Busy weekend on the Iditarod Trail for rookies and veterans

The Last Great Race showed just how challenging it can be as several rookie mushers made the decision to scratch from the race, while some veteran mushers earned checkpoint awards.

Rookie Iditarod musher, Connor McMahon, of Carcross, Yukon Territory, Canada, was the latest to scratch at 4:30 p.m. o March 10, at the Galena checkpoint in the best interest of his team.

McMahon had 11 dogs in harness when he arrived in Galena, all in good health.

Earlier that same day, rookie Iditarod musher, Erin Altemus (bib #23), of Grand Marais, Minnesota, scratched at the Ruby checkpoint in the best interest of her team.

Altemus had 10 dogs in harness when she arrived in Ruby, all in good health.

Rookie Iditarod musher, Issac Teaford (bib #15), of Salt Lake City, Utah scratched the day before at the Nulato checkpoint pursuant to Rule 42, which states that any dog death that occurs during the conduct of the race will result in immediate voluntary scratch by the musher.

Bog, a two-year-old male from the Teaford’s race collapsed approximately 200 feet from the Nulato checkpoint. Iditarod checkers and one Iditarod Veterinarian approached the team and CPR was administered for 20 minutes, but Bog unfortunately did not survive.

A necropsy will be conducted by a board-certified pathologist to make every attempt to determine the cause of death.

Teaford had 12 dogs remaining in harness when he made the decision to scratch.

Veteran Iditarod musher Travis Beals (bib #14), of Seward, Alaska, was the first musher to arrive at the Kaltag checkpoint at 3:03 p.m. on March 9, with 12 dogs in harness. In doing so, Beals claims the Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) Fish First Award. BBNC’s Senior Vice President of Shareholder Development, Carol Wren, traveled to Kaltag to present the award, which consists of 25 pounds of fresh Bristol Bay salmon filets, $2,000 and a wood burned art piece by BBNC shareholder artist Apay’uq Moore.

“Bristol Bay Native Corporation congratulates Travis and his team for being the first into Kaltag,” said Jason Metrokin, BBNC President and CEO. “Both dog mushing and fishing are longstanding traditions in Bristol Bay, and we’re excited to honor both with the 10th annual Fish First Award. We wish Travis the best of luck and hope they enjoy the taste of Bristol Bay this summer.”

Another veteran musher, Jessie Holmes (bib #9), of Brushkana, Alaska, was the first musher to reach the Unalakleet checkpoint Sunday afternoon, at 12:33 p.m. with 11 dogs in harness, earning him the Ryan Air Gold Coast Award.

First presented in 1987 and sponsored by Ryan Air since 2019, the award consists of one ounce of gold nuggets (valued over $1,500) from the Bering Straits region as well as a beautiful wood carved loon.

The company was founded in Unalakleet and its core business is serving the people who live along the Bering Sea coast and throughout western Alaska.

“Mushing has long been a way of life for the Ryan family. The company’s founder drove mail by dog team between Unalakleet and Kaltag in the early 1900s and other Ryan family members also mushed dogs in the territorial guard with Muktuk Marston.”

The Ryan Air Gold Coast Award will be presented again to Holmes on Sunday, March 17 at the finisher’s banquet in Nome.