Former champ makes large donation to Iditarod

WASILLA — Jeff King is giving something back to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

King, a four-time champion of the world’s most famous sled dog race, will donate $50,000 to the Iditarod Trail Committee, the ITC announced in a press release Monday.

That donated money will be added to the 2010 prize purse.

“This is my way of saying thank you to the Iditarod for doing such a great job of providing an arena for me to experience such success as a dog musher,” The Denali Park musher said in the release. “I am so lucky to have been able to make a successful career out of my passion for dogs and the Alaska wilderness.”

The ITC has suffered, “significant revenue losses,” over the past year, according to the release.

Last month, race officials announced the ITC was faced with nearly $1 million in lost funding and sponsorships. Due to that, $100,000 was cut from the 2010 purse.

Begerland wins Knik 200

KNIK — Micah Begerland was the first musher to hit Knik Lake Sunday morning and won the Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr Memorial Sled Dog Race.

Begerland crossed the finish line at 7:18 a.m., with a full team of 12 dogs. The first-place finish netted Begerland a winner-take-all purse of $2,000.

Erin Redington, who led at the halfway point, arrived at 7:57 a.m., and placed second.

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race veteran Ken Anderson hit the finish chute at 8:12 a.m. to finish third.

Hugh Neff (fourth), Judy Currier (fifth) and Jon Little (sixth) rounded out the top-six.

Nineteen mushers entered the typically popular early-January race that many use as a warm-up for the Iditarod, and 18 finished.

The race had more of a special meaning for those with a history with the event.

The 2010 Knik 200 was dubbed, “2010 for Bruce,” on the race website in memory of longtime organizer Bruce Braden, who died in a late-December fire at the age of 54.

Knik musher wins twice at

Montana Creek

MONTANA CREEK — Knik musher Christian Taveau won a pair of races during the final Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association points event late last month in Montana Creek.

Taveau finished first in both the 12-mile open race and the eight-dog class.

In the open event, Taveau posted a time of 39 minutes and 31 seconds, 48 seconds better than second-place Daryl Hollingsworth.

Taveau’s win in the eight-dog class was even more slim. He finished with a time of 25:13, seven seconds faster than second-place Brenda Burge.

Ruthan Stitts also won a pair of races, sweeping the junior class.

Rebecaa Knight was the top skijorer during the event. With that win, Knight also won the season points title for skijoring.

Bev Stevens, of Anchorage, won the six-dog class, while Kim Wells was first in the four-dog.

The action marked the final races of the four-week preliminary events. The Montana Creek Championships are slated for Saturday and Sunday. The two-day event features a $3,000 purse.

The Su Valley Championships, with a $7,000 purse, is scheduled for Jan. 23-24.

Montana Creek Dog Mushers Association points race

Dec. 26, Montana Creek

Four-dog — 1. Kim Wells 13:43; 2. Bev Stevens 16:13; 3. Debra Castro 17:25; 4. Kris Rasey 17:26; 5. Kim Wagchoff 21:04.

Junior three-dog — 1. Ruthan Stitts 24:58.

Junior one-dog — 1. Ruthan Stitts 1:36.

Skijor — 1. Rebecca Knight 14:24; 2. Kim Wells 15:25; 3. Bud Rice 16:04; 4. Becky Voris 16:05; 5. Lulie Williams 16:21; 6. Kris Rasey 17:51; 7. Skipper Stitt 23:50.

Six-dog — 1. Bev Stevens 18:27; 2. Kris Rasey 18:30; 3. Skeeter Stitt 20:03; 4. Meridith Mapes 21:45; 5. James Castro 22:54; 6. Elia Goodfarm 27:36; 8. Christine Stitt 29:20.

Eight-dog — 1. Christian Taveau 25:13; 2. Brenda Burge 25:20; 3. Egil Ellis 26:14; 4. Dianna Haecker 30:07.

Open — 1. Christian Taveau 25:13; 2. Daryl Hollingsworth 40:19; 3. Greg Sellentin 40:21; 4. Egil Ellis 41:03; 5. Nils Hahn 43:59; 6. Skeeter Stitt 62:26.

Former Iditarod champs

part of Kusko field

BETHEL — Three-time defending Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Lance Mackey leads a handful of former Iditarod champs slated to compete in the Kuskokwin 300 later this month.

A pair of four-time Iditarod champions, Martin Buser and Jeff King, are also in the field of the race that starts Jan. 15 in Bethel.

Another former champion, Mitch Seavey, is also in the pack.

Willow’s Ramey Smyth is also among the mushers who will race with their teams from Bethel to Aniak and back.

Last year, the Kuskokwin 300 featured a $100,000 prize purse that included $20,000 for the winner.

2010 field (as of Jan. 4)

Ramey Smyth; Jeff King; Dallas Seavey; Mitch Seavey; Jackie Larson; Peter Kaiser; Mike Williams Jr; Mike Williams Sr; Ronald Nathan Underwood Sr; Martin Buser; Paul Gebhardt; John Baker; Lance Mackey; Quinn Iten; Richie Diehl.