Smyth’s dog Babe wins golden harness, King gets humanitarian award
NOME — DeeDee Jonrowe summed up the mood at this year’s finisher’s banquet before a packed crowd inside this city’s convention center.
“I love my competition. They’re awesome. They’re a lot of fun to be around,” she said. “March is family reunion time.”
If the pre-race banquet in Anchorage is an in introduction of the year’s cast of characters, the finishers’ banquet on March 16 is a party, a chance to blow off steam; and that cast of characters is more grizzled, scarred and definitely relaxed than they were when this thing began on March 1.
And it appears the race-long competition that began right out of Willow on day one between Lance Mackey and Jeff King continued right through the banquet. The pair finished first and second. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got a couple more left in me, so don’t get relaxed,” King said, glancing at Mackey.
“I’m very much looking forward to seeing Jeff on the trail again,” Mackey said later, referring to his hopes to win his third major long-distance race this year, the All-Alaska Sweepstakes on March 26. Mackey, of course, has accomplished something that may not be repeated any time soon: winning both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod two years in a row. Why not three in a row?, he asked, also saying he hoped to win his fifth Quest in a row next year. “I honestly believe we’re just getting going,” he said.
King made some fun of himself for his now infamous 30 minute nap at Elim while Mackey snuck out and padded his lead. He talked about a phone call with his wife, Donna, from Unalakleet in which he said of Mackey, ” ‘I wish he’d just go away.’ Well , eventually he did. However, that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
King just published a book called “Cold Hands, Warm Heart,” and he said a race fan had the audacity to ask him to autograph it with the words, “You snooze, you lose.” He obliged.
Mackey was presented with a check for $69,000 from Wells Fargo, and the keys to a 2008 Dodge Ram Laramie “HEMI” 4-x-4 quad-cab pickup truck.
Mushers voted on five coveted awards at a meeting Saturday morning of the Iditarod Official Finishers’ Club.
This year’s Fred Meyer sportsmanship award went to Ray Redington Jr., who helped various mushers all along the trail. He gave Silvia Willis assistance at Shaktoolik, and was seen picking up trail markers that had been knocked down and jabbing them back into the snow so mushers behind him could see them. He helped William Kleedehn negotiate a tough spot in the Dalzell Gorge. Radington received a trophy and a $500 gift certificate from Fred Meyer.
The Chevron most inspirational musher award was given to Jennifer Freking of Finland, Minn. Freking started the race with a hand that was still healing from a bad break suffered a month before the Iditarod in another race. Her team suffered tragedy this year when a snowmobiler struck her dogs while she was parked on the trail on the way to Nulato. The collision killed one dog and seriously hurt another. It devastated Freking and her husband, Blake, but the couple decided to continue on, and they wound up not only finishing, but Blake posted the fastest-ever time for a team of purebred Siberian huskies. Freking got an engraved crystal bowl and $1,000 in Chevron fuel cards.
The Golden Clipboard award, given to a special checkpoint each year by the mushers, went to Nulato. That village had to relocate the checkpoint location to the village school due to a conflict with the usual community hall, and did an excellent job making the move, mushers said. The spot was easier to reach than it has been in the past, and mushers appreciated the hot water and friendly reception. Checkpoints up and down the trail impressed mushers this year. Aside from the always hospitable Takotna, they also voiced thanks to Galena, Cripple and Nikolai.
The Golden Stethoscope award, voted on by the mushers, went to Dr. Paul Nader, who showed some real investigative skills and determination to save a sick dog at Kaltag. The dog had been dropped and was laying inside the checkpoint to warm up when one of the race judges noticed it seemed unusually lethargic. It was sick. Nader and the other veterinarians there first treated it with IV fluids and antibiotics, but they feared it had a bacterial infection. Nader is not a specialist, so he placed a call to veterinary internist he knows in Pennsylvania, who mentioned the symptoms may indicate hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Nader and the team of veterinarians there then had the idea to check with the Kaltag village clinic, and found a resident who is a diabetic; the vet borrowed a blood testing unit from him. Sure enough, the dog’s blood suger was low. He went back to the clinic, got sugar water for an IV to bring the dog’s sugar back up. The dog pulled through just fine. The other veterinarians there who helped out got an honorable mention: Vince Gresham, Vern Otte and Michael Lindeen.
