Category Archives: Sled Dog Races

Mush with PRIDE

Posted on April 1, 2019 by

The organization Mush with P.R.I.D.E., established in 1991 as an organization of mushers who were concerned about the care of sled dogs and public perceptions of mushing, supports the responsible care and humane treatment of all dogs, and is dedicated to enhancing the care and treatment of sled dogs in their traditional and modern uses. Continue reading →

Posted in Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races, Yukon Quest | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Project Jukebox: Mushing

Posted on March 23, 2019 by

“Dog Mushing in Alaska” highlights stories related to the history of dog mushing in Alaska, showcasing historic oral history interviews and incorporating new recordings into the collection. The recordings included in this project represent various aspects of dog mushing, including traditional use, freighting, mail carrying, recreational use, tourism, sled building, trail systems, dog care, and racing.  Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Planet Mackey

Posted on March 17, 2019 by

Lance Mackey’s achievements were such that they caught the attention of two famous astronomers, and they named a minor planet in his honor. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Iditarod National Historic Trail

Posted on March 8, 2019 by

Nationally, our Historic Trails commemorate major routes of exploration, migration, trade, communications, and military actions that formed America, and only 16 trails in the U.S. have been honored as National Historic Trails. The Iditarod is the only Alaskan trail in the National system, and the only Historic Trail celebrating the indispensable role played by man’s best friend in America’s Last Great Gold Rush. Without dependable sled dogs hauling freight, passengers, mail and more, the history of Alaska and the north country would have been quite different. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Gold Rush History, Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dog Gone Addiction

Posted on January 17, 2019 by

The international award-winning film by Becky Bristow, Dog Gone Addiction, follows three women as they test their personal limits, driving their dog teams through record cold temperatures and over icy mountain passes in the 2007 Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile sled dog race from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska. The film focuses on a young Canadian mother, Michelle Phillips; Agata Franczak, a 48-year-old Polish adventurer; and Kelley Griffin, a veteran Alaskan musher. Continue reading →

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1967 Centennial Race

Posted on January 11, 2019 by

The 1967 race was billed as ‘the biggest event in racing history,’ with an unprecedented purse of $25,000, richer than any purse offered for a sled dog race until then. It attracted mushers from all around Alaska, respected dog drivers such as George Attla, Gareth Wright, Earl Norris, Jerry Riley, Orville Lake, Herbie Nayokpuk, Dick Mackey, and even two champion sprint mushers from Massachusetts: Dr. Roland Lombard and Dr. Charles Belford. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1911 Iditarod Sweepstakes

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

On New Year’s Day, January 1, 1911, 62 years before the inaugural run of today’s race, the First Annual Iditarod Sweepstakes Race was held over a 20-mile course which started in front of the Miners and Merchants Bank in the town of Iditarod. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, Gold Rush History, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The First Iditarod, 2nd Edition

Posted on December 28, 2018 by

From 2007 to 2012 I travelled across Alaska to visit veteran mushers from the 1973 race who would share their memories of what has since become known as “The Last Great Race on Earth.” The bulk of my book is comprised of the verbatim words of these intrepid men who drove their teams on that first journey to Nome in 1973, captured through recorded and videotaped interviews and many notes and follow-up letters and emails. Continue reading →

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All Alaska Sweepstakes

Posted on December 13, 2018 by

The historic All Alaska Sweepstakes is the oldest organized distance sled dog race in the world, with records kept by the Nome Kennel Club dating back to the first race in 1908. The race, which was held from 1908 to 1917, and commemorated with 75th and 100th anniversary races in 1983 and 2008, is the subject of All Alaska Sweepstakes: History of the Great Sled Dog Race, by Helen Hegener. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Gold Rush History, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sled Dog Tales

Posted on December 11, 2018 by

True stories include Alaskan mail carrier Eli Smith’s epic trip to Washington, D.C., Alaska Nellie’s daring rescue of a lost mail carrier, the Rev. Samuel Hall Young’s 1913 trip over the Iditarod Trail, and Territorial Judge James Wickersham’s 1901 dogsled trip down the frozen Yukon River from Eagle to Rampart. Fascinating stories of Alaska’s history as seen from the runners of a dogsled! Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Gold Rush History, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment