Women Winners of the Iditarod
Female Mushers Guide Huskies Across Alaska Wilderness
Adventuresome women, such as Riddles, Butcher, and Jonrowe, prove their grit in the rugged, 1100 mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome.
Since the first Iditarod in 1973, there have been only two women to mush their sled dogs to a first place win in Nome. They are Libby Riddles and Susan Butcher. Many others have proved their strong spirit in the grueling race.
Libby Riddles
Libby Riddles learned to love sled dogs and the way they loved to run, after moving to Alaska when she was 16. With several smaller race wins, she entered the Iditarod. In 1980 she placed 18th and in 1981, she placed 20th. Being a great adventurer who didn’t believe in the word ‘impossible’ Libby decided to get serious and set her sights on becoming the first woman to win the Iditarod
Breeding her own team of dogs seemed to do the trick for the 1985 Iditarod where Riddles was a strong contender, staying with the frontrunners. But it was Libby’s fearless determination that brought her home to Nome ahead of all the others. Braving a dangerous blizzard that forced the other mushers to stay in the safety of the checkpoint, Libby set out for the win. The blowing snow obscured trail markers but when she lost sight of the last one, she would stop the dogs and walk ahead to find the next one. It was slow going and grim but when Libby and her dog team arrived in Nome that year, she became the first woman ever to win what has been called ‘The Last Great Race.’ Her time was 18 days, 20 minutes and 17 seconds.
Susan Butcher
The very next year saw another woman, Susan Butcher, guide her team of huskies under the burled arch in Nome ahead of everyone else. Coming back to win first place again in 1987 and 1988, she became the first person ever to win three consecutive Iditarods, all run in just over 11 days. In 1989, she placed second and in 1990, the outstanding dog sled racer took first place once again.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Butcher as saying, “You have to be very selfless in your dedication to your dogs. “
She spoke of her favorite dogs, Granite and Tolstoy, “They live to race. They like the competition. They understand the competition. They want to pass the teams ahead of them.”
Susan, a veterinary technician who loved animals, moved to the Alaskan wilderness and began mushing dogs at the age of 20. Portrayed as a very disciplined and fearless adventurer, she braved strong winds, blinding snow, and sub-zero temperatures to finish in the top five in twelve Iditarod races.
Susan Butcher died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 51.
Other Inspiring Women of the Iditarod
Other inspiring women of the Iditarod in recent years are Karen Ramstead, DeeDee Jonrowe, Aliy Zirkle, and Rachael Scdoris. Ramstead is very dedicated to her team of beautiful, purebred Siberian Huskies and mushes for the pure fun of it. Jonrowe is always a front runner and took second place in 2003. Zirkle has been a strong Iditarod runner several times and became the first female winner of the Yukon Quest in 2000. Scdoris, a legally blind young woman, radios with another musher for visual interpretations of the rugged 1100 mile trail.
Sources:
FactMonster.com, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Achievement.org, Susan Butcher
Library.thinkquest.org, Libby Riddles
