I have some of that bloodline in my team. The media will refer to these dogs as 'village dogs', but that's fine. Always a good-natured presence along the trail, Sagoonick carried with him the names of several critically ill people collected from other Bush Alaskans. Sagoonick finished his rookie race in 45th, just behind a trio of Seavey family mushers from the Kenai Peninsula. He can put it on his mantle next to the Golden Stethoscope he won as a volunteer race vet in 1997.
Mushers vote to select the Golden Stethoscope winner.
Vets vote to pick the Humanitarian Award winner, which carries with it free transportation for the musher and his dogs back to Anchorage and two round-trip tickets to wherever Alaska Airlines flies. John Barron, the former Susitna Valley musher who moved to Montana thinking there might be something to training a dog team at altitude like Swingley. Barron finished 39th, his worst showing ever. Pepi, one of Swingley's lead dogs, collected the Lolly Medley Golden Harness Award for his outstanding performance. Ramey Smyth of Big Lake and Jessica Royer of Ennis, Mont., won the prize for the fastest top-20 teams from Safety to Nome.