When Richie BeattieB次元官网网址檚 dog team reached the Dawson checkpoint during the 2020 Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race in the early afternoon Friday, the man on the sled was not Beattie.

The man on the sled was a Dawson City resident named Jason who did not want to give his last name to the Yukon B次元官网网址.

He said he had gone cross-country skiing and saw the team running without a musher.

B次元官网网址淚 just was skiing now to open water near the Moosehide and I was going to take a photo,B次元官网网址� said Jason. B次元官网网址淚 see the dog team coming from a distance around the bend and there was no musher.B次元官网网址�

He said he wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure what to do, but after some quick thinking decided getting the team to town was the best course of action.

B次元官网网址淚 figure the best (thing) is to come back to town and get someone to get him,B次元官网网址� said Jason. B次元官网网址淚 was on the trail and they kind of stopped and looked at me straight on. They came right towards me because I was at a crossroads there.B次元官网网址�

Shortly after BeattieB次元官网网址檚 team arrived, Beattie himself rode into the checkpoint on the back of a snowmobile. He ran from the machine, stumbling in the snow before he reached his wife who was waiting on the back of the sled.

Just a minute or two after that exchange, Yukoner Rob Cooke and his team reached the checkpoint.

Cooke said he had picked up Beattie from the trail a few miles before the checkpoint.

B次元官网网址淭here was a guy walking down the trail and he was freaking the dogs out and I was getting ready to shout at him because he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 move,B次元官网网址� said Cooke. B次元官网网址淭hen he crossed the trail and he turned around and I recognized him.B次元官网网址�

Cooke asked Beattie what happened and said Beattie told him he thought heB次元官网网址檇 fallen asleep.

B次元官网网址淗e said that heB次元官网网址檇 been super tired the whole way and there had been a couple of times heB次元官网网址檇 lost the trail and fallen asleep,B次元官网网址� said Cooke. B次元官网网址淗e said he came to and his dogs were halfway down the trail.B次元官网网址�

Beattie was most concerned about his dogs, Cooke said.

B次元官网网址淗e was super worried, obviously,B次元官网网址� said Cooke. B次元官网网址淗is dogs had just taken off and in a situation like that, anything can happen. I thought I could see them and it looked like they were still moving OK.B次元官网网址�

Cooke said they then came upon some photographers, who relayed that someone had caught the team and was taking them back to Dawson.

B次元官网网址淭he dogs were fine,B次元官网网址� said Cooke. B次元官网网址淪o that was a relief.B次元官网网址�

Beattie then caught a ride on a snowmobile the rest of the way.

Cooke said he himself had issues with staying awake the night before.

B次元官网网址淚 was really struggling last night coming into Clinton Creek to stay awake, so I understand,B次元官网网址� said Cooke. B次元官网网址淎nd he didnB次元官网网址檛 get much sleep in Clinton Creek, I donB次元官网网址檛 think, so I can understand where he was coming from.B次元官网网址�

Race officials clarified to media that Beattie will not be penalized for the incident. Beattie was not made available for questions after arriving in Dawson.

Per the official Yukon Quest website, CookeB次元官网网址檚 arrival time was 3:17 p.m. and BeattieB次元官网网址檚 was 3:18 p.m.

Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com