Nomi, Alaska (AP) -Jessie Holmes, a former star of reality television, wonIditarod Trail Salted Dog RaceOn Friday, celebrating with a fist pumps and posing for photos with his two floral main teammates, Hercules and Polar.
Holmes was the first to the goal in the city of Gold Rush Noma, on Bering Sea coast. Racestarted on March 3 in FairbanxAfter lack of snow, she forced changes to the route and the starting point.
As a result, the race is normal 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) stunning 1,129 miles (1,817 kilometers) through the wilderness of Alaska. Holmes ended in 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes and 41 seconds.
“It’s hard to convey words, but it’s a magical feeling,” Holmes said shortly after he crossed the target line. “It’s not now. These are all those moments on the track.”
Holmes, who competed for the eighth time, had previously ended up in the first 10 five times, including the third last year and 2022. In his first iditarod, in 2018, his seventh place earned the honor of the Rookie of the Year.
Born and grew up in Alabama, Holmes went at the age of 18 and worked for three years as a carpenter in Montana. He arrived in Alaska in 2004 and found an adventure running dogs in a remote location of the Yukon River.
“It has been a whopping 10 days and I have soaked in every part of it-the top, the highlights, the in-betweens. … I’m really proud of these dogs and I love them. And they did it. They deserve all the credit ability,” Holmes said.
He gave a special greeting to his two lead, Hercules, his dog with half-isprint and Polar, saying, “He is the brain behind the surgery.”
Holmes now live in a nenched, where he works as a carpenter and a living style. From 2015 to 2023 he was an acting member of the “Life below Zero”, a national geographical program documenting the struggles of Aljuski who live in remote parts of the state.
BesidesLack of snowNorth of Alaska’s range, who forced a change in Fairbanks, organizers of the race also had to change the festive start in Anchorage.
With snow trucks covered with streets in the largest state city, the usual parade route is shortened with 11 miles to less than 2 miles (from about 18 kilometers to less than 3.2 kilometers), and the number of dogs is reduced.
Only 33 Mushera started in Fairbanx, related to 2023 for the smallest terrain ever. The fall of participants expressed concern about the sustainability of race, which had to fight inflation, climate change andPressure of the animal rights groups.
One dog died in this year’s Iditarod: a pregnant female on the team of Musher Daniel Klein, who was scratched under the racing rules for death.
Nearly a third of Mushera ceased early, including eight Ogrebota and two that were withdrawn because they were not competitive.
This story is originally displayed on Fortune.com
