Here’s your 2021 Kuskowkim Mushers in order of registration as of February 7th, 2021. Have a good race everyone!:
Dennis Kananowicz
Dennis hails from Glennallen, Alaska. He mushes out of his 28 dog Outlaw Kennels. He is no stranger to the K300. He finished races in 2004, 2019 and 2020 placing 9th, 15th and 18th. He is planning on racing this year’s Iditarod.
Dave Turner
Racing Chaos is Dave Turner’s 40 dog kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska. Turner, age 49, is the 2020 Yukon Quest 300 champion. He is also the 2019 Tustemena 200 winner. Dave ran his first K300 in 2020 and was the Rookie of the Year, finishing in 8th place.
Pete Kaiser
Pete, age 32, is born and raised in Bethel. He has won the K300 five times in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020. Pete is also Bethel’s 2019 Iditarod champion. He finished third in the recent Bogus Creek 150. He races with his family’s team, the Kaiser Racing Kennel.
Jessica Klejka
Jessica, age 30, is a born and raised Bethelite. She races with her 20-dog team at Tailwind Kennel in Knik. She has raced in the Iditarod twice, in 2019 and 2020. Jessica is also a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She enjoys caring for and racing sled dogs. Her first race in the K300 was the Kusko Swim of 2008.
Aaron Peck
Aaron, age 41, is from Bezanson, AB, Canada. He runs his 40 dogs out of his Elevation Sled Dogs Kennel. He has raced in the Iditarod seven times. Aaron also raced in the K300 last year, placing 11th.
Richie Diehl
Richie, age 35, is this year’s Bogus Creek 150 champion. His kennel, Real Diehl Racing of Aniak, has 50 dogs. He is a seven time Iditarod veteran. His top Iditarod finish is 6th in 2018. He has finished the K300 ten times, placing third in 2017 and 2020.
Matthew Failor
Matthew, age 38, is from Willow, Alaska where he runs his 51 dogs from his 17th Dog Kennel. He won the K300 in 2019 and placed second in 2020. He finished the Iditarod eight times, winning the Mushers’ Choice Award in 2016. This will be his fifth run in the K300.
Jeff King
Jeff King, age 64 of Denali Park, Alaska, has won the K300 nine times. He has also won the Iditarod four times. This year Jeff will be running his 28th Kuskokwim 300. He placed 4th last year and is a past Humanitarian Award winner of the K300 (1991). He races out of his Husky Homestead Kennel.
Joshua Cadzow
Josh Cadzow, age 33, hails from the Interior village of Fort Yukon. He has 16 dogs in his family’s Cadzow Kennels. Josh is an Iditarod veteran, finishing the race in 2013. He also raced in the Yukon Quest and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2010. His best K300 finish was in 2016 when he placed 5th. This will be his fifth K300 race.
Reese Madden
Reese, age 35, is from Nome, Alaska. He is racing with his team from his 12-dog Amagupiaq Kennel. Reese is a Rookie this year and it’s his first 300 mile race.
Isaac Underwood
Isaac, age 40, is from Aniak, Alaska. He races with his family’s 28-dog Underwood Kennels. He has finished the K300 five times and placed fifth in the recent Bogus Creek 150. He has been mushing dogs for over 20 years.
Robert Redington
Robert, age 32, races from Willow, Alaska with his 40 dogs from his Whoa Kennels. He is a 2017 Iditarod finisher and this will be his first run in the K300.
Nate DeHaan
Nate, age 34, is a local musher from Bethel. He will be racing with his team from the Rowdy Rooster Kennels, he has 15 dogs. Nate competed in the 2019 Akiak Dash where he finished in eighth place. Nate is also an American Ninja Warrior past competitor.
Lewis Pavila
Lewis, age 44, is from Kwethluk, Alaska. He is a four-time winner of the Bogus Creek 150 race (2009, 2010, 2013, 2017). Lewis mushes with his family’s 16-dog team, the Bad River Kennels. He has raced in many local races. This will be Lewis’ first K300 race.
Fr. Alexander Larson
Fr. Larson, age 59, is from Napaskiak. His kennel, PKA Larson Kennels, has 21 dogs. Fr. Larson has been mushing for many years. He is a past Bogus Creek 150 (2004) and Akiak Dash champion, winning the race in 2004. This year he placed 4th in the Bogus Creek 150.
Nicolaus Petit
Nicolaus, age 40, is from Big Lake, Alaska. He is this year’s winner of the Copper Basin 300 and the Willow 300 sled dog races. His kennel, Team Petit, has 38 dogs. He is a seven time finisher of the Iditarod and a Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award winner. He raced thrice in the K300, his best finish was fourth in 2019.
