Ryan Redington from Knik in Alaska has been running dogs since he could reach the handle bars.
Not surprisingly he comes from the famous line of Redington mushers, whos grandfather Joe Redington Snr is known as the Father of the Iditarod as he founded it back in 1967 to not only commemorate 100 years since Alaska has been inducted into the United States of America from Russia but also to honour the great Leonard Seppala and the Great Serum Run.
Anyone that knows the Redington family will know that your grandfather founded the Iditarod. What does this mean to you ?
Carrying on the family tradition means a lot to me.
I hope that a Redington runs the Iditarod for many more generations.
Can you remember the very first time you experienced being on a sled with a dog team ? What was it like ?
It was with my Dad and it was amazing. I was on a tag sled with my Dad right in front of me. I was only a little child. I will never forget how much fun that experience was.
At what age did you get your own sled dog. Tell us about him / her.
My Dad always had about 80 to 90 dogs when I was growing up.
When I was 12 years old I went to watch my Grandpa in the serum run in Manley hot springs and came home with a dog from Llyod Charlie.
How many dogs do you own now and is there a certain one that has a special place in your heart. ?
33 dogs I own now. They all have a special place in my heart. There are so many great dogs that I have now. Henry, Earhart, Ghost, splint, teddy to name a few.
For anyone wanting to learn how to run a sled team, what advice would you give ?
Find a musher and go help them on a few runs. Best way to learn. And try your own ways once you have your own dogs but then you will have the knowledge of what its supposed to look like and what works and does not work.
How and when do you train your dogs to prepare for a race ?
My dogs run year round. Right now we are increasing our miles. They pull me on a honda 4 wheeler.
Since competing in your first race, which other races have you competed in ?
I have competed in many jr races, I have raced in the jr Iditarod which is a 150 mile race for 14 to 17 year olds.
I have raced the Iditarod many times with my best finish being 8th place in 2020.
I have raced Fur Rondy open world championship, wyoming stage, iditarod, copper basin, UP 200, and many other races. Races we have won includes Jr. Iditarod, Goose Bay 150, Aurora 25 25, Aurora 50 50, Alaska Excursions 120, Knik 200, Klondike 300, Northern Lights 300, gunflint Mail Trail race, john beargrease marathon.
Would you say the Iditarod was your favourite race and why ? If not, which is your favourite race ?
Iditarod is my favorite race because of the challenges. But there are many races that are really close to my favorites, the John Beargrease Marathon, the U.P. 200.
A lot of prep needs doing before a race, can you tell us what this entails ?
I will train 3000 miles before Iditarod this year.
Your brothers are also well known mushers, how do you feel when competing against them ?
I love racing with my brothers. It feels great to have them on the trails with me. Sometimes they beat me and sometimes I beat them.
Did Covid-19 affect the 2020 Iditarod for you in any way ?
No, not really. I missed seeing friends in Nome that didn’t come because of Covid. And there was no award ceremony, but most of all just missed the opportunity to see friends that would have been in nome who would have flown there.
Has Covid-19 affected your life at all since the Iditarod ?
It has greatly affected me because I give sled dog rides during the cruise ship season in Alaska and they did not happen this summer. No work for me.
What is your routine on a day to day basis ?
Being a Dad to 2 awesome kids and training dogs.
Can you explain to us, your method of training new pups to run in harness ?
I hook them up with some experienced dogs and go about 1 mile for their first run.
At what age do you start training pups to pull a sled ?
6 months old
What is it like to compete with your dogs across 1000 miles of the unknown ?
It is amazing to do this with my dogs. They are my best friends. I love the Iditarod and meeting and visiting with the village people, the volunteers along the way. And the scenery is the best.
What is it like to compete with your dogs across 1000 miles of the unknown ?
It is amazing to do this with my dogs. They are my best friends. I love the Iditarod and meeting and visiting with the village people, the volunteers along the way. And the scenery is the best.
Do you have a certain method of what to eat and when to eat when your out on the trail ?
I like all foods, and vacuum seal it before sending it out on the trail.
What kind of things are on your sled during a race ?
I carry a music playing device, mandated gear, extra dog food, a gun to protect against wildlife like a moose.
What is your biggest dream ?
Winning the Iditarod.
Do you get the best feeling when leaving the start line of Iditarod or when crossing the finish line ?
Finishing
What is the ceremonial start like for you ?
Lots of fun meeting so many fans of the sport and the mushers.
Are any of the other mushers close friends of yours ?
So many, Wade marrs, nic petit, Joar,
If you had to put a team together using dogs owned by other mushers, which dogs would you use ?
My Dads dogs because they are so good.
If you could choose any celebrity to have as your Iditarider, who would it be ?
Steph Curry
Have you ever encountered a storm ? How bad was it ?
Yes, but I think the cold is more challenging. I froze my face in the Iditarod. Temperatures were 63 below zero and my face turned black. Paul gebhardt gave me burn cream and it prevented my face from scarring.
A huge thank you to Ryan Redington for taking the time out from his busy Iditarod 2021 training schedule for this interview.
You can find out more about ryan redington on his website at redingtonmushing.com
