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Darby Musher Jesse Royer Wins Race to the Sky a 3rd Time

Jesse Royer, of Darby, won the 300-mile Race to the Sky sled dog race

By Dillon Tabish

MISSOULA — Jesse Royer, of Darby, won the 300-mile Race to the Sky sled dog race for the second straight year, overcoming pouring rain and sloppy conditions on the final 20 miles.

The Missoulian reports the 38-year-old Iditarod veteran overtook Brett Bruggeman, the runner-up from Great Falls, in the pre-dawn darkness on the climb up Huckleberry Pass. She crossed the finish line at 8:39 a.m. Monday, marking an unprecedented third win in the race’s 31-year history.

Bruggeman came in seven minutes later.

While challenging weather has dogged most Races to the Sky in the past, few ended in a downpour like this one.

Royer said, “I don’t think I could get any wetter if I jumped in a lake right now.”