It's frequently said that "Anything can happen" to change the outcome of a dog race, and it certainly did happen yesterday. Shorting after updating my blog I noticed that Brent Sass hadn't moved in some time. Only a few miles from the mandatory 8-hour layover in Braeburn he seemed to be stalled on the trail.
It turns out that Brent suffered a serious accident in which he either fell or was thrown from his sled, striking his head. He was rescued by Canadian Rangers, with Hugh Neff assisting with Brent's team until a designated musher could arrive on the scene. Brent was withdrawn from the race, airlifted to the hospital in Whitehores, given a thorough examination and then released. All of Brent's dogs were in excellent condition, and Brent is expected to have a full recovery.
Without the close competition, Allen Moore drove his team to an easy victory, setting a new record in the process. This morning, Hugh Neff is easing his way down the trail for a probably 2nd place finish.
Nearly a day behind Hugh, Cody Strathe and Matt Hall continue to duke it out, leap-frogging each other as their run-rest schedules dictate. Their race for third is likely to be an exciting and close competition.
All of the other remaining Quest mushers are scattered between Scroggie Creek Dog Drop and Carmacks.
So this morning I offer a hearty "congratulations" to my friend Allen Moore, for his second consecutive Yukon Quest victory, and my condolences to my friend Brent Sass and best wishes for a speedy and thorough recovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment