Jeremiah Ovard is an Alaskan dog musher based in Wasilla, preparing to take on his first Iditarod.
Having spent much of his childhood moving around the United States, including several years in Alaska, Jeremiah developed an early fascination with sled dogs and the wilderness.
Now working with Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska in Willow, he has gained valuable experience competing in races including the Copper Basin 300 and Su Dog 300.
A devoted family man with a passion for outdoor adventure, Jeremiah enjoys exploring Alaska’s wild landscapes and spending time with his dogs, whose companionship makes mushing particularly special to him.
What is your full name?
Jeremiah David Ovard
Do you have a nickname?
Nope, I’ve always been Jeremiah
Do you have a kennel name?
I’ve been with Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska at Snowhook Kennel for several years
How old are you?
I just turned 41 today (26th October 2026)
Where were you brought up?
I was born on an Air Force Base in Washington State. I was on Air Force Bases until I was 13, when my dad retired from the service and we moved back to where my parents were from in Idaho. That didn’t really stick either and we moved to Oregon after a few years. In all that travelling growing up my favorite place was Alaska. We lived just outside of Fairbanks for four years when I was a kid.
Where do you live now?
I live in Wasilla, been there for just over 13 years with my wife and kids, but I work and train in Willow.
How many sled dogs do you own?
Dog ownership is kind of an interesting thing. There are over 80 dogs at Snowhook. If you asked the owner Justin, my boss and mentor, he would say they’re all his dogs, and I’m not going to dispute that. But I think there are several of the dogs that if you asked whether they were Justin’s or mine, they would tell a different story.
What races have you competed in?
The first race I ran was the Goose Bay 150 a couple years ago. It was the last time the race went to Talvista Lodge, and that was a fun experience. Since then I’ve run the Copper Basin, and I ran in the Inaugural Su Dog 300 last year.
Has it always been a dream to run the Iditarod?
I’ve been interested in mushing since I was a kid, but it always seemed well outside of my reach. I had a very suburban childhood, we weren’t outdoorsy and didn’t do big adventurous things. Becoming a person who has the opportunities and capacity to get out and achieve big goals over the last couple of years has been a pretty cool experience. As this has been happening I’ve really been trying to convince my own kids to start dreaming big and working towards things they want to accomplish and grow into, hopefully they start down a path like this a little earlier in their own lives than I have.
What made you decide that this year would be the year to sign up for the race?
Once I started racing and working toward this goal I knew I’d be signing up to do this as soon as was practically possible, and this is the year.
What can you tell me about your team?
My whole team isn’t totally finalized yet. We have a lot of good dogs still vying for positions on the race team at Snowhook. But there are several dogs who have been racing and training with me for the last few years. I started with some younger dogs, knowing I would be building up to this year. Of course they’re amazing, strong, capable and driven. They’re Iditarod dogs. But I guess what I love about them most is they’re some of the very best friends I’ve ever had. I love heading out on the trail with these dogs and I’m problematically addicted to this symbiotic experience we have when I’m trusting them to get me where we’re going and they’re trusting me to love and care for them on the way, but sometimes I love it just as much when I can just let the whole team loose to run around the kennel and we walk our property together. They’ll run and play and just keep coming back to me for love and affection. Looking into the eyes of an Alaskan Husky and having them stare back into yours with so much honesty, care, love, and joy is a special kind of experience.
Do you have a website?
Just the social media pages. My race focused facebook page is called “Ovard The Last Frontier” but whether you find me there, on my personal page or on Instagram, Dogs and racing is really all I post about. Well, that and some fun times with my kids.
Do you have sponsors?
Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska has been an enormous support. The dogs, training, time, and coaching I’ve gotten from Justin Savidis has been just an amazing amount of support. I’ve also received a lot of support in the form of amazing gear from The Buffalo Wool Co. Frank and Deanna Siegler generously offered to cover my entry fee for Iditarod before the rookie discounts were announced this year. And this is pretty cool, when Iditarod cut 80% of the entry fee for rookies, they still donated the full $4,000 and covered the entry fee for four more rookie mushers. I’ve had several people help sponsor and donate on an individual basis, and I hope to have a few more sponsorships to announce in the near future, I guess we’ll see what happens next.
