King Wins His 3rd Iditarod

March 17, 1998 / 10:56 PM EST / AP

Jeff King battled through blowing snow and poor visibility to earn his third victory Tuesday in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

King, of Denali Park, crossed under the burled arch that represents the finish line of the 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome at 4:52 p.m. Alaska time, with an unofficial time of 9 days, 5 hours and 52 minutes.

Race veterinarian Stu Nelson said it was the first Iditarod he knew of where no dogs had died along the trial by the time a winner arrived at Nome.

King rode the final five blocks through downtown Nome with his 6-year-old daughter Ellen accompanying him on the sled runners, accepting congratulations from lining the chute to the finish.

He gave his lead dog, Red, much of the credit for the victory.

"He went from a good lead dog to a fantastic lead dog throughout this race. I've never had a better one," King told Gov. Tony Knowles, who called to offer his congratulations.

The final 77 miles from White Mountain were particularly tough, with snow and winds so fierce that King said he could barely see Red at the front of the harness line. But Red, a veteran, knew the way to Nome.

"I don't feel very rugged right now," he said, perched under a red-white-and-blue winner's arch, lead dogs Jenna and Red flanking him, each dog wearing the traditional garlands of yellow roses.

King also credited a strategic Monday at Koyuk, when he and Willow's DeeDee Jonrowe, poised to arrive Tuesday in second place, began to head out and agreed to return to their tents for more rest.

"I had a heart-to-heart talk with DeeDee," King said. "She was hunkered by her sled, I was hunkered by the sled, each of us waiting for the other to go."

King said he and Jonrowe, who are friends and ran the trail together the past several days, agreed to work together to secure first and second place by not battling each other at that point in the race.

With that, the two leaders returned to resting tents, allowing the dogs to rest 90 minutes longer as well. King said when it came time to go, he awoke Jonrowe as promised leaving three other ex-champs to rest on and then two departed together.

"Not that they (the other drivers) would have jumped up and gone, but we'd rather not announce our departure," King said.

King answered reporters' questions Tuesday while absent-mindedly massaging Jenna's feet as he'd done hundreds of times while checking his huskies at checkpoints.

He said he never gave up watching over his shoulder for Jonrowe until he was past the final checkpoint at Safety, after Jonrowe had returned to the trail at Elim where she wound up repairing her sled with bailing wire and string.

"I said to myself at that point, `When will I learn to stop underestimating this woman?' " King said Tuesday.

The last 20 miles took King through soft, dog belly-deep snow.

Only Rick Swenson of Two Riers and Susan Butcher of Manley have won more Iditarods. Swenson is the race's sole five-time champion. Butcher has won four. Defending champion Martin Buser of Big Lake also is a three-time titleholder.

King managed to stretch his lead over perennial front-runner Jonrowe to about 1 hour and 35 minutes overnight. Sitting in the winner's circle in Nome, he acknowledged Jonrowe's spot as a sentimental favorite.

"I honestly wondered on the way in here if I'd get hate mail for beating DeeDee," he said.

Jonrowe lost precious time Monday repairing her sled after skidding into some driftwood while on the sea ice near Elim.

Charlie Boulding from Manley left White Mountain at 10:10 a.m., while Mitch Seavey from Sterling departed at 10:12 for the 77 miles to Nome.

A late winter storm moved quickly Tuesday across the Seward Peninsula, bringing snow and blowing snow to the trail. That was dominating strategy on the Iditarod's final day, forcing some of the mushers to delay their departures from the security of checkpoints.

"I have absolutely no idea what time the first team will arrive," race manager Jack Niggemeyer said early Tuesday. "All you and I can do at this point is to pray for their souls and call the (National) Weather Service."

Winds to 60 mph were reported at Solomon, about 15 miles east of the Safety checkpoint, and Niggemeyer said visibility there was down to zero.

Mark Nordman, the race marshal, was forecasting a leader down Front Street by late afternoon. But he wasn't saying who Jonrowe or King.

"Depending on the weather, she can make it up," Nordman said of the lead that King had opened over Jonrowe. It has been done before with less than 80 miles to go, he said.

Nordman also credited Kotzebue musher John Baker for a break-from-the-pack move at Elim, where winds and snow were forcing three former champs Buser, Doug Swingley of Lincoln, Mont., and Swenson to remain holed up Tuesday.

"They're coastal dogs," Nordman said of Baker's team. "They're used to the wind in their face."

Nordman said King and Jonrowe were handed a break despite winds strong enough to blow a pickup truck off the road at Nome.

"At least it's not sub-zero out there," he said. "Dogs can handle that cold fine, but it's hard on the mushers."

King took 10 days, 15 hours, to win in 1993 and pared that to just nine days, five hours in 1996, the last time the Iditarod moved along the northern route that is being used this year. Jonrowe finished 22 minutes behind him in 1993 to capture second place.

Fifty-three teams remained on the trail, while 10 have scratched.

King gets $51,000 and a new pickup truck.