GREAT FALLS – Brett Bruggeman of Great Falls claimed the first place title for the 300-mile Race to the Sky in Lincoln when he crossed the finish line with 11 dogs at 6:02 a.m. Tuesday.
Twenty teams competed in this year’s races with two teams, including Bruggeman, headed to the Iditarod.
This year’s race was dedicated to Jack Beckstrom for his lifelong impact on dog mushing in Montana, according to Race to the Sky.
Race to the Sky is Montana’s premier winter sporting event and is recognized as one of the most challenging sled dog races in the world, according to the race’s website.
The races were organized first as Montana’s Governor’s Cup Sled Dog Race in 1986 and they ran the first 500-mile race in February of that year. Since that year, Race to the Sky has been an Iditarod qualifier.
