by David Dodman
Veteran musher Jessica Hendricks has scratched.
The Two Rivers, Alaska musher has run four Iditarods – including this one. She exited the 2011 race in the Nikolai checkpoint at 9:25pm Tuesday with only 8 dogs: by far the smallest sled dog team then in the race. (Mushers must have at least 6 dogs to be allowed to finish in Nome.)
According to Iditarod’s Eye on the Trail blog, Hendricks left the race “based on the best interest of her team.”
Hendricks’ departure leaves 58 mushers in Iditarod 39. As of just past midnight Wednesday, the top 11 mushers have arrived into Takotna, led by 4-time champion Martin Buser.
