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NOME, Alaska – Jessie Holmes, once a familiar face on reality television, has claimed another victory in the challenging Iditarod, the iconic sled dog race that spans approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) throughout Alaska.
Holmes and his team of sled dogs triumphantly reached the finish line on Tuesday night in Nome, a town steeped in Gold Rush history and perched on the edge of the Bering Sea.
The grueling race commenced on March 8 in Willow, following a ceremonial start in Anchorage the previous day. The demanding route led mushers and their dog teams over two mountain ranges, along the frozen expanse of the Yukon River, and across the often unpredictable ice of the Bering Sea.
Having appeared on the National Geographic reality series “Life Below Zero,” Holmes joins an elite group as only the third musher in the Iditarod’s 54-year history to win consecutive races after an initial victory. He follows in the footsteps of legends Susan Butcher, who won in 1986-1987, and Lance Mackey, who triumphed in 2007-2008—both of whom eventually secured four titles.
Before the race, Holmes shared with The Associated Press that this year’s competition held profound significance for him. “Placing that kind of importance on myself means dealing with constant pressure,” Holmes confessed. “Failing to win would be devastating.”
He will pocket about $80,000 for this year’s win, up from the $57,000-plus he took home last year. This year’s purse was boosted by financial support from Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke, who participated in a newly created, noncompetitive amateur category. Rokke reached Nome on Monday, under rules that allowed him to have outside support from a former Iditarod champ, flexible rest periods and to swap out dogs.
Holmes’ first Iditarod was in 2018. His seventh place finish earned him rookie of the year honors. He has now raced in the Iditarod nine times, earning seven top 10 finishes. He’s been in the top five the last five races.
He appeared for eight years on the National Geographic reality show “Life Below Zero,” which chronicled the hardships of people living in rural Alaska.
Holmes used the money he earned from the show to buy better dogs and equipment, and also was able to purchase raw land near Denali National Park and Preserve. A carpenter by trade, he’s carved his homestead in the wilderness, where his closest neighbor is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) away.
Rokke, who now lives in Switzerland, provided $100,000 in additional prize money and $170,000 to Alaska Native villages that serve as checkpoints. Another musher in the noncompetitive “expedition” class, Canadian entrepreneur Steve Curtis, pledged $50,000 to help youth sports programs in the villages. Curtis did not finish the race.
The race’s biggest critic, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has claimed that more than 150 dogs have died in the history of the Iditarod. It urged Rokke to spend his money to help dogs rather than put them through “hazards and misery.”
The Iditarod has never provided its count of dogs who have died on the race.
One dog has died in this year’s race, a 4-year-old female named Charly on musher Mille Porsild’s team, the Iditarod said in a statement Tuesday. A necropsy will be conducted.
Thirty-four competitive mushers started, matching the inaugural 1973 race for the second fewest in race history. The retirements of many longtime mushers and the high cost of supplies, such as dog food, have kept the fields small this decade.
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