My name is Ashley Dove, I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and moved out to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2020. I lived a very different life prior to working with dogs, coming from a background of corporate retail jobs. Things were rough in the beginning after moving, it was definitely a huge change. I was feeling kind of lost, and unfulfilled—and then I met Josh and Jobie McNeal of Crooked Creek Kennel. I’ve now had the pleasure of working with them the past five years, and their amazing dogs are the athletes that I’ll be traveling with down the trail. Both Josh and Jobie have changed my life in a massively positive way!

Running the Iditarod really materialized as a possible reality after I lost my mom. When I struggled with self doubt about what I was doing, she always supported and believed that I could live this adventurous life, and do it well. Running the Iditarod is not only a special ride into the country with my favorite dogs and companions, but a chance to live through this memorable experience in a way that honors the high opinion my mom always had of me, and to honor her adventurous spirit too.