Husky News

The race for third place in this year’s Yukon Quest was close between Yukon musher Michelle Phillips and Alaskan David Dalton, with Dalton crossing the finish line 46 minutes ahead of Phillips in Whitehorse.

Dalton, 50, and his sled dogs reached Whitehorse at 10:44 p.m. PT Wednesday, while 39-year-old Phillips arrived at 11:30 p.m. She becomes the first Yukoner to complete this year’s Yukon Quest, the 25th annual running.

“I really worked hard,” Phillips said upon her arrival. “I’m shaking.”

The two had travelled together on most of the race trail, until Phillips picked up the pace at the checkpoint in Pelly Crossing, Yukon.

“We travelled all the way to Pelly and then she broke it off on me and I said, ‘OK,’” Dalton told reporters.

But as the pace picked up a notch, so did temperatures, hovering just below 0 C during the day, creating sloppy conditions on the race trail, both noted.

Dalton said there was “about knee deep overflow, water … I had my 55-gallon trash bags on so I can stay dry.”

“I kept on slipping and then falling in the water,” Phillips said with a laugh. “Then I just start screaming at one point, ‘Why does this have to be so hard?’”

Earlier Wednesday, Lance Mackey of Fairbanks came first, securing his fourth consecutive Yukon Quest victory and winning the top prize of $35,000 US. Ken Anderson, also of Fairbanks, arrived about 15 minutes later and won $25,000.

Dalton picked up $20,000 for his third-place win, while Phillips received $16,500 for coming in fourth.

“I’m really happy,” Phillips said. “I was really proud of my dogs. They finished really strong.”

Three more mushers arrived Thursday morning: Brent Sass of Fairbanks arrived at 1:27 a.m., securing the fifth spot. Kelley Griffin of Wasilla, Alaska, came in around 10:30 a.m., followed 10 minutes later by Hugh Neff of Skagway and Annie Lake.

Source: CBC