…and it’s over…Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth-Discovery Channel

our time in the lime light is all done…it was exciting…and we LOVED the footage of Rick in Elim, Alaska.

no quote this episode…our only wish was to see rick cross under the burled arch in NOME–they didn’t show the footage of Rick & his dogs actually crossing under the arch being greeted by his family & friends–bummer deal!

Rick was most disappointed that they showed the footage of him holding up his belt buckle, as shortly after that he held up his VET BOOK and that is what he was most PROUD of…it is all about the dogs health.

i think it could be a great series…but would love to see more of the real life stories of the mushers in the race evolve, as that is where you might find out the why and the how these mushers get to the Iditarod.

…I am incredibly proud of Rick for finishing the race, as he is one of a handful of mushers that actually worked 40+ hours a week up until the final days before the start of the Iditarod, then he would come home and train his dogs in the middle of the night…oh yeah and not to mention he is a fantastic daddy & husband…he is/was not a professional musher, but he did follow his DREAM!

{the above .gif is from this site}

Welcome to the START…the BEGINNING…the MAIN PAGE!

Thanks for sneaking a peek at our lives and the many adventures that we will face in the next few months. If you want to know more…check out the about us page , the family blog or follow along on the bumpy road to the Iditarod on Rick’s blog {a bit light on content at the moment, but will contain race updates and information including training, qualifiers & progress on that bumpy road}. If you are a more visual person, then check out our photo gallery, however we totally get it if you opt out and we wont hold it against you! Enjoy!Dog mushing has been in the Holt family for four generations.Rick’s grandfather, Guy Holt(read more about him here), ran dogs in New England. He was a member of the New England Sled Dog Club (supposedly President at some point but we have been unable to have that confirmed) and went to Lake Placid when dog mushing was trying out for the Olympics. It has been rumored that he was involved in training dogs that accompanied Admiral Byrd to Antarctica. Rick’s grandfather also had dogs from Leonard Seppala (we still have the original documentation). Rick’s father , Mike Holt, ran dogs when he was in his teens. And it has been said that he and his father were quite competitive with each other. By the time Rick was born the family had been done with dogs… photos were all that were left of what seemed to be a Holt family legacy.

However when we moved to Elim, Alaska in the fall of 1996, the mushing stories surfaced once again. Our lives forever changed…

• November 1996 Ciku & Chautauqua joined our family.
• March 1997 –25th running of the Iditarod…Rick’s grandparents flew to Elim from Lyndeborough, NH
  • Grandpa had tea with Joe Reddington @ the checkpoint in Elim..where he was able to tell all his old dog stories to a true sourdough and a legend in the mushing world!
• February 1998 we added 4 more dogs.
• Winter 1999 Our first litter of puppies coincided with the arrival of our twin boys, Keegan & Rohnan.
• Not long after we had a few dogs come from Unalakleet & a couple of village dogs passed onto us from Elim…and there you have it…the addiction/affliction of mushing running through our blood.

Well because three generations is not enough…we have succumbed our boys(the fourth generation) to the mushing lifestyle…where they have embraced it with the same enthusiasm as daddy. Both boys’ enjoy being on the runners as much as they like to ride in the sled bag. They are eager to help with dog chores: poop cleanup, feeding, and of course pets all around.

Rick’s dogmushing start…he learned to mush behind the school freight sled (no brake), borrowed dogs from a co-worker & students(Ryan & Tyler)…this was quite the adventure…he ran (insert “got dragged”) all over town. Rick claims that…”Everything I know about mushing…I am fairly certain I learned by doing it wrong the first time…oh wait strike that…it should read ‘…wrong the first several times’.” Being a teacher made Rick appreciate the learning process and skill it takes to mush dogs…looking back makes it easier for him to reflect on all that he has learned about himself and his abilities to care for a team of 20 four legged friends. His racing career started when we moved to Unalakleet, AK.

Words you don’t hear from Rick often: “I would like to say that mushing for me is not about the racing, but those who know me would call me a liar (among other things). Despite what I say in public…I am terribly competitive and that will likely be near if not at the top of my many weaknesses.”

A note from Rick: My goal/hope for the 2008 Iditarod is to end with some exceptionally happy and healthy dogs & feel that I gave it my very best effort…if that happens in Nome even better! It goes without saying..but it still must be said that none of this would be possible without the support and encouragement from Tiff. She is an amazing woman…Thank You for all your help & the sacrifices you have made to help this dream become a reality!