All Alaska Sweepstakes

Thanks to AD for keeping me in the loop on this one. You might remember the winner of the Iditarod a few weeks ago, Lance Mackey, who was going to try to set another record this year, by winning three major sled races.

Last year he set a record by winning the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year.
This year he set another record by repeating last years performance.
And he would set yet another this last week if he'd won the All Alaska Sweepstakes.

Unfortunatly, it was not to be, as a worthy competitor, Mitch Seavey, put his son's wedding plans on hold to win the race and Jeff King also finished before Mackey.

Mackey's third place finish doesn't go quietly, though, as tragedy befell his team near the finish. With less than 22 miles left in the 408 mile (three day) race, a snowmachine clobbered Mackey's sled, and some of the wheel dogs! Full writeup of the incident here by Anchorage Daily News.

Lance Mackey with main Lead dog and stud, Zorro.

[BOB HALLINEN / Anchorage Daily News archive 2007]

So sad, as the one dog, Zorro, that was critically injured (life in jeopardy now) was Mackey's main stud dog -- 40 of the 80 dogs in his kennel being related to Zorro!