That's Sebastian Schnuelle, who finished second, at the finish in Nome with 1985 winner, Libby Riddles. Libby was the first female (and still one of only two) to win the Iditarod. After Libby's historic win in 1985, Susan Butcher began her three straight wins prompting the saying: "Alaska, where men are men and women win the Iditarod." Take a look back at my post, on March 6, 2009, honoring "Susan Butcher," and the post, "Iditarod Lady Mushers," on March 16, 2009, featuring six of the women in this year's race.
Heard someone at the finish this year (on the live stream video) state the musher's credo: "Husbands and wives can be replaced, but a good lead dog is hard to find." That's a joke - I think. There are still 30 mushers making their way to Nome, and 12 mushers who have scratched or withdrawn. Here are the Top 25 finishers in the Last Great Race on Earth, 2009, and the dates they finished.
1. Lance Mackey * March 18
2. Sebastian Schnuelle
3. John Baker
4. Mitch Seavey * March 19
5. Cim Smyth
6. Dallas Seavey
7. Aaron Burmeister
8. Jessie Royer (1st female)
9. Ramey Smyth
10. Hans Gatt
11. Sonny Lindner
12. Jeff King *
13. DeeDee Jonrowe (2nd female)
14. Ken Anderson
15. Hugh Neff
16. Paul Gebhardt
17. Aliy Zirkle (3rd female)
18. Martin Buser *
19. Warren Palfrey
20. Ray Redington, Jr.
21. Matt Hayashida March 20
22. Sven Haltmann
23. Linwood Fiedler
24. Gary Wilomitzer
25. Rick Swenson *
* Past Champions
Lance Mackey: 2007, 2008
Mitch Seavey: 2004
Jeff King: 1993, 1996, 1998, 2006
Martin Buser: 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002
Rick Swenson: 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1991
