#iditarod51

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Ryan and Pete Coming Across the Sea Ice Tonight

March 12, 2023 10:30 pm

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Iditarod fanboy from a very early age turned Iditarod Rookie, Hunter Keefe and team at the Ceremonial and Restart of Iditarod 51. Hunter would win the Sportsmanship award at the end of the race, voted on by his fellow mushers, for helping out his main competitor for Rookie of the Year as well as for his infectiously positive attitude during the entire race (he was singing and dancing on the back of his sled for nearly 1000 miles).

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Jessie Holmes and team at the Start and ReStart of Iditarod 51.

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Grandson of the “Father of the Iditarod”, Ryan Redington and team at the Ceremonial and ReStart of Iditarod 51. Redington would go on to be the first in his family to WIN the Iditarod nine days later. 

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Mille Porsild and team at the Ceremonial Start and ReStart of Iditarod 51. (BONUS! Retired veteran musher DeeDee Jonrowe is in the pink sweater.) 

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Jason Mackey and team at the Ceremonial and ReStart of Iditarod 51. Jason is the younger brother of 4-time Iditarod and Yukon Quest Champion Lance Mackey. Lance passed away in September of 2022 and Jason took his brother’s ashes onto this year’s Iditarod trail. Jason had a rough go throughout the race and was barely able to finish, but finish he did as RED LANTERN (last place). He was also voted as Most Inspirational by his fellow finishers.

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One half of the Seeing Double Racing Kennel that she runs with her twin sister, Kristy Berington and team at the Ceremonial and ReStart of Iditarod 51. 

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Dad couldn't wait until tomorrow to get our credentials and swag, so I got my official gear tonight. 🤣 #Iditarod51 can begin! . . . . . #Iditarod #IditaVolunteer #IditaWeekend #Iditarod2023 #JustMush #Mushing #SledDogs https://www.instagram.com/p/CpUOB4LOsCO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Dogs are painted and harnessed... finished around 10pm. Just need to tie up the sled bags on the sled cookies tomorrow night and then things will be done for this year's Iditarod. . . . . #Baking #Cookies #Iditarod51 #IditaBaking #IditaCookies https://www.instagram.com/p/CpMvp_3Omcy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Second year rookie Gerhardt Thiart at the ceremonial and restart of Iditarod 51. He had some unfinished business after scratching last year in the Topkok Hills in the middle of a windstorm. Thiart broke his leg and could not continue, but he got a great helicopter ride to Nome! Thiart DID finish this year and is now the first South African to have finished the race. Gerhardt ran a team out of Mitch Seavey’s kennel.

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Riley Dyche at the Ceremonial Start and Restart of Iditarod 51.

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Second year Rookie Bridgett Watkins at the Ceremonial and Restart of Iditarod 51. Watkins is the daughter of Yukon Quest Champion Allen Moore and stepdaughter of Yukon Quest Champion Aliy Zirkle. The ER Nurse ran her first Iditarod in 2022 and was caught in the nasty windstorm in the Topkok Hills out of White Mountain. Watkins ended up breaking her collar bone and forced to scratch. She wears a helmet because she’s ended up with a concussion while running dogs and wants to promote head safety. Watkins returned to the race to finish and finish she did. 

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Iditarod better turned musher, Rookie Eddie Burke Jr. and team at the Ceremonial and Restart of Iditarod 51. Eddie would go on to with Rookie of the Year by being the highest placing first year rookie team in this year’s race. Burke started out as just a casual fan who placed bets on the race and would go to musher banquets to “get intel” on who to bet on. Then Aaron Burmeister offered to teach him to mush and gave him a team for the Iditarod. Eddie spent 2-3 years building the team of dogs he would race all through this season and it paid off. Burke says he isn’t finish with mushing and plans to have his own kennel and one day WIN the Iditarod.

**please note that during the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod it is not uncommon for mushers to be given all types of snacks and beverages by fans along the 11 miles through Anchorage. It is not uncommon for the mushers to celebrate just as much as fans and it has no bearing on their race. So Eddie knocking back a PBR is par for the course of many mushers!**

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Eric Kelley at the Ceremonial and ReStart of Iditarod 51.

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Matthew Failor at the Ceremonial and Restart of Iditarod 51.

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Reigning champion Brent Sass and team at the Ceremonial and Restart of Iditarod 51. Sass would scratch on the Yukon River with a medical emergency (illness plus infection in his mouth presumably due to three cracked teeth he was putting off getting looked at). The surprise departure of the champion team opened the door WIDE open for a multitude of teams to take the top spot.