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Dan Seavey at the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod. March 2010. |
Friday, May 9, 2025
Iditarod Trailblazer Dan Seavey dies at age 87
Sunday, March 30, 2025
2025 Kobuk 440 musher roster and preview
The Kobuk has had some of the most exciting finishes of any race, coming down to just seconds a time or two, and is always a musher and fan favorite. The race is well known for its creative and humorous social media volunteer team that never seems to sleep during the race but always brings the fun.
This year there will be fourteen teams headed down the trail, many coming from outside of the region. Four women are in the mix, as well as an Iditarod Champion. There are mushers hoping to finish up their qualifiers ahead of the 2025-26 season, their eyes set on "the big one" in 2026. There are mushers who are hoping to finish their season on a strong note. Mushers who have more they want to prove of their team. Mushers whose motives are anyone's guess.
Many fan favorites will race in the Kobuk in April. Let's discuss who have the best chance to take home the top prize.
Who to Watch
Eddie Burke Jr - Eddie's been working hard to rebuild his kennel with a fresh set of young dogs bred at Off the Rails Kennel. He managed to run several races with his "puppy team" this season even with the lackluster winter South Central Alaska suffered. Burke even tried his hand at the Rondy Invitational where he took his long distance doggos to a sprint race. They did pretty well. Burke has been a quick study on the back of a dog sled, the 2023 Iditarod Rookie of the Year has high hopes for his team's future, and it starts here. Eddie withdrew ahead of race day.
Hugh Neff - Let's just.... put aside the controversy shall we? Neff is reportedly running a team borrowed from Iditarod Champion Dean Osmar (from the Kenai Peninsula) and where Hugh is - well, we can't count him out. Expect Neff to run an aggressive race. He is out to prove something to someone most likely and he wants to give his fans a show. He's won this race before, and he's hungry for another one.
Jessie Holmes - Jessie loves the Kobuk. Jessie just had the magic carpet ride on the Iditarod. Jessie has the team that dares you to try and beat them. Team Can't Stop is just that, a team that can't and won't stop. You'll have to out race them at every part of the race this year. Expect the reinging Kobuk champion to do everything in his power to do it again.
Rohn Buser - Rohn's race season kinda went sideways for good reasons (he's a new dad of TWO!) and he was a late entry for this year's Kobuk. He's got his sights set on Iditarod 2026 so this will be most likely a race that he uses as a "training run" for his team as he starts the work to prepare for "the big one". Buser is very capable of playing more than a spoiler in this race, and it will be interesting to see the approach he takes.
Let's also give some nods to teams that could totally blow this prediction out of the water. James Bourquin had a fantastic race last year with the Kobuk finishing 3rd. Jim could easily do it again if conditions are right. Anna Hennessy and Kristy Berington both are running teams that had phenominal success for their respective kennels. Anna is running a team made up of the dogs that Emily Ford ran in this year's Iditarod, and Kristy is running the dogs her sister Anna took down the trail. And right behind Anna Berington was Lauro Eklund who could also surprise us. It's a stacked field, let's just leave it at that.
So let's just take a look at all fourteen signed up for the race that begins April 3, shall we? (As always, once bib numbers are published this blog post will be updated with bib numbers. Currently the list is in alphabetical order.)
Musher Roster
Bib | Musher | Kennel | Link | Link | Link |
1 | Lauro Eklund | Skookum Expeditions | Website | ||
2 | Jessie Holmes | Team Can't Stop | Website | ||
3 | Kristy Berington | Seeing Double Racing | Website | ||
4 | James Bourquin | Orion Kennel | |||
5 | Quince Mountain | BraverMountain Kennel | Website | BlueSky | |
6 | Jody Potts-Joseph | Raven Clan Kennels | Website | ||
7 | Sam Paperman | Turning Heads Kennel | Website | ||
8 | Sadie Lindquist | Seavey's Ididaride | Website | ||
9 | Kevin Hansen | Hansen Kennel | |||
10 | Hugh Neff | Dean Osmar | |||
11 | Rohn Buser | Susitna Sled Dog Adventures | Website | ||
12 | Anna Hennessy | Shameless Huskies | Website | ||
13 | Adam Lindenmuth | Sojourn Kennels |
You know who's racing, but how are you going to watch if you can't get up to Kotzebue? So glad you asked!
How to Watch
Unlike what we just had with Iditarod (if you paid for Insider), the Kobuk like most of the mid-distance races relies more on social media posts and radio updates than they do video. Depending on weather and internet connection there may be live video of the start and finish, according to accuweather the thermometer is set to read just above zero though the chill in the air will make it feel like -11. A frozen feed (pun somewhat intended) is possible, though the volunteer social media crew have gotten pretty good at making videos happen even if the livefeed doesn't. Along with the video feeds there are ways to keep up with the race happenings, so let's make sure we have all of the links you need.
Official Website
You can find the rules, links to all ways of following the race, and the history of the Kobuk 440 here. Musher bios are also available. The official website may have links to live feeds, so also keep a look out for that. Click here for the link.
GPS Tracker
We're all attached to this bit of technology. If you wonder where the term "tracky boi" came from, you can thank the Kobuk 440. Their social media team were the first to coin the phrase... the phrase that sets some fans' teeth on edge, but it's becoming more endearing each year. Once again, you can follow the race thanks to TrackLeaders. Beep-boop-beep.
