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Who is Iditarod Musher Richie Beattie?

March 10, 2026
Editor and/or Contributors

Richie Beattie grew up in Owosso, Michigan, and now calls Alaska home as he prepares for his rookie run in the Iditarod. He races out of Wildthingz Dog Mushing, based in Fox and Cantwell, Alaska, where he and his wife, Emily Rosenblatt, train and care for a kennel of 36 dogs. Their program is built entirely in-house, with every dog bred, raised, and trained by the team.

Richie’s path into mushing began with a dream of running long-distance races in Alaska. After moving to Two Rivers in the early 2000s as a rookie musher, he found an important mentor in Aliy Zirkle, who helped guide him through the early stages of learning how to train and manage a competitive sled dog team. Over the years, Richie has steadily built his racing experience, competing in events such as the Yukon Quest, the Copper Basin 300, the Two Rivers 200, the T-Dog 200, and the Sheep Mountain 150.

He previously started the 2019 Iditarod and returns to the race with renewed determination and a strong team behind him. For Richie, the appeal of the Iditarod lies in the commitment it demands. Months of preparation lead to a journey across some of the most remote and rugged terrain in Alaska, and the reward is the opportunity to share that experience with a team of dogs he has raised and trained himself.

When he is not racing, Richie works as a sled dog tour guide and enjoys spending time outdoors birding, biking, hiking, camping, and fishing. Most of all, he values time with his family and the life they have built around dogs and the Alaskan trail.

Each night during our Iditarod coverage on The Burled Arch podcast we showcase one musher. Who would you like to learn about?

📸 Photo Credit: Richie Beattie/https://wildthingzdogmushing.com/about/

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