Twenty-seven year old Ryne Olson has registered for the 2016 Iditarod. Olson completed her rookie Iditarod run in 2012. Since then she’s competed in the Yukon Quest 300 mile event and in 2015 she added the Yukon Quest 1,000 miles to her list of accomplishments. Use this link to view the Insider interview with Ryne Olson.
Ryne Olson at Musher Sign-up for Iditarod XLIV
Olson was raised in Durango, Colorado. She did some mushing in the lower 48 before moving to Alaska in 2010. Since arriving in Alaska, Ryne has worked at SP Kennel with Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore. After completing the 2012 Iditarod with the SP Kennel red and black team, she knew she wanted to get into mushing seriously. Shortly after that race, she began building her own kennel. Today Ryno Kennel houses 25 incredible athletes, well, make that 26 if you count Ryne along with the canine athletes.
Having completed the Quest last year, many of the dogs she’ll be running in Iditarod XLIV already have a thousand mile race behind them. Olson’s team finished 13th out of sixteen teams in that Quest. Her goal for that race was to show her young dogs how much fun a 1,000-mile race can be and make sure they all had a positive attitudes at the finish line. Her goal for the 2016 Iditarod is to teach the team the trail and have a wonderful wilderness experience.
Olson confirms that she’d really like to do both the Quest and the Iditarod in the same year. She says, “Even though they’re both a 1000-mile race that’s about the extent of their similarities in my opinion. Plus running both races would mean even more time out on the trail with my dogs, so absolutely I want to!”
Ryne’s first mushing experience came as a gift from her parents for her 13th birthday. That dog sled ride has shaped who Ryne is today. While pursuing a degree in accounting, running dogs was always in the back of her mind. The results of google search of “dog mushing jobs” eventually brought her to Alaska and the creation of Ryno Kennel. Getting back to unfinished business, she completed her degree in Accounting at the university of Alaska Fairbanks in 2012.
Even when not mushing, Ryne is an adventure seeker. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, fishing and hunting. With a private pilot’s license, the wild Alaska frontier is hers to explore. Use this link to view the Insider video featuring Ryne Olson.
Ryan Redington began mushing when he could walk and was big enough to hold onto the sled. He says, “I was born to race Iditarod.” His grandfather and race founder Joe Redington Sr., and his father, Iditarod veteran Raymie Redington, would second that notion. The two generations of Redingtons (grandfather, father and uncle Joee) that have preceded Ryan on the trail have accumulated a total of thirty three Iditarod runs with ten top 10 finishes. Ryan’s great-grandfather on his mother’s side, Frank Ryan an Inupiat Eskimo, delivered mail by dog team from Unalakleet to neighboring villages. It’s not far-fetched to think that Iditarod, or at least running sled dogs, is genetic for Ryan. Use this link to view the Insider interview with Ryan Redington.
Ryan Redington Completes paperwork for Iditarod XLIV
Ryan has attempted the run to Nome eight times since his rookie year in 2001. On that first attempt he scratched in McGrath. He came back in 2004 to earn the coveted finisher’s belt buckle. His best finish in Iditarod was 18th in 2007 with a time of 10 days, 12 hours and 46 minutes. Over the years, he’s not been focused solely on long distance racing. He’s a Fur Rondy veteran and also a veteran of numerous stage races. Ryan has accumulated multiple top five finishes in mid-distance races.
Ryan, age 33 will be joined on the trail in 2016 by younger brother, Robert and older brother Ray Jr. Robert is an Iditarod rookie. Ray Jr. has completed fourteen trips to Nome since 2001. He’s finished in the top ten four of his last five runs. Ray Jr’s. best run came in 2014 at 9 days 4 hours and 27 minutes. His highest finish was 5th in 2012.
Ryan and his wife Erin own and operate Callin’ Trail Kennel located on the Iditarod Historic Trail in Knik, Alaska. The name Callin’ Trail comes from the passing procedure mushers use on the trail. When a team catches up with another and wants to pass, the mushers calls “TRAIL.” The slower musher moves to the side to assist the faster musher in passing. Ryan says, “At Callin’ Trail we’re moving forward all the time!”
One can’t help but think how proud Joe Redington Sr. and Frank Ryan would be to have three grandsons on the Iditarod Trail. By the way, on the 40th running of Iditarod, by chance, Ray Jr. and Ryan picked the first and last number for starting positions. How fitting that the grandsons of the founder would be the book ends of that race.
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