My experience with Team Seavey

2007 Wildride, retired Iditarod Champions Angus and Zebra
pull Alaskan Malamute rescue Buddy out of the Arena.

Guys, I'm having a hard time remaining silent. For over a month I've watched a friend and former employer go through some pretty crappy things, and for the most part he's handled it with far more grace and dignity than I ever could. But, in the last couple of weeks, a couple of blowhards looking for - I guess - a little more limelight decided to jump on the hate train and come out with some pretty ugly allegations of their own. I won't link to their writings, because I feel that any more hits to their site is exactly what they want... and she who must not be named demanded over two years ago that I not use her name on my blog. So I won't. But if you're reading this blog post, my guess is you know who and what I'm talking about.

I met Dallas Seavey in the spring of 2007. He was starting a new attraction in Downtown Anchorage and was hiring folks to work in his gift shop. I ended up landing a "bigger" role than "just" gift shop girl. I ran the soundboard for his outdoor arena where he and his [then] fiance and a few other mushers showcased the power of the sled dog. I worked for them for four summers straight. It was probably the most fun I have EVER had with a job - and that's including my being a professional photographer. I'm not exaggerating for anyone. You can pretty much ask anyone who knows me - I talk about Wildride, still, after 10 years. I LOVED that job. I LOVED being around dogs and puppies all day. I LOVE the people I got to work with.

After I moved back to the Kenai in 2011, I figured I was done working for the team in any sort of capacity. I didn't even make it up to see the show in its final year, I was so busy trying to make ends meet. It was a very lonely time. I missed being part in some way of a sled dog team. How weird is that? I was never a dog handler. I still can't tell you the more intimate details of training, feeding, etc. But I loved being a part of the bigger picture. It wasn't long, though, before Team Seavey came calling again.

I worked for Mitch Seavey for another three years. Again, not in any dog handling position, but the daily office work that comes with running a touring business as well as social media for an active racing kennel. Again, I had a blast and learned so much and I'll always be grateful. But this was where I became increasingly aware of the ugliness of mushing. Don't think this is going to be a blog post supporting the allegations being lobbied at both Dallas and Mitch, far from it. I'm talking the ugly, untrue, and disgusting thing said by the likes of PeTA and other "Animal Rights" organizations against the Iditarod and the sport itself. One group used to have a "head hunter" list of mushers who needed to be "dealt with". Their photos from the Iditarod Website were placed on wanted posters. It was crazy. But the real kicker was when "fellow mushers" (term used loosely) decided to go after the team that was on top.

My first encounter with Mitch was my first week of work with Dallas back in 2007. That was the year that the Ramy Brooks "incident" happened during Iditarod. The decision had just come down from the Iditarod that Brooks would be banned from the race for 2 years, and following that would have a 3 year probation. As a fan of the sport, I felt the sentence was too light (still do), and for some reason when I met Mitch it was a burning question in my head that I had to ask. What did he think? I woke the bear with that question. Mitch has a way with words. Many find him standoffish with not a lot to say, but I think he just likes to choose his words carefully. One of the many things I admire about Mitch is how he presents himself, and how he speaks. I could listen to him talk shop for hours (which I've been chastised by his wife at different functions where the last thing she wants to hear is more dog talk).

Mitch let it be known than hitting/spanking/beating a dog was the most asinine way to try to get a dog to run. Key word is "try". You cannot beat a dog to run. That was a point he stated repeatedly in his - what felt like eternal - rant. Nothing good comes from losing your temper and taking it out on your team. The dogs' first instinct is to curl up and protect itself by shutting down and hoping it stops. They do  not understand what they are doing "wrong". Sled dogs are out there to have fun. Period. If it isn't fun, they stop. It is a delicate balance of how much you can push and for how long before they pull a Forrest Gump, stop, turn around and say, "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now" in the middle of no where. It's a mantra that Mitch has held on to I'm sure his entire racing career.

It's why his kids and fans sometimes get frustrated with him because he typically plays it a little "too safe" and holds his dogs back and makes the push too late. You don't want the race to ever become a chore for the dogs. When it does, it's not pretty. Most mushers eventually take it in stride and hang their head low knowing they - not the dogs - did something wrong. They forgot for a second about the dogs need to have fun, and they focused on the placement. Or they were just having so much fun themselves going at a nice clip that they didn't see the subtle warning signs.

Please note: this is what I took away from Mitch's statements over the years, I in no way speak for him.

You can see how my first year working for Dallas & Mitch shaped my outlook on the sport. The Seaveys have been a part of the Iditarod since the beginning. Since before the beginning. Dan Seavey (possibly one of the greatest human beings to ever breathe air) was one of the friends helping Joe Redington get his crazy idea of a race started. He's raced it. He's defended it. He's watched a son and a grandson both win it. Iditarod's a big deal in their family. Their involvement is due to Dan following a childhood dream to Alaska and staying here to see it through.