Interview with Brenda Mackey

Brenda Mackey comes from the famous Mackey family of mushers.

Her father is Rick Mackey, who has run the Iditarod 22 times from 1975 to 2004 and won in 1983, her grandfather is Dick Mackey, who ran the Iditarod from 1973 to 1987 and also won in 1978, and her uncle is Hall of Famer, Lance Mackey, who won the Iditarod four times in consecutive years from 2007 to 2010 and is still an active competitor.

Brenda is hoping to follow in her relatives footsteps and is entered into the 2021 Iditarod as a rookie.

She currently owns and operates Mackey’s Alaskan Distance Dogs, a competitive racing kennel, with her husband and kennel partner, Will Rhodes.

How does it feel to be the first female musher of the Mackey family?

My aunt Becky, my grandpa Dick’s oldest daughter, was the first Mackey gal to get into mushing from the family.

In fact my dad and aunt were running/racing dogs before my grandpa.

Becky had dogs the majority of her life, mainly racing in sprints as a kid, doing tours with my uncle Bill and her last and longest race finish was the Copper Basin 300.

My aunt, dad and his rookie lease team for Iditarod went around the course together.

I wouldn’t say she was full of passion for racing or training, but she was a dog musher nonetheless.

She passed away in 2006 at only 50 years old. Personally I would say I never felt different as a woman in the family.

I didn’t have much awareness of being a “female musher vs a male musher”.

I would say there was a time in my life I felt much more influenced by my family tradition, but as I’ve gotten older don’t feel the pressure and weight of that nearly as much.

Growing up in a competitive family there was an emphasis from a very young age to focus on winning, not racing, winning.

If I messed up in a race, which anyone racing has done, I was in the dog house so to speak.

Though ingrained I can laugh about that now, because lets face it we’re doing a trivial pursuit for what should be pleasure.

We’re not saving lives.

There’s obviously no need for me to ask how you got into mushing, as your name says it all. It’s in your blood. So at what age did you start racing dogs?

I started racing dogs at the age of 3.

One dog actually.

He was my first sled dog and his name was Fritz.

You have competed in many races throughout your life. Do you have a favourite?

That’s hard to answer.

I’ve really enjoyed the Knik 200 and the Willow 300.

My favorite race itself was in 2015 – The Minto Dash.

It was just over a 100 miles.

Am I correct in thinking that your husband shares your passion for sled dogs and driving them? It must be amazing to share the same dreams as your life partner?

Will is also a championship dog racer and passionate about the dogs.

He spent the winter when he was 19 handling for a musher running the Yukon Quest.

He was pretty much turned loose with a kennel of dogs, a very rustic cabin, on lake in the remote wilderness.

The musher came once a week.

He didn’t finish the Quest and professionally/competitively Will didn’t learn a lot there, but gained some experience.

Our paths crossed during the race because I was a rookie in it.

We met 3 years later doing glacier dog tours.

It was Will’s second experience with sled dogs.

I was attracted to his energy and his loving ways with the dogs.

I knew from a young age relationships with a musher are difficult.

I’ve seen many mushing couples split and even more spouses say it’s me or the dogs.

It was important to me to pick a partner who I felt would be a good mushing partner.

I got more than lucky with Will!

He’s a very athletic and competitive person.

He also focused on getting through school to earn a job that supports our lifestyle.

The dream has been many years in the making.

You are blessed with the fact that you live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. What does it mean to you to live in Alaska and be able to run dogs there?

I feel very fortunate to live in Alaska in so many ways.

Living in such a “removed from the rest of the world” atmosphere is one I can appreciate.

To live in the most competitive mushing environment in the sport also very fortunate.

You are also blessed with a daughter. Does she too share your love of sled dogs ?

Isabel raced competitively when she was younger and she’s a natural.

She’s great with the dogs and can fearlessly ride a sled.

She’s not too keen on getting cold on long runs though.

Her passion is writing and she’s just finished working on a 350 page novel she plans to publish.

2021 will be your very first Iditarod, is that correct? How are you preparing for such a gruelling and lengthy race?

I’m one of the youngest 1000 mile race finishers.

I finished the Yukon Quest at 19.

That was eons ago now and not my most difficult race experience in mushing, but it does help to have done that.

I’m preparing the exact same way we prepare for our mid-distance events, training wise.

This year there are SO many unknowns going into the race season because of Covid-19.

We have no idea if we’ll be going through villages or be camping in the snowbank all the way and be much more self-sufficient.

It is very uncertain compared to a typical year.

For anyone wanting to sponsor one of your dogs, how do they do this?

To sponsor one of our dogs is a huge help.

We almost entirely race completely out of pocket, but for a few dog sponsors a season.

I’m hoping to get more dog sponsors this season.

To do so you just go to our website and pick a dog to sponsor.

There’s a link that makes it easy.

https://mackeysdistancedogs.com/racing-sled-dogs/

Is there any advice you have been given about your upcoming Iditarod that you’re going to use? Who gave you this advice?

I would say advice throughout the years in general.

Nothing specific for this particular race.

The funniest advice I ever got was from my dad before the Quest.

Being from a mushing family and having grown up in the sport you would think I’d have been well prepared with a plan.

Hahaha…My dad’s advice was “Just follow Ned Cathers. He has a daughter.”

Well I never saw Ned and he scratched right away.

To say I learned the hard way in that race would be a massive understatement.

My family is very much a “shoot from the hip” and react while racing vs planning for a race.

This is actually one of the reasons Mackeys race so well!

Very much think outside the box mushers.

Have you ever had a bad experience whilst out on a trail? What happened?

Oh boy, I’ve had countless and I do mean countless bad experiences.

I would say the worst was frostbiting my cornea in the Kuskokwim 300 due to the 45 mph winds and cold temps.

That was one of the worst races in the Kusko’s history due to no snow as well, just glare ice.

The wind was so strong it would hit mushers and turn the team in a circle.

I also nearly went right into an open spot on the river while completely blind in my frozen eye.

I could elaborate on this entire trip, but frankly it was so horrible I’d rather not.

But hey the dogs and I are still here!

The love of sled dogs is special isn’t it? What is the bond like that you share with your dogs?

The bond I share with my sled dogs is like no other bond I’ve ever experienced.

My pet dogs, for example, have been wonderful companions and I have felt tremendous love for them.

My sled dogs are on a completely different level.

You go through so much with your team.

You depend fully on your sled dogs and them on you.

The difference in bond with a pet dog and a sled dog I’d say is like a chill vacation with your spouse compared to living through an Indiana Jones adventure with your spouse.

Where did your first dogs come from?

Mackey dogs of course!

I bred my first litter at the age of 13.

Will and my dog yard primarily comprises the lines I grew up with.

They’re really a mix of old Wright sprint champion lines, mid-distance, Iditarod, and Yukon Quest dogs.

Very diverse dogs and genetics.

We have dabbled in breeding and adding many of the best lines in the sport.

Our favorite dogs are those original dogs though.

They have the “old and becoming lost traits” such as tough feet, ravenous eaters, heat tolerance, combined with extra speed.

It sounds biased, but from personal experience I’d say they have the best personalities too.

Personality combined with performance are the most important qualities to me.

What is your team like that you are competing in the Iditarod with?

Our team is made of a few of older veteran race dogs with some younger far less experienced dogs.

Their ages range from 2-8.

Would you say you are a free spirit?

No. I’d say I’m a very serious and focused person when it comes to life, not whimsical or flighty.

If that’s what you mean…when I think of a free spirit I think of someone going from idea to idea with not much grounding.

I don’t think many serious dog mushers could be a free spirit and do well.

It takes way too much dedication to be flighty.

Most mushers have a colour scheme during a race.

For instance, Dee Dee Jonrowe is known for her entire pink look due to her being a Breast Cancer patient. Do you and your team have a specific colour and for any reason?

DeeDee’s color choice is very personal and meaningful.

I would say most of us just pick colors we like.

For myself I like black, blue, silver, gold, and grey.

When out on a trail in rural Alaska, I’m guessing you need a good pair of snow boots. What boots would you recommend?

I have about 10 types of snow boots for various weather conditions.

The all purpose Bunny Boot is a good choice for wet or mildly cold temps.

I personally love mukluks and most often where those or my Neos.

Do you have a lucky charm you keep in your sled during a race?

I carry a piece of fur from one of my first and most special leader’s tail with me.

Her name was Lily.

Her sire Commander was one of my dad’s winning Quest leaders along with his sister Cindy.

He is the number one dog we breed back to.

Lily as well. She was only a yearling and led me the majority of the way through the Quest.

She had never led in training and at only 37 lbs wasn’t a standout.

I tried a lot of dogs in lead to help my old girl Camaro get down the trail and Lily was more than up for the task.

She went on to be one of my dad’s best Iditarod leaders.

She was fiercely tough and a true alpha.

Her presence was so strong there was never a question of who the little boss of the yard was.

Salt and her daughters tend to be replicas in disposition.

What is your mindset when entering a race? Do you compete for the experience or go all out to win?

That depends on the race.

When we enter mid-distances events 50-450 mile in length we are going for a win.

We train and develop championship dogs.

We aren’t out there to look at the scenery.

Were you at the finish line in Nome on any of the occasions your uncle Lance became champion ? What was the atmosphere like ?

We flew to Nome for Lance’s first win.

It was a daylight finish, but every bit as electric as a night-time finish.

There is a difference in the vibe.

Night time is really charged in Nome with tons of people out.

He had a huge crowd of fans and friends.

Lots of hugs and tears between him and his mom!

So far what is your biggest achievement?

Raising our amazing daughter!

What is your next big dream?

Hmm. To have a vacation on the beach in the sunshine!

I haven’t left the state in around 13 years.

Your uncle, Lance, is not only my idol but my inspiration. Not just because of the love he has for his dogs or the passion he shares for mushing but because of the way he fought cancer. As a cancer patient and musher myself, I look up to him as I understand him. Who would you say is your idol or inspiration and why?

I don’t feel I have an idol.

I have been inspired by so many people throughout my life.

In terms of mushing my family of course has been inspirational.