What others say: Allen Moore wins, keeping the mushing crown in Two Rivers

  • By Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Editorial
  • Friday, February 16, 2018 9:58am
  • Opinion

The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is a tough endeavor. Winning it is something generally only the best can do: the best mushers and the best dogs. Sometimes nature intervenes on the trail and someone unexpected comes out on top, but the race’s history shows that it’s the wise and the wily who have the edge.

Allen Moore, of Two Rivers, is certainly among them, having claimed his third Yukon Quest title in a convincing manner early Tuesday in Whitehorse, Yukon. He and his full team of 14 dogs arrived at the finish line at 6:59 a.m. Alaska time, several hours ahead of 2017 champion Matt Hall, also of Two Rivers.

Mr. Moore and his wife, 2000 Yukon Quest champion Aliy Zirkle, who has become an annual pick to win the Iditarod, operate their SP Kennel in Two Rivers and have become among the most-recognizable and successful names in the sport of long-distance and mid-distance mushing. They are fan favorites, something demonstrated once again as Mr. Moore spent time visiting with fans at the finish line in Whitehorse not long after capturing his third title.

So a loud “Congratulations” go out to Mr. Moore and to the dogs, which the three-time Quest champion said we’ll see again next month on the Iditarod trail, this time with Mrs. Zirkle in command.

Fans need to remember, however, that the race didn’t end with the victory by Mr. Moore and his team. The other mushers on the trail don’t suddenly pack up and go home. Mr. Hall finished shortly before 2 p.m. Alaska time in second place, leaving 12 teams on the trail out of the 26 who started the race in Fairbanks on Feb. 3.

Those remaining teams were spread across 170 miles of trail, meaning the finish line will remain an active site for a few more days.

This year’s Quest took a particular toll on the field. The deep and sustained cold of the first half of the race can’t be discounted as a factor in the decimation of the field. Temperatures hung in the 40s below for many days.

The severe cold made the race even tougher than usual. The Quest is already known to be inarguably harder than the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, having fewer checkpoints and therefore greater distances between them, as well as difficult climbs such as Rosebud, Eagle Summit, American Summit and King Solomon’s Dome.

And that’s what makes Mr. Moore’s accomplishment of three championships that much more notable. Also, he achieved his third title amid a competitive field that included last year’s champion; two-time champion Hugh Neff, of Tok; accomplished mushers, such as the Yukon’s Ed Hopkins; and up-and-comers like Michigan’s Laura Neese.

Mr. Moore said he’ll be back at the Quest again next year, likely with the aim of becoming the race’s third four-time winner, a feat accomplished by Lance Mackey of Fairbanks and Hans Gatt of Whitehorse. But we bet he won’t stop there; we bet he’ll ultimately aim to become the first five-time champion.

For now, though, let’s congratulate Allen Moore; his wife; and their dogs on winning the 2018 Yukon Quest.

— Fairbanks Daily News-Miner,

Feb. 14

More in Opinion

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks in support overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
Capitol Corner: Finishing a session that will make a lasting impact

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.