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| Triangle
Brother Wins 2nd Sled Dog Race |
Now
that Eric Butcher has conquered almost both
ends of the Yukon Quest International Sled
Dog Race in the last two years, his next goal
is to see the entire route at once.
The Fairbanks musher won the Quest 250 for
the second straight year Monday, conquering
the leg from Fairbanks to Circle last year
and this year's interrupted run from Whitehorse
to Pelly. He's ready for the challenge of
the full-sized 1,000-mile race, but realizes
he'll need to expand his kennel. |
Eric
Butcher
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"I need some more dogs," Butcher
said shortly after finishing Monday night.
"Nine dogs just isn't going to cut it."
Butcher covered the abbreviated trail, which
was shortened by 79 miles when officials decided
to truck teams from Braeburn Lodge to Carmacks
to avoid dangerous trail conditions, finished
the race in 29 hours and 40 minutes. Ellie
Claus of Chitina, a former Junior Quest champion,
was second in 30:13, Jim Oehlschlaeger of
Cincinnati, Ohio, was third (31:57), Whitehorse's
Gerry Willomitzer was fourth (35:29) and Rod
Boyce of Two Rivers (36:55) rounded out the
top five. |
Just eight of the 12 teams that started the race
finished with Jerry Joinson of Whitehorse (37:11),
Michelle Phillips of Tagish, Yukon, (40:58) and
Switzerland's Emil Inauen (42:19).
Sandy McKee of Two Rivers was disqualified after
sleeping in her truck a few miles out of McCabe
Cabin. Her husband, Bill McKee, also signed up for
the race, but after his dog truck broke down and
had to be towed back to Fairbanks from Delta Junction,
he flew in to support his wife. Melody Sayles, Jan
DeNapoli and Judith Currier, all of Two Rivers,
also didn't complete the race.
Of his two wins, Butcher feels this year's was more
difficult. "I think it's harder on this side,"
said Butcher, who teaches mechanical engineers at
the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "This is
brutal."
Written by Beth Ipsen, Staff Writer for the Fairbanks
Daily News-Miner. Brother Eric Butcher ok88 has
been a member of the University of Alaska Fairbanks
faculty since 1998 and also resides in Fairbanks. |
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