For the fourth time in five years, and in record time, "musher" Dallas Seavey has won the annual Iditarod dogsled race.
NPR reports that Seavey was once again first to cross the finish line in Nome, Alaska, with a familiar figure finishing second: his father Mitch, who has two Iditarod titles under his own belt.
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The younger Seavey – young enough, at 29, to be the youngest four-title musher – had a finishing time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, and 16 seconds, according to Iditarod.com. He finished with six dogs.
The Iditarod takes place each March and runs nearly 1,000 miles across Alaska, from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers, who know all the tricks for keeping warm, begin the race with 12 to 16 dogs, trained for months before the race begins, and must finish with at least 6 dogs in harness. Injured dogs or those that become too tired leave the race.
On Sunday, July 13, the 2014 Unleashed by Petco Surf Dog competition took place at San Diego, Calif.'s Imperial Beach. With events held for large, medium, and small dogs, as well as a tandem event, there was more than enough action for spectators and four-legged-participants alike. In its ninth year, the event raises money for the Humane Society, and this year's competition saw 50 dogs take to the water. Following are some of the gritty (and wet) canine surfers in search of that perfect wave. Above, three dogs find out how easy surfing is when you're not in the water.
"Steady, steady ... heyyy, I got this."
Some dogs needed less help than others.
Goggles, and a fake shark, were this pup's accessories of choice.
Small but tough -- and graceful!
A low center of gravity can come in handy when you're a surfing bulldog.
"Look - three legs!"
Big surf board. Small dog. Big fun.
An eager dismount for one dog, while another pilots along the edge of the surf.
Sense of direction among dog surfers isn't always going to be perfect. Or maybe this one's just showing off.
Cheering handlers rally another pup to the beach.
Heading in, heading out...
And at the end of the ride, a nice thirsty towel! Not to mention a vague resemblance to a famous extraterrestrial.