Do you look up to a specific musher?
Justin Savidis. I don’t want to seem like I’m brown nosing my boss here, but he’s built an amazing place out here in Willow where we get to showcase the very best of what dog mushing can be to thousands and thousands of people every year. His care for these dogs and what they do, and his loyalty to every dog that becomes a part of his kennel is amazing.
Have you handled for an Iditarod Veteran musher in the past?
Just in my time working here at Snowhook with Justin.
Have you won any awards during a race?
Not yet, but there’s still time.
What’s your favourite sled dog race?
So far, it’s definitely the Copper Basin. I was warned many many times that it was a seriously challenging race, and I expected it to be hard, but it still completely blew my mind. It was an incredible experience in some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen, and yeah, it was hard. That was what made it so awesome. I also really enjoyed the Su Dog. They put together some amazing trail and did a fantastic job with that race.
How are you preparing for your first Iditarod?
Lots of dog running, collecting gear, getting in better shape. It’s constantly on my mind.
What do you think you can expect from Iditarod?
I expect it to be hard, and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. I’m ready to get out there, be seriously intimidated by the vastness of the land and the goal out in front of me, have some amazing experiences with a team full of my best friends, and come back having accomplished something I can barely wrap my head around.
What’s the best advice you have received regarding mushing?
I think I’ve gotten my very best advice about mushing from the dogs. Keep pulling out the snowhook and get moving. Never look back, instead find a way out facing forward. And have joy in every moment of the journey.
Are you from a mushing background?
Not a bit.
Is there a certain part of the Iditarod trail you are looking forward to?
I’m really excited to run dogs into Rainy Pass. I’ve had the great fortune to go out to Rainy Pass Lodge twice over the last couple of years and gotten to be good friends with the Perrins family. I flew out once with a team of dogs and ran tours around their trails for guests they had staying at their lodge, and I went again last summer on a retreat with my wife. One of my sons also had the chance to spend a week out there as part of a youth camp they run. I’ve been pretty lucky to get to meet such amazing people and see the place before my race.
Is there any part of the Iditarod trail you are nervous about, like the Bering Sea coast or the Steps?
I may regret saying this, but those are the parts I’m most excited about. Maybe you’ve heard of type 2 fun? It’s the kind of experience people say was awful in the moment but they enjoy it in memory, either because it was hard or scary. I’ve always had a bit of a problem where I enjoy that kind of fun even as it’s happening. I won’t be surprised if a good deal of what I see out on the Iditarod Trail ends up being a bit too far down the type 2 spectrum even for me, but right now, I’m pretty excited about it.
If for some reason you don’t make it to the finish line in Nome, will you try again?
I’ll make it.
What kind of things do you like to do when not mushing?
I’m all about any type of outdoor adventure. When I’m not outdoors, I enjoy reading and cooking. But I guess I mostly enjoy outdoor cooking, so maybe that has to be considered an outdoor activity too.
What is your favorite food / drink?
I’m not good with the favorites kind of question. I’m not picky, I enjoy lots of things.
What’s your favorite music?
Same thing. I don’t have a favorite type of music, I enjoy lots of music in lots of categories. I can’t listen to any kind of curated music list, because I’ll like one or two bands in almost any genre, but nothing else in that style of music.
What’s your favorite film?
Same.
What’s your favorite book?
Same.
What’s your favorite city?
All my favorite places are decidedly not in cities.
What’s your favorite item of clothing?
This one I can absolutely answer. I have a Buffalo Wool neck gaiter that is my absolute favorite piece of clothing. It’s almost impossible to believe just how effective it is and I can easily throw it on or take it off with any gear I’m wearing to make an immediate difference in how comfortable I am out on the trail.
Do you have a lucky charm?
No.
Thank you to Jeremiah for taking time to answer our questions in the Meet the Rookie series.
We wish him the best of luck in the 2027 Iditarod.
You can follow his race on the Iditarod website.
You can also support Jeremiah through his Facebook Page – Ovard The Last Frontier
Photos courtesy of Jeremiah Ovard / Whitney McLaren
