John Baker rolled into Nome to win the 2011 Iditarod last Tuesday, but it wasn't until Sunday night -- only a few scant hours after musher Ellen Halverson became the last to complete this year's race and thus the recipient of the Red Lantern trophy -- that the annual Awards Banquet was held, honoring numerous mushers for a variety of accomplishments, including those related to speed, sportsmanship, and care for their dogs.
For speed awards on the trail, several race leaders were honored with cash prizes from race sponsors. Big Lake's Martin Buser, who led the race in the early stages, won a "Spirit Mask" and $500 in PenAir credits for being the first musher to McGrath. Trent Herbst of Ketchum, Idaho -- who raced through Takotna as the leaders opted to take their 24-hour layovers -- received the GCI/Dorothy G. Page halfway award for being the first musher to the halfway point in the race, along with $3,000 in gold nuggets for the feat. Tok-based Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race musher Hugh Neff earned the First to the Yukon award, and got to eat the seven-course meal that accompanies the $3,500 in $1 bills for being the first to reach Anvik.
Winner John Baker of Kotzebue was the first into Unalakleet and never lost the lead after that, so he not only enjoyed the $2,500 in gold nuggets for reaching that checkpoint before anyone else, but the $50,400 overall Winner's Purse and the new Dodge Ram pickup truck donated by Anchorage Chrysler-Dodge.
Baker also saw his lead dogs, Snickers and Velvet, win the Golden Harness for the most valuable lead dog (or dogs) as selected by the other mushers in the race.
Four-time winner Lance Mackey of Fairbanks, who finished the race with a depleted field of only seven dogs, still earned $500 for having the fastest time from Safety to Nome, with an average speed of 9.1 mph on that last stretch.
Trent Herbst earned the most improved musher award, having finished in 49th place in 2010 and 25th this year. He collected the $2,000 that goes along with the honor.
Girdwood's Nicholas Petit, the first rookie to pass under the burled arch -- two places and almost five hours before the next closest rookie, Kelly Maixner -- was the recipient of the Jerry Austin Rookie of the Year Award and $2,000.
For sportsmanship and character awards, musher Allen Moore of Two Rivers won the Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award after being elected for the honor by the other mushers. Moore helped musher Karin Hendrickson -- the last musher to scratch from the race -- after she became stranded and possibly hypothermic on the sea ice before reaching the White Mountain checkpoint. Moore hitched Hendrickson's team to his own and went on to finish the race after dropping her in White Mountain, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Rick Swenson, a 61-year-old four-time Iditarod winner, also of Two Rivers, was awarded the most inspirational honor in the form of the ExxonMobil Mushers' Choice Award. Paul Johnson of Unalakleet won the Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award as the musher who best represented the spirit of the award's namesake. Herbie Nayokpuk is remembered as a musher whose constant enthusiasm earned him the nickname "The Shishmaref Cannonball."
Rounding out the other awards, Pete Kaiser of Bethel had the randomly-selected key that successfully started a four-wheeler (which he gets to take home); Unalakleet was honored as the best checkpoint, and veterinarian Samantha Yeltatzie was chosen by the Iditarod Official Finishers Club as the most helpful veterinarian on the trail.
The prestigious Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, given to the musher who finishes within the top 20 while giving outstanding care and attention to their dogs, was awarded to Aliy Zirkle of Two Rivers -- wife of sportsmanship winner Allen Moore -- who placed 11th in this year's race and got teary-eyed upon winning the award.
Contact Ben Anderson at ben(at)alaskadispatch.com.