Duluth Woman Takes On Iditarod Sled Dog Race

DULUTH, Minn. — “Hello from Alaska, and thanks for supporting us, everybody from northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we’re carrying you all with us on this adventure this year,” Iditarod Musher Emily Ford said.

Duluth’s own Emily Ford is set to embark on her rookie run of the longest sled dog race in the world.

The Iditarod, a 1000-mile race across Alaska attracts mushers and dog lovers from across the globe, including Minnesota.

“We’re kind of more of just like part of the group of people who really love winter and really love sled dogs that happen to also have grown up in Minnesota and wanted to kind of expand our horizons a little bit.,” Ford said.

Emily is following in the footsteps of her partner and fellow Minnesotan Anna Hennessy, who competed in the Iditarod last year.

“I actually first stepped on to a dog sled when I was living in northern Minnesota. So I originally got really hooked on dog sledding up at a place called Camp Menogyn near the boundary waters, and I spent the first part of my dog mushing pursuits racing in Minnesota,” Hennessy said. “When I was getting into it, I sort of was thinking to myself, like, how can I do this for as long as possible in a competitive format? And the answer to that is Iditarod.”

When training in Alaska, Emily says the cold temps and snow remind her of home.

“Alaska is Minnesota with mountains and bigger moose,” Ford said. “It feels a lot like home in a lot of ways.”

After finishing qualifying races, Emily earned her way into a spot in the Iditarod lineup. If she crosses the finish line, she would become the second Black female musher to do so.

“I just like, to show that no matter what you look like or how you grew up, you can kind of do whatever you want and pursue dreams,” Ford said. “It was a really sweet opportunity to be like I can get adventure in, I can represent people that look like me, and I get to hang out with dogs. And Iditarod kind of checks all three boxes.”

The Iditarod will look slightly different this year due to lack of snow, but Emily is prepared for what awaits her.

As for the 12 to 16 dogs that will be pulling the sleD, Emily and Anna have spent countless hours getting them ready.

“A lot of detailed dog care this week, going into the race, making sure that they’re totally healthy, you know, physically and mentally,” Hennessy said.

The Iditarod kicks of March 1, and takes around 10 days to compete. Emily will be one of 33 mushers to start the race, with Anna supporting her during the journey.