Susan Butcher

Susan Butcher (26 December 1954 – 5 August 2006) was an American musher who won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race four times, in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990.[1]

Iditarod career

Butcher finished second in 1982 and 1984 and was eliminated in 1985 after a moose attack. Her 1986 win set a record time of 11 days, 15 hours and 6 minutes, and she is the only musher to win three years in a row, 1986 to 1988.[1]

Later life

After retiring from competition in 1994, she opened a kennel in Eureka, Alaska, which housed more than 150 huskies. She died in Seattle at age 51 of leukemia.[1]

Early life and move to Alaska

Susan Butcher was born on December 26, 1954, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, attended Colorado State University, and became a veterinary technician. She moved to the Wrangell Mountains area of Alaska to pursue dog sled racing and breeding huskies, and worked for Iditarod founder Joe Redington for two years in exchange for dogs. In 1979 she, Redington, Ray Genet, and two others made the first dog-sled ascent of Denali [2].

Iditarod career

She placed 19th in her first Iditarod in 1978. In 1985 she withdrew early after a moose killed two of her dogs and injured thirteen others. She won the race in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990, the second woman to win and the second four-time winner, and was the first musher to win four of five sequential years. She held the Iditarod speed record from 1986 to 1992, breaking her own record in 1987 and 1990 [2].

Other records and honors

She set speed records in the Norton Sound 250, Kobuk 220, Kuskokwim 300, and John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Honors include the National Women Sports Foundation Amateur Athlete of the Year, the 1988 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, and induction as a charter member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 [2].

Legacy

Butcher married fellow musher David Monson in 1985, and they had two daughters. She died on August 5, 2006, in Seattle at age 51. In 2008 a state law made the first Saturday of every March Susan Butcher Day, coinciding with the Iditarod start [2].

FAQs

How many Iditarods did she win? Four.

Which years? 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990.

Where was her kennel? Eureka, Alaska.

How many Iditarod races did Susan Butcher win? Four: 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990 [2].

What is Susan Butcher Day? The first Saturday of March, matching the Iditarod start [2].

Sources

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Susan Butcher
2. Wikipedia: Susan Butcher

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue