Iditarod bans mushers from carrying sled dogs in trailers - Alaska Iditarod bans mushers from carrying sled dogs in trailers
Iditarod mushers won't be allowed to carry dogs in trailers pulled behind their sleds in the 2017 race, after the race's board of directors approved rule changes last month.
The changes have struck a nerve with some top mushers, who say that for years they have safely and effectively used trailers to rest dogs as the team travels down the trail, allowing them to preserve their animals' energy and control team speed.
"The biggest issue is that it's not trying to solve any current problem," four-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey said in an interview Tuesday about the new rules.
Seavey won the 2016 Iditarod in record time, strategically using a trailer behind his sled to carry dogs during stretches of the race. The second-place finisher, his father Mitch, also used a trailer. Seavey said they both believe it's the safest way to haul tired or injured dogs.