Jessie Holmes is one of the most recognizable figures in modern long-distance mushing and the defending champion of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Jessie Holmes grew up far from Alaska in Alabama, but even as a kid he dreamed about living a life close to the land. Much of that inspiration came from his grandfather, an outdoorsman who introduced him to hunting, dogs, and self-reliance. That early influence stuck. At eighteen years old, Holmes left home in search of adventure and eventually made his way north. By 2004 he had settled in Alaska, where he found the wilderness lifestyle he had been chasing.
Holmes’ early years in Alaska were not centered on racing at all. He began running sled dogs on a remote trapline along the Yukon River, using his team the way dog teams had been used for generations. The dogs hauled wood, helped with trapping and hunting, and served as transportation across miles of winter trail. That working partnership with the dogs shaped the foundation of his kennel and his approach to the sport.
Eventually that practical trail experience led him into competitive racing. Holmes entered the Iditarod for the first time in 2018 and immediately made an impression, finishing seventh and earning Rookie of the Year honors. From there he steadily climbed the ranks of long-distance mushing, becoming one of the most consistent competitors on the circuit.
Over the years, his racing résumé has grown to include victories in races like the Kobuk 440, a win in the Yukon Quest Alaska 300, and multiple top-five finishes in the Iditarod between 2022 and 2025. Those performances ultimately led to the biggest milestone of his career when he captured the Iditarod championship in 2025. He has also remained competitive in other major mid-distance events, including strong performances at races like the Copper Basin 300.
Today, Holmes lives and trains along the Denali Highway near the Brushkana River, where he has built a homestead from the ground up. The area is considered some of the best training country in Alaska, with wide open trails and long stretches of wilderness that allow teams to develop the endurance required for thousand-mile races.
When he’s not racing, Holmes embraces the same subsistence lifestyle that first drew him to Alaska. He spends his time running long distances, hunting, trapping, fishing, and working on his off-grid homestead. Many people outside the mushing world also recognize him from the television series Life Below Zero, which documents the realities of living in remote Alaska.
Despite the growing recognition, Holmes often says the heart of what he does hasn’t changed. It is still about the dogs, the trail, and the lifestyle that connects them. As the defending Iditarod champion returns to the runners, he is once again traveling across Alaska’s vast landscape with the same goal he had when he first arrived in the North: living life close to the land, with a team of dogs leading the way.
Robert: I met Jessie many years ago, sitting around a bonfire in Tok with Hugh Neff. We chatted dogs, and this is way before Life Below Zero made him a household name, outside of dog mushing. Fondest memory, pub crawl horse drawn hay ride. Dinner was a fish fry. I met up with him again this past October where he was the keynote speaker for the IFSS world championships in Wisconsin.
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📸 Photo Credit: KTUU