Eric Butcher, 35, was born in Oklahoma. Before moving to Alaska from New Mexico, he had also lived in Alabama and California.

He received his B.S. at the University of Oklahoma and his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Auburn University. Since coming to Alaska in 1998, he has been an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

He began mushing in 1997 in Albuquerque and says he’s “mostly a self-taught musher, although he’s read mushing books and talked with a few other mushers.” He did not handle for any other musher and “learned the ropes on my own.” He said he has raised and trained most of his dogs himself. The core of his team finished the Yukon Quest with him last year and had done many mid-distance races before that.

“It is always a juggling act to train my team each year around a full-time job, but I’m anxious to try the Iditarod and see some country that I have just read about.”

Eric is married to Melanie and they have two sons, Sky, 9, and Dakota, 6. He is a member of the Two Rivers Dog Mushers and the Yukon Quest. He says he enjoys mushing, hiking climbing, reading and listening to music.