Iditarod

Reigning Iditarod champion Brent Sass has scratched from this year’s race, due to what race officials described as “periodontal health” issues. So 31 teams remained in the race Saturday, and in this episode we hear from the chase pack-turned lead pack about how they were feeling about heading up the Yukon River, plus more from the top rookies in this year’s race. We have a powerhouse Dog of the Day with a funny, uh, pungent name, and a listener question about sled dog breeds that led us to the famous poodle musher.

With defending champ Brent Sass out, the top of the Iditarod field is scrambled, leaving four main teams at the top.

Eddie Burke Jr. and Hunter Keefe will need to face the windy Bering Sea coast before final placings get within reach.

Riley Dyche described 5-year-old Elway as fearless, smart and strong.

Ryan Redington arrived in Unalakleet early Sunday after a monster run from Kaltag to the coast, putting more distance between him and his rivals.

In this extended interview, we hear more from John Suter, an Iditarod finisher who famously had a team that included poodles. Suter ran the Iditarod with poodles in 1988, '89, '90 and '91, finishing each year ahead of other teams racing more traditional sled dogs.

Eddie Burke Jr. said he dozed off on his sled along the Yukon River and lost his team 18 miles from the nearest checkpoint. His closest competitor for rookie of the year gave him a lift.

Mike Williams Jr. said he put Viper in lead on a whim earlier this year. The 2-year-old has been leading the charge ever since.

From country music to motivational books to nothing at all.

It’s a close race between Ryan Redington, Richie Diehl and Pete Kaiser.

Ryan Redington has a secure hold on first place in the 2023 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, heading into the final 100 miles of trail. Meanwhile, one rookie musher had some trouble holding onto his dog sled, after falling asleep, falling off and getting a fortuitous lift. We have a listener question, not about losing a dog team, but about losing stuff along the Iditarod Trail. And it's a twofer of Dogs of the Day: Riley Dyche's smart and mellow Elway and Mike Williams Jr.'s smart and hyper Viper.

Ryan Redington’s closest competitors are Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl

The grandson of the “Father of the Iditarod” won his first Iditarod Tuesday on his 16th try.

Sven and Ghost led Ryan Redington to his first Iditarod victory on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old Ryan Redington has won his first Iditarod and the first championship for the Redington family, on his 16th try (and after six previous scratches). "I've just been on pins and needles," said his mom, Barb, at the finish line. We'll hear Redington's finish itself in this episode, and from Alaska Public Media's Lex Treinen about the finish and how Redington arrived there first. The dog friends that did the leading into Nome -- Sven and Ghost -- are our obvious picks for Dogs of the Day. And we have a listener question about dog-human friends, with a fun answer from a friendly musher.

After Ryan Redington’s win, Richie Diehl and Pete Kaiser say they’re showing that rural mushing isn’t dying.

The former amateur boxer and garbage truck driver had the best rookie finish since Jessie Holmes in 2018, finishing in seventh place.

Mushers have a lot to keep track of on the trail and sometimes leave things behind.

Wade Marrs says this will be the last Iditarod for his longtime leader Jet.

Alaska Native mushers took the podium in the 2023 Iditarod, with the Knik Kid, Ryan Redington, winning his first championship and Bethel's Pete Kaiser and Aniak's Richie Diehl mushing into second and third place. The race's top 10 were all into Nome by Wednesday morning, and we have an update on Rookie of the Year honors, as well as three Dogs of the Day, two listener questions and a story about collecting dog pee. Also: This'll do it for Season 7 of the Iditapod. Thanks for coming along with us on this thousand-mile journey!