Each day this week leading up to Iditarod, Eye on the Trail will introduce the rookie class of 2026. Gabe Dunham coined the phrase “rerun rookie” to describe a rookie taking more than one attempt to earn the coveted Iditarod finisher’s belt buckle. Gabe completed the race on her second try. This year there are three mushers who are rerun rookies. Brenda Mackey is hoping that the third time is a charm. Richie Beattie and Sydnie Bahl would like to make Nome on their second attempt.
Would any of these rookie mushers be eligible to receive Rookie of the Year honors? The answer is, “no.” The rules that define the Rookie of the Year award say that any musher who has attempted the race previously isn’t considered a true rookie and thus isn’t eligible to earn rookie of the year honors. That makes complete sense as seeing any part of the trail in a previous race would be an advantage.
Brenda Mackey is a third generation musher and the only (so far) woman in the Mackey family to take to the runners for Iditarod. Along with kennel partner and husband Will Rhodes, Brenda owns and operates Mackey Alaskan Distance Dogs located in Two Rivers, AK. Since the age of five when her father, Rick, captured Iditarod gold, Brenda has held the dream of running The Last Great Race On Earth herself. Brenda began running one-dog kid’s sprint races at the age of three. One year after her father won the Yukon Quest in 1997, Brenda at the age of 19, entered and finished the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest. After completing the Yukon Quest, Brenda was given the title of Youth Ambassador for the Yukon Quest and traveled to Spain and France to speak about the race. To say the least, the Mackey family has a very storied Iditarod history. Since the beginning of the race in 1973, 54 years ago, there has been at least one Mackey racing in 48 of those 54 races. Between grandfather Dick, father Rick and uncle Lance, the Mackeys own 6 Iditarod championships. That would make for a lot of bragging rights and great conversation over family dinners. All eyes will be on Brenda and her uncle Jason as they carry on the family’s Iditarod tradition. Brenda will be a third year rookie in 2026. Her previous attempts to complete the race came in 2021 on the Gold Trail Loop and the 2025 Fairbanks River Run. Having scratched at Nikolai and Tanana respectively, She is looking forward to seeing more than the first 300 miles of the race. Brenda recently earned 5th place in the Knik 200.
Richie Beattie from Fairbanks is making his second attempt on Nome. Beattie established his kennel, Wildthingz, more than thirty years ago. After arriving in Alaska with a few of his own sled dogs he worked under the mentorship of Aliy Zirkle and since then has raised and trained dogs to create his own bloodline. Richie began racing in 2004. In 2006, he ran the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest and earned rookie of the Year Honors. He also finished the Quest in 2007 and 2020. Beattie has run the Copper Basin 300, Two Rivers 200, T-Dog 200 and the sheep Mountain 150. The Iditarod offers Richie the opportunity to train for the long haul, see the big wild country during the race and bond with his dogs over the 1,000 mile trail. Beattie works as a mushing guide and also enjoys birding, biking, hiking, camping and fishing.
Sydnie Bahl, a physical therapist from Wasilla is making her second attempt on Nome. Early in her practice, Bahl worked with a patient whose wife was an Iditarod veteran. Bahl was captivated by stories of dogs and the 1,000 mile trail. Soon she started handling at Dream a Dream Sled Dog Tours out of Willow, learning about dogs, mushing and the trail. Bahl has done the Goose Bay 150, Copper Basin 300 and the Yukon Quest Alaska 300 as qualifiers for the Iditarod. Bahl speaks highly of Vern Halter, Veterinarian Susan Winton and Cindy Abbott as mentors. All are Iditarod veterans. Before moving from Minot, North Dakota to Alaska in 2021, sled dogs and racing were not on her list of adventures. Instead she enjoyed skiing, hiking mountain biking and traveling. In her first attempt at Iditarod in 2025, Bahl withdrew from the race at Grayling northbound. The extra trail miles, trail conditions and snow affected a number of mushers south of Kaltag. Sydnie says her Iditarod passion is driven by a profound respect for the dogs who possess an innate love for running and working as a team. Bahl believes in the connection between racing, Alaskan history and the traditions of Alaska Natives who have relied on sled dogs for transportation and survival for 100’s of years.
Come back tomorrow to meet more of Iditarod’s 2026 rookie mushers.
