Bruggeman wins Race to the Sky

Brett Bruggeman from Great Falls battled subzero temperatures, winds and drifting snow to win the 2019 Race to the Sky, crossing the finish line at 6:02 a.m. Tuesday morning, Feb. 12 at Hi-Country Snack Foods.

The win is Bruggeman's first in the Race to the Sky, which he has competed in every year since 2013. He finished second in 2016.

Bruggeman, an endodontist by trade, owns Skinny Leg Sleddogs and counts Lincoln's Doug Swingley, the 1991 Race to the sky winner who went on to win the Iditarod four times, as a mentor. He founded his kennel with dogs from Swingley's Alaskan Husky bloodlines.

Darby's Gabe Dunham finished second, reaching Lincoln at 9:18 a.m. with nine dogs. Clayton Perry of Power rounded out the top three, by finishing at 9:38 a.m., also with nine dogs.

This year's 34th annual Race to the Sky was dedicated to Jack Beckstrom, who launched the existing race as the Governors Cup Sled Dog Race in 1986. Beckstrom passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack March 5, 2018.