A Family of Champions

Mitch Seavey has won the Iditerod Dog Sled Race three times. He graciously opens his kennels to tourists who come to learn about this amazing sport. His father Dan was a lawyer from the Midwest. As a child Dan enjoyed the TV exploits of Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King. He loved the show so much that he moved to Alaska and lived out his dream of becoming a musher. Dan’s son Mitch began learning the sport as a child, and now, after finishing first in three Iditerod races, he is considered to be the best in the world. This year Mitch’s son Dallas entered the contest. When his lead dog became unable to compete, Mitch loaned Dallas his own lead dog, and Dallas won the 2024 Iditerod. This grueling race covers a distance equal to that between Miami and Washington, D.C. It is held in deep snow and temperatures that fall to -40° F. The Seaveys are a family of champions.

Since we have visited the kennels of several of the Iditerod mushers on our visits to Alaska, we were shocked as we walked onto the grounds of the Seavey estate—shocked by its order and cleanliness. We saw a row of small wooden houses tall enough for a man to enter standing. Each one is equipped with water and electricity. These are the houses for Seavey’s dogs. Each dog has its own personality and preferences. The trainers know which dogs prefer to have a roommate and which prefer to be housed alone. The dogs receive the best possible care, but this doesn’t mean they are pampered. The skin of Alaskan huskies does better if it is never washed or brushed. The dogs often choose to sleep outside in the winter, because they prefer a temperature of about -10° F. They are athletes, and they are trained every day regardless of the weather. They receive a specially formulated high-protein diet and the most elaborate veterinary care.

We got a glimpse inside this strange world of the Alaskan husky today, and as a part of their daily training, they pulled six of us tourists and a musher around a one-mile course. Hunter, our guide, gave us the most informative presentation about dog sled racing we have ever heard.

We were honored today to visit with Seavey’s dogs. We got to pet them and thank them for the ride they gave us through a mysteriously beautiful Alaskan forest. We learned also that the real family of champions is not only the two-legged champions that drive the sled, but also the four-legged champions that pull it.Les mer