Radio Broadcast
Race updates throughout the weekend will be broadcast over on KOTZ-AM. They have a livestream. They may broadcast the start, but it's unclear. Click here to listen in. (If that link doesn't work, try this one.)
Social Media
This is where it's at. The most entertaining race has to be the Kobuk 440 for their amazing social media team. The volunteers know how to get and keep your attention. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter where they are most active as well as Instagram. KOTZ-AM also has a Facebook page that should share some race info throughout the weekend.
You know HOW to watch, but let's make sure you catch all the action by giving you the days and times of what is planned.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, April 2
10:00am - Meet the Mushers (Radio Interviews)
6:00pm - Musher Meeting/Bib Draw
Thursday, April 3
12:30pm - Race Mass Start
Monday, April 7
2:00pm - Finish Cutoff
6:00pm - Awards Ceremony
Who are you excited to follow? Thoughts on who may take home the top prize? Comment with your thoughts below!
And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.
Friday, March 21, 2025
2025 T-Dog musher roster and race preview
The T-Dog is the brain child of Tekla Monson-Butcher. Tekla wanted to create a race that sounded like the races she grew up hearing about where mushers were racing but it was all for fun. Mushers that mentored each other, camped together, ran together. Tekla's race in just three years has become one of the most popular by teams looking for fun over competition as well as those dipping their toes into racing on their way to "the big one."
The T-Dog is a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to how it runs - there's no cash purse. The race wants to encourage mentorship as well as sportsmanship, hoping the more experienced mushers will take the time to come alongside those that are green. The award is bragging rights (as well as donated prizes) as well as having a good time. Oh, and not all of the teams are pulling dog sleds! The 200 mile race is the only class that must be with sleds, but the 100 and 50 also have bikejor and skijor entrants! This is a celebration of winter dog sport at its finest.
As stated there are three separate classes. The 200 mile sled dog race, the 100 mile race, and a 50 mile race. The 200 mile race can be used as a qualifier for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races. The best way to find out exactly what each class entails you can read up on the rules.
For this post we're going to focus on the 200 and 100 milers, as the majority of those racers are on dog sled. They are also, typically, running from a kennel and most are adults - not teens. Trying to keep privacy to those who aren't your typical racers. Note that all three classes, however, will have trackers. We'll get to all of that, though in a little bit. Because they are not running for a purse, we'll forgo the predictions of who are the ones to watch - let's keep with the spirit of the T-Dog. Let's see who we have racing this year, shall we? (Roster is sorted alphabetically, which is different from how they are listed by the race on their website.)
200 Mile
Musher | Kennel | Link | Link | Link |
Adam Lindenmuth | Sojourn Kennels | |||
Alison Lifka | Shenanigans Kennel | |||
Andrew Wappett | Snowdrift Kennel | |||
Annette Llanes | Honky Tonk Kennel | |||
Ashley Dove | Crooked Creek Kennel | Website | ||
Bailey Vitello | Team Bailey | Website | ||
Brianna Blomgren | Team Bailey | |||
Emma Lewis | Wildwoods Mushing | |||
Erika Loebrich | Star Gazer Racing | Website | ||
Jennifer Nelson | Northern Lone Star Mushing | |||
Jessica Burr Lemaire | The Comstock Kennel | Website | ||
Joe Taylor | Mushing Malarkey | Website | ||
Kamey Kapp Worland | The Dog Lot | |||
Katrina Handler | Trail Breaker Kennel | Website | ||
Lindsay Llanes | Honky Tonk Kennel | |||
Michael Roddewig | Sage Mountain Kennel | Website | ||
Richie Beattie | Wildthingz Dog Mushing | Website | ||
Sam McLain | Skookum Expeditions | Website | ||
Sam Paperman | Turning Heads Kennel | Website | ||
Sarah Richards | Deja Vu Sled Dogs | Website | ||
Shane Blumentritt | Cold Start Kennel | |||
Skylar Whitcomb | Shameless Huskies |
Musher | Kennel | Link | Link | Link |
Abbey VandenBerg | Cloudberry Kennel | |||
Anja Maijala | Skier | |||
Ashley Patterson | Lone Wolf Kennel | Website | ||
Brenda Mackey | Mackey's Alaskan Distance Dogs | Website | ||
Eddie Burke Jr | Off the Rails Racing | Website | ||
Hailey Pearson | Twinkle Toes the Arctic Panther | |||
Hazel Sutton | Goldstream Girls Racing Kennel | |||
Isabel Rhodes | Mackey's Alaskan Distance Dogs | Website | ||
Jay Allyn | Orange Blossom Kennel | |||
Jennifer Hallsten | Midnight Sun K9s | |||
Jenny Simard | ? | |||
JJ Shelley | There & Back Again Sled Dogs | Website | ||
Juliah DeLoach | Oil Well Kennel | |||
Kathleen Frederick | Shameless Huskies | |||
Ned Rozell | Bikejor | |||
Stefan Milkowski | Bikejor | |||
Torleif Bentzen | Whisky Jack’s Kennel |
4pm Vet Checks for 200 mile (Manley)
7pm Musher Meeting for 200 mile (Manley)
8pm Kickoff Concert (Manley)
8am-10am 200 Mile Start (mushers may choose when to leave)
9pm Musher Meeting for 100 mile (Minto)
8am 200 mile Sourdough (re)Start (Minto)
8am 50 mile start (Nenana)
5:30pm Finisher's Banquet (Fairbanks)