American Dallas Seavey has won what is probably the toughest dog sled race in the world for the sixth time. On Tuesday (local time) he crossed the finish line in Nome (Alaska) after about 1,600 kilometers with ten dogs in front of his sled.
Organizers said it took the 37-year-old nine days, two hours, 16 minutes and eight seconds to do so. With his sixth win, Seavey is the most successful dog team driver in the history of the competition. In 2012, at the age of 25, he was the youngest driver to win. This year’s race was the 52nd in the US state of Alaska.
Three dogs died
In total, more than 30 ladies and gentlemen started with their dogs in Willow on March 3. Last Tuesday, seven teams had already given up the route and three dogs had died (see video above). Named after a river and a now-abandoned town, the Iditarod often travels through the Alaskan wilderness during snowstorms and extreme subzero temperatures. It commemorates a 1925 dogsled expedition that brought a vaccine against a diphtheria outbreak to Nome.
Protests by animal rights activists
Even in the 20th century, goods and mail were still transported this way. In recent years, protests by animal rights activists against the breed have increased. They accuse the event team of promoting animal abuse. “Iditarod is the shame of Alaska. How many more dogs have to die before this is over?” animal rights organization PETA asked in a press release.
Source: Krone
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