- Jeff King (mushing)
Infobox Person
name = Jeff King
caption = Jeff King at the restart of the2008 Iditarod
birth_date =February 6 ,1956
birth_place = North Fork,California ,USA
occupation = Dog musher
nationality = AmericanJeff King (born in North Fork,
California ) is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi (1,600+km )Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state ofAlaska (four times) and the 1,000 mi (1,600 km)Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. andCanada (once).King moved to
Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976. A successfulsled dog racer, he won the Yukon Quest in 1989, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1993, 1996, 1998, and most recently, in the2006 Iditarod . Only three other mushers have won the Iditarod four times (Martin Buser ,Susan Butcher ,Doug Swingley ), and onlyRick Swenson has won it more often (five times). King was 50 years old when he won the2006 Iditarod , which makes him the oldest musher to win the event St. George 2006, para. 2.] . As of 2006, he has competed in 16 Iditarods. His "Idita-Rider" for the2005 Iditarod was a child sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. King has also won many other sled dog races. He continues to race and has a kennel near the entrance ofDenali National Park .Jeff King likes to invent. Several years ago, he added a comfortable seat to his sled. After falling asleep and falling off the sled, King added a seat belt: "Musher Jeff King has developed a new, sit-down sled that some have labeled the Iditarod Barcalounger. King said it helps him get more rest, although he almost lost his team this year when he got to resting so well he went to sleep and fell off. He's since added a seat belt." [http://www.adn.com/2004/iditarod/news/story/4853452p-4790068c.html]
While on a training run in
Denali National Park in 1980, Jeff's team became entangled with that of a new volunteer ranger, and thus he met his future wife, Donna Gates.In 2006, King added a heated
handlebar to warm his hands and his food, which heats up to 200 degrees. [cite web |last=Little |first=Jon |title= King should have smoke trailing from his sled-literally |work=Cabela's 2006 Race Coverage |publisher=Cabela's |date=2006-03-05 |url=http://www.cabelasiditarod.com/coverage_2006/cov06_mar05_03.html |accessdate=2006-08-31] |In the fall of 2007 while on a hunting trip, with his daughter, King illegaly killed (poached) a moose inside Denali National Park and Preserve.2008 Iditarod
Jeff King completed the 2008 Iditarod dogsled race in second place with Lance Mackey coming in first.
Notes
References
* St. George, Chas. (March 15, 2006). King makes it number four. "Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race". Anchorage, Alaska. Retrieved on March 15, 2006 from Official Site of the Iditarod, For Press ( [http://iditaweb-1.gci.net/pdffiles/media/pr2006-03-15.pdf pdf of press release] ).
External links
* [http://www.huskyhomestead.com/index.htm HuskyHomestead Homepage for Jeff King]
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