Holmes Leads Iditarod, Drobny Chases

Anchorage stories making news on March 16th.

Defending I did arrive champion Jesse Holmes, pulled into the unelequete checkpoint first

on Sunday morning at 9.27 a.m. with his team of 13 dogs.

He's got about a quarter of the 1,000 mile race left to know him, led by his top dogs,

Polar and Zeus.

His closest rival, Paige Drobney, arrived nearly three hours later at 12.18 p.m.

From unelequete, the trail heads out onto the tricky frozen Norton Sound, where high winds

have tripped up leaders before.

Holmes took time to rest his dogs, feed them beef fat and kivill, and enjoy some local hospitality

with sourdough pancakes.

As first to the coast, he picked up a hand-carb balloon in $2,500 in gold nuggets from sponsors.

Holmes called the stop a nice break from the wind and cold, saying it feels good to shed

layers in regroup.

Drobney, feeding her dogs a rich mix of beef fat, portbelly, and chicken skins, said her

team is on a perfect schedule now, running at night-win, their most efficient.

She believes they can catch up and win, which would make her one of just three female

champions since Susan Butcher in 1990.

Third place, mushroom Travis Beals from Seward followed, with few scratches so far, only

one competitive team out, compared to more in past years.

Holmes could become the first repeat winner since Dallas CVs 3P from 2014 to 2016 if he

holds the lead.

Teams now face the Norton Sound coast to Kojuk, then a mandatory eight hour layover in

White Mountain before the final 77 miles to Nome.

The first mushroom could cross the finish line as early as Tuesday afternoon.

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