The city of Nome Lolly Medley Golden Harness award went to Ramey Smyth’s lead dog Babe, an amazing specimen of a sled dog who is just about to turn 11 years old. The award often goes to a leader on the winning team, for obvious reasons, but sometimes goes to a dog not on the winning team that shows real toughness and determination. (Paul Gebhardt’s leader Red Dog once got the award when Gebhardt finished second.) Babe has lead for Smyth in nine Iditarods, finishing in lead eight times, including this year’s impressive third-place finish just behind Lance Mackey and Jeff King. Racing sled dogs are typically in their prime between ages 3 and 7, and rarely does a dog pushing 11 have the speed or intensity to help an aggressive, competitive team in the top five. Sled dogs, like all dogs, have a life span of 10 to 15 years on average. Her accomplishments would be tough for any dog to match. Smyth has said Babe has a gentle side as well, spending lots of time in the house, where she is motherly to Smyth’s one-year-old daughter, Ava.
The Big Lake musher was unable to say any of that at the banquet, however. He couldn’t utter a word, he was so full of emotion, and walked off the stage to a huge round of applause. Smyth’s mother, the late Lolly Medley, came up with the award, and used to sew a gold-colored harness for the winner.
In addition to the awards voted on by mushers, there are two other very important and valued awards:
The Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk memorial award went to William Kleedehn. The award is voted on by checkers up the trail along the Bering Sea coast, and is given to the person who most exemplifies Nayokpuk’s attitude on the trail. Nayokpuk, the Shishmaref Cannonball, was a tough and innovative competitor who valued traditional ways. The recipient got a trophy and a free freight allotment on Northern Air Cargo, not to mention a new Carhartt jacket with a NAC logo, with pockets crammed with stacks of dollar bills.
The coveted Alaska Airlines Leonhard Seppela Humanitarian award was given to Jeff King. King maintained a cheerful squad of 16 dogs all the way to White Mountain, while still vying for that elusive fifth Iditarod win. He finished second to Lance Mackey, who tapped a well of speed on the second-to-last run and was able to maintain an hour-long lead. Veterinarians praised King’s 14-dog team at the finish for having good weight, hydration and attitude. King used the platform to remind mushers that “care of dogs occurs more between checkpoints in how you run them than at the checkpoints.” The award comes with two free tickets anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. “I’ve got a hunch I’m going to Mexico!,” King said.
Of the 10 or 12 awards given to mushers in Nome, three are mathematical or require no voting to figure out. They are the fastest from Safety to Nome, rookie of the year and most improved musher:
Cim Smyth won the Nome Kennel Club’s fastest from Safety to Nome award, by posting a run time o f2 hours and 11 minutes to make it 22 miles from the Safety Roadhouse. Smyth, or his brother, Ramey, typically win the award and this year was no exception. His run time was significantly faster than anyone else in the top 20. Smyth gets $500.
The rookie of the year in 2008 is William Kleedehn, for being the fastest first-time Iditarod racer to make it to the finish line. He’ll get a check for $1,500 and a trophy from Iditarod racing legend Jerry Austin of St. Michael.
The GCI Satellite Communications most improved musher award goes to Warren Palfrey of Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, who gets a trophy and a year’s use of a satellite phone and 500 minutes. The improvement is based on simple math, comparing his last finish, 60th in 2006, to this year’s results, 26th. He made the biggest leap up in the standings.
In addition, mushers were presented with awards they earned on the trail:
• The PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award was presented to Lance Mackey, the first musher to reach McGrath. Mackey got a spirit mask created each year by Bristol Bay artist, Orville Lind for the award and a $500 credit on PenAir. At the time, Mackey was being chased by Jeff King and Kjetil Backen over to Takotna.
• The Dorothy G. Page Halfway award was formally given to DeeDee Jonrowe, the first musher to reach the halfway point of Cripple this year. Jonrowe got a trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets, which she said she’d be giving to her husband, Mike, who celebrated his birthday on the day Jonrowe reached Cripple.
• Mackey plainly enjoyed the Millenium Hotel first to the Yukon award, which includes a seven-course meal prepared by the hotel’s head chef along with an “after dinner mint” of $5,000. Mackey inhaled the meal in Ruby, where it was awarded. He’ll get a second chance to enjoy it at a slower pace. The hotel serves the same meal to the winner at a later date.
• King won the Wells Fargo Gold Coast award, presented to the first musher to reach Unalakleet and the Bering Sea. It’s the second year in a row King has received the award; each time he’s been there just ahead of Mackey, who’s gone on to win the race. King received a trophy and $2,500 in gold nuggets.