AOTW: Polar, Arctic, Hercules, and company lead Holmes’ to first Iditarod victory
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - After winning his first career Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Jessie Holmes was quick to credit his canine superstars.
“I am really proud of these dogs, I love them, they did it, they deserve all the credit,” Holmes said in the chute moments after winning the “The Last Great Race on Earth.”
The team of sled dogs navigated Holmes through more than 1,100 miles of Alaska’s toughest terrain in 10 days, 14 hours, and 55 minutes, including brothers and Golden Harness winners Polar and Arctic.
“[They] have such a dynamic when they’re together,” Holmes said of Polar and Arctic, who received praise from the musher at various checkpoints throughout the race. “The thing about those two dogs, they don’t think nothing of the cold, they’re like, ‘I’m so warm.’”
“It was really emotional to have Arctic finish, he had shoulder troubles over the last couple of years,” he said. “Arctic led quite a few runs, he led that real important run across the bay over into Koyuk into that headwind that was brutally cold.”
Alongside Polar in lead as Holmes and company reach Nome was Hercules, who was fittingly mistaken for Arctic when his lead dogs were announced at the finish.
”The funny thing is, I swear Hercules always gets kinda overlooked somehow and he does 70% of the work. In [the Kobuk] 440, I had Blossom and Polar in the lead but Hercules had really led most of the race so I brought him up for the photo with the three, I was like, ‘no more overlooking Hercules,’” he said.
Hercules got his shining moment when he joined Polar and Holmes on the championship podium at the finish.
Holmes also saw a group of young pups shine as they completed their journey under the burled arch for the first time, including two-year-olds Fryea, Lobo, and Zeus.
“Zeus led us through the blowhole,” Holmes recalled, “He was kind of like ... ’ Is this okay Polar?’ And Polar was like, ‘yeah this is how we do it!’ So they rocked and rolled through there.”
Holmes that he held and raised all 10 dogs of the dogs that led him to Iditarod glory when they were puppies.
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