Special Projects

a person examines a dog and talks to a person

Iditarod head vet, Stuart Nelson, dies suddenly at age 71

It was not immediately clear what caused Nelson’s death, but early indications were that he had suffered a sudden health event.
A man with two dogs

Brent Sass to retire from sled dog racing months after sex assault allegations

The Iditarod had banned its 2022 champion from this year's race following accusations that he sexually assaulted multiple women.
a man behind a dog sled

Iditarod champion Rick Mackey dies of cancer at age 71

Mackey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1983 and his late brother, Lance, won an unprecedented four straight championships.
a musher and his dogs

Veteran musher Ramey Smyth to rebuild Iditarod’s collapsed Burled Arch in Nome

The veteran musher is also the owner of Willow-based Smyth Logwork and Construction, with a family history of building log homes.
a broken arch

Iditarod’s iconic Burled Arch collapses in Nome

The arch, which marks the end of the Iditarod Trail, collapsed Saturday. It was last renovated in 2013.
A man in a green jacket waves to fans on a street in downtown Anchorage Alaska.

In fundraising pitch, Iditarod planners say financial woes could jeopardize epic sled dog race

The message comes at a time when major Iditarod sponsors have dropped out, and inflation has increased the cost of participation.
four mushers

For the first time, 4 women mushers have finished in the Iditarod’s top 10

Paige Drobny’s team arrived here in 5th place early Wednesday morning, followed by Mille Porsild in 7th, Amanda Otto in 8th and Jessie Royer in 10th.
a dog outside in the snow

Timber, who loves to be near his musher

"He always wants to be near me," said Benjamin Good. "When he gets excited, he'll jump up and grab my beard with his front teeth."
a dog next to a box

Delmer, who doesn’t miss a thing

Delmer is six years old and racing in his fourth Iditarod, Pete Kaiser said.
a man with two dogs

Snowmachiner collides with Iditarod dog team

One dog on musher Bailey Vitello's team was struck but not injured, according to Iditarod officials.
a musher gets a kiss from a dog

Dallas Seavey wins record-breaking sixth Iditarod

Musher Dallas Seavey dashed across the finish line in Nome on Tuesday, breaking a tie with five-time champ Rick Swenson.
A woman on a sled in heavy winter clothing with bib number 37 being pulled by dogs down a road as viewed from above.

Iditarod reports third dog death of this year’s race

Henry, a 3-year-old on rookie Calvin Daugherty’s team, collapsed outside of Shaktoolik.
a musher puts booties on a dog

Iditarod set to mint Dallas Seavey as winningest musher of all time

If he wins, Dallas Seavey will have overcome a penalty earlier in the race for not sufficiently gutting a moose he shot after it attacked his team.
huskies next to a dog truck in a snowy street

Titan, of golden lineage

“He’s a sweet boy," Dallas Seavey said of Titan. "There’s a lot of things I love about him."
an aerial view of a musher on snow

Dallas Seavey leads Iditarod, eyeing a record-setting sixth win

Seavey regained the lead after a two-hour penalty earlier in the race.
a blonde and white dog

Rolex, who’s ‘very full of himself’

Rolex is part of “the fashion litter." His siblings are named Prada, Fenty and Chanel. 
a man puts pepperoni on a pizza

This Unalakleet restaurant is delivering hot pizza and warm messages to exhausted Iditarod mushers

Mushers’ family, friends and fans began calling Peace on Earth weeks ago to place pizza orders. Many asked for special messages to be written on the boxes.
a musher removes a dog booty from a paw

Iditarod reports second dog death of this year’s race

George, a 4-year-old on Hunter Keefe’s team, collapsed on the way to Unalakleet, race officials say.
a dog gets a kiss oustide

Skookum, the rowdy one

Lauro Eklund said Skookum means solid or strong, and it's the perfect name for a rowdy dog who's "beating up on his siblings all the time."
A man in an orange puffy jacket pushes a dog sled through the downtown streets of Anchorage.

Iditarod reports first dog death of this year’s race

Bog, a 2-year-old male, was on Isaac Teaford’s team. This is Teaford’s first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race.
a musher putting foot ointment on their dogs outside, the dogs are wearing red coats

Iditarod teams contend with frigid temperatures and sleep deprivation heading to the coast

The mushers are adding clothing to themselves and their dogs to stay warm in subzero windchills.
a black dog in a truck

Mayhem, ‘the sweetest girl on the team’

“She loves to be pet, so every time you’re walking by, she gives you a paw," said Anna Berington.
a musher puts out straw for their dogs

‘Tons can happen’: Iditarod teams mush into race’s second half

“We’re only halfway in the race, and tons can happen,” said musher Pete Kaiser.
a sled dog rests on a mat outside

Schooby, the old man

Nicolas Petit says Schooby “carries the world on his shoulders.”
a musher eats a meal inside

Iditarod musher Petit and his dogs chow down in Ruby after arriving first to the Yukon River town

Both the Big Lake musher and his voracious huskies were eager to eat, having made it to the Yukon River first Thursday night.

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