximum of eight (8) hours per infraction and will be added to either the twenty- four (24) hour layover, the eight-hour layover on the Yukon River, the eight (8) hour layover at White Mountain, or after the musher finishes in Nome.
As per rule Rule 34 – Killing of Game Animals: In the event that an edible big game animal (i.e., moose, caribou, buffalo), is killed in defense of life or property, the musher must gut the animal and report the incident to a race official at the next checkpoint. Following teams must help gut the animal when possible. No teams may pass until the animal has been gutted and the musher killing the animal has proceeded. Any other animal killed in defense of life or property must be reported to a race official, but need not be gutted. As per rule 34, it has been determined that the animal was not sufficiently gutted by the musher. By definition, gutting: taking out the intestines and other internal organs of (a fish or other animal) before cooking it.
It has been determined by the panel unanimously that a 2 hour time penalty will be assessed at the musher 24 hour layover.

 

[3Roosters]

@KDM id love your opinion on this please!! One of Dallas's dogs was attacked by a moose, severely injured, Dallas defended his dog team and killed the animal....gutted it per the rules and since one of his dogs were injured, continued on to the next checkpoint to report it....now...the damn powers that be tell him its not good enuff>>> wtf???

 

[NDSportsman]

It says it wasn't sufficiently gutted so he must of left some guts in it apparently? Who knows

 

[Obi-Wan]

I read a report early on where he said he gutted it the best he could.

 

[Freedom]

Probably left the shitter in

 

[Zogman]

One must be a crazy bastard to participate in this circus.

Which circus?

3R, Thanks for the updates. Keep um coming!

 

[701FishSlayer]

Which circus?

3R, Thanks for the updates. Keep um coming!

The race. You have to be nuts to compete.

 

[scrotcaster]

thats such bullshit,, its 1am and his dog is injured , no one would have done the best job alone on a animal the size of a moose .

 

[3Roosters]

Update. Nic Petit still hasnt taken is mandatory 24 hr..he most likely will at next checkpoint Ruby. Dallas Seavey has a few hrs yet to wait on his 24..plus the 2 hr penalty. This is where the race really begins. All mushers still have to take a mandatory 8 hr rest at the check point of THEIR choosing at some point...and the mandatory 8 hr stop at White Mountain. Strategy will be huge now..sounds like the cold and wind will be in the forecast along the coast. This is going to get interesting between now and tue/wed.
�

			7.09

www.iditarod.com for any interested persons. Kinda addicting tho. You would need to purchase the INSIDER to view/see the gps of all the dog teams and interviews, etc. Think its like 50 bucks...finishers should finish tue/wed so plenty of time to watch if you are so inclined. Addicting tho.
They do have trail cams at each check point so you can see/watch as dog team come in.

 

[3Roosters]

Rule 51 in part states: Time penalties will be imposed when determined by race officials a rule infraction has occurred and a competitive advantage has been gained.
HOW IS IT A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE GAINED where you have to stop and gut the moose?? This needs to be looked at in the future,,,especially where a dog was injured!! Yes, Dallas stopped enroute to the checkpoint to rest...BUT..PERHAPS he didn't know of the severity of the dog injury until later. Perhaps the dog wasnt displaying signs of injury until later on the run..just saying. 2 hr penalty seems kinda excessive with a hurt dog on his sled. These 1000 mile/10 day races can sometimes be won by minutes. A 2 hr penalty can be the difference between 1st and 2nd place. SMH.

 

[3Roosters]

Update. All mushers have now taken their mandatory 24 hr rest and 8 hr rest so the racing begins. It looks like it is Travis Beals race to lose as he is on mile 608 ( of mile 975), while current 2nd place musher of Life below Zero fame Jessie Holmes is on mile 588. Lead mushers are now entering the coast of the Bering Sea (Norton Sound) where they will be traveling over the ice for approx. 80 miles. When the wind blows, it will take a dedicated dog team and lead dog to stay on task and hopefully stay on the trail across the ice into the checkpoint of Koyuk. There are many instances where dog teams haven't wanted to progress past the check point of Shaktoolik..mile 754 across the ice to Koyuk mile 804. Mushers need to keep an eye on their team and what they have trained them to do. Hopefully building confidence in their dog team. Once they hit Koyuk, at least they know they are on land. Stay tuned. Should be a Tue/Wed finish. I am still rooting for a relative of my wife's , 5 time winner Dallas Seavey, but think he may be just a bit too far back at this point. He will have to make a bold move to either cut sleep/rest times in check points or increase dog speeds, either of which could prove detrimental to his dog team. Only he will know how his dog team is doing as ALL mushers look out for the betterment of thier dog athletes. Stay tuned.

 

[Zogman]

Thanks again 3R! I remember the years when Lance Mackey with lead dog Larry was a real contender and won it a few times. Lance made Larry the real celebrity. Everyone loved that dog!