9 am Update:
One of the remaining three mushers yet to reach Dawson City, veteran Hugh Neff, has declared his intent to scratch from the race once he arrives into Dawson.
According to a statement from Quest staff, one of Neff’s dogs, Bobby, died this morning. A necropsy will be conducted by the Head Veterinarian and the Quest plans to release more information once details are confirmed. Neff checked out of Eagle at 9:09 on Wednesday morning, according to the leaderboard, and is now in 16th position, resting at Clinton Creek hospitality stop.
8 am Update:
Fifteen out of eighteen remaining mushers in the 2018 Yukon Quest have checked into the Dawson City checkpoint.
Two-time Quest champion Allen Moore leads that pack. He checked in for his 36-hour layover at 8:30 pm PST Wednesday and has officially completed that layover as of 8:30 PST this morning [7:30 AKST]. According to the leaderboard, Moore was immediately back on the trail headed towards Pelly Crossing at that time.
In second position, Paige Drobny checked into Dawson City at 4:21 am PST yesterday. Last year’s Quest champion, Matt Hall, maintains third position, checking into Dawson City an hour behind Drobny yesterday morning, which was three hours and seventeen minutes before veteran musher Ed Hopkins arrived in fourth position. Hopkins checked into Dawson City at 8:28 PST yesterday.
Rounding out the top five mushers, rookie Vebjorn Aishana Reitan edged past Laura Neese, checking into Dawson City twenty-one minutes before her yesterday at 10:15 am.
One of the remaining three mushers yet to reach Dawson City, veteran Hugh Neff checked out of Eagle at 9:09 on Wednesday morning, and according to the leaderboard, is now in 16th position. The GPS tracker currently puts Neff resting at the Clinton Creek hospitality stop.
Image at top: file photo of (Iditarod) sled dogs in Ruby, Alaska. Photo: David Dodman, KNOM.
