I haven't paid any attention to the race other than what's been posted here but what happened to Travis Beals and how did Seavey get past Homes?
Couple of things. Jessie and Travis have never won the Iditarod. Dallas has won it 5 times...now 6. That played a part for sure as strategy plays a huge part. Also, if you are behind, as Dallas was at one point, a couple ways to "catch up" if possible...is either to cut sleep or increase speed, either of which could end a mushers chance of winning or even finishing the Iditarod if a musher asked of a team more than they had experienced before and thus that team needing more rest in the future. Each musher knows their dog team and what they are capable of and will always look out for the best interests of their team. PETA can go to hell on that! In looking at Dallas' runs he went thru 4 consecutive checkpoints...approx. stop time of 10 min. at each checkpoint to get signed in and vet checked and resupplied with any straw for dog bedding and food bags and continued on the trail to camp 10 -15 miles down the trail. (Straw bales and food bags are dropped via small planes (dubbed the Iditarod Air Force) at the different checkpoints for each of the mushers about a week before the race starts) All predetermined by each musher how much they need and at which checkpoints). They also fly any teams dropped dogs back to Anchorage. Mind you..not stopping and resting at a checkpoint(town) on the Iditarod trail meant missing out on a hot cup of coffee, perhaps an hour or so of sleep in a cabin and a warm meal. Dog mushers do their chores with their dogs first...food,snacks, water, straw to lie on and rest but a checkpoint also allows a musher to recharge,if you will.
Anyway, back to the story, Dallas signed in at 4 consecutive checkpoints( think it was like from Unakaleet to White Mountain) think it was like 184 miles...stopping and resting his team of course, but never stopped and rested at one of the checkpoints along the way) and left minutes later and continued on to rest him and his team later on the trail... cold temps and all. Imagine if you will, you(Travis and Jesse) are thinking you are not far behind the leader (which was true) yet come to the checkpoint and not see Dallas in the same checkpoint resting his 4 hrs? Why did he keep going? Should I? Does my team need to rest? Where is Dallas resting..and how long?
At the end of the day, there a number of things that came into play with his winning his 6th Iditarod.
1. Brilliant dog team training and genetics thru the years he and his dad, Mitch Seavey( 3 time champ himself) have developed.
2. Dallas is an exceptional athlete himself. (High School Wrestling Champ and Junior Natl Champ)
3. Strategy by being a 5 time..now 6-time Iditarod champ.
