LETTER: Iditarod isn’t going away

To the editor:

Regarding Matt Hickman’s article (Iditarod’s Days are Numbered, Frontiersman, March 9) : I don’t know Matt Hickman – never met the dude. Seems like he is new to Alaska. I want to assure him that if the battle comes between Ms. Tricia Lebkeucher and Alaskans, Ms. Lebkeucher will lose. It is for sure a complex issue. Certainly Iditarod and mushing in general are a large part of Alaska’s culture. The Iditarod and mushing are also a great part of Alaska’s economy. Many jobs and social activities are part of the sport. Probably most Alaskans believe Ms. Lubkeucher and her PETA friends are a bit on the kook side, but she does have a point. No dogs should die as part of the Iditarod. The Iditarod organization has done an excellent job at protecting the sled dogs. A lot of new science for health and care of the dogs has resulted from the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Perhaps new rules for the race are needed. Jeff King has expressed his approval of reinstating the rule that if a dog dies during the race, that musher is withdrawn. There are obvious exceptions to this rule. It is not the fault of the musher if a high blood alcohol snowmachiner smashes into a team and kills dogs. As far as comparing Sea World and Ringling Brothers Circus to Iditarod – No way.

— Doug Bartko

Palmer