Mushing

Mushing is a podcast from First Paw Media that follows the sport of dog mushing, the Iditarod, and races worldwide. Mushing is hosted by best-selling author Robert Forto (A Musher's Dream) and a team of co-hosts that bring a unique perspective to the show. During the Iditarod race each March, the show is a daily podcast that covers the race with an in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else. In the off-season, hear interviews with mushers, behind-the-scenes news, and updates. Popular guests: Emily Robinson, Jesse Holmes, Ryan Redington, Barb Redington, Lance Mackey, Brenda Mackey, Jason Mackey, Anna and Kristy Berington, Rohn Buser, DeeDee Jonrowe, and more. Popular Podcast topics: Iditarod race stories and analysis, dryland mushing and off-season racing, interviews with mushers and racers, race preparation and training strategies, sled dog kennel life and dog care, Yukon Quest and other major races, mushing history and heritage, global mushing perspectives (international races), canicross and alternative mushing formats Community and culture in the mushing world, and more.

  1. Sep 13

    From the Trail to the Foundation: Lead Dog Access Program

    Mushing has always been about the relationship between human and dog: trust, communication, and a team that can go places neither could go alone. This episode opens with a Foundation program built on that same idea. The Team and Trail Foundation’s Lead Dog Access Program uses dog partnership to help people gain independence and get outside. It is not a race-team announcement. Selected participants receive the full Lead Dog training curriculum at $9,600, paid to the Foundation. The Foundation selects up to six people each year. Priority goes to veterans and people living with PTSD, people with mobility, psychiatric, or autism-related disabilities, and applicants from rural Alaska and other underserved communities. Apply: https://teamandtrail.com/lead-dog-access-program/ Questions: explore@teamandtrail.org Donate: https://donorbox.org/team-and-trail-foundation-ldap Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  2. Sep 12

    Kourosh Partow: From Siberian Huskies to Alaska Sprint Racing

    In this special re-air from The Dog Driver Show archives, the tables are turned as Dr. Robert Forto interviews his longtime co-host, Kourosh “KP” Partow, about a life spent training, racing, breeding, and learning from sled dogs. KP traces his journey back to 1987, when an energetic Siberian Husky named Crimson led him to a sled dog club in France. What started with one dog and dryland racing quickly became a way of life. He eventually moved to the United States, began racing Alaskan Huskies in Wisconsin, traveled north to compete in Alaska, and became deeply involved in the highly competitive world of sprint mushing. The conversation explores the evolution of sprint racing, the influence of European dogs and bloodlines, the glory days of major racing circuits, and KP's progression from four- and six-dog teams to eight-dog and eventually open-class competition. But some of the most important lessons come near the end of the conversation. KP talks about why the sport needs to bring back the fun, friendships, meet-and-greets, new events, and sense of community that once surrounded sled dog racing. He also offers a simple piece of advice for anyone entering the sport: find a mentor who takes good care of their dogs, respects the animals, and is passionate about mushing. This episode is more than one musher's story. It's a look at how sprint mushing has changed over several decades and what may be needed to carry it forward. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  3. Sep 12

    Anny Malo and Marco Rivest: Winning the Biggest Sprint Races in North America

    What does it take to consistently win two of North America's most prestigious sprint sled dog races? In this episode of the Mushing Podcast, Dr. Robert Forto and Kourosh Partow welcome Anny Malo and Marco Rivest, a team among the most accomplished in the sport. The Quebec-based couple shares how they built a championship kennel from the ground up and what it takes to compete at the highest level across Canada and the United States. The conversation explores their victories at the La Pas Race in Manitoba and at Wyoming's Pedigree Stage Stop Race, their annual three-month racing circuit covering thousands of miles, and the training philosophy that prepares their dogs for demanding multi-day competitions. Anny and Marco also discuss breeding decisions, developing elite canine athletes, traveling with up to 40 sled dogs, living on the road in a self-contained trailer, and the teamwork that has made them one of the most respected kennels in sprint racing. Whether you're interested in competitive mushing, kennel management, race strategy, or the demands of maintaining championship performance year after year, this episode offers an inside look at one of the sport's premier racing operations. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  4. Aug 29

    Ron Hayden on Dryland Mushing and the Future of the Sport

    In this special re-air from The Dog Driver Show archives, Dr. Robert Forto and Kourosh Partow sit down with musher Ron Hayden for a conversation about racing, building a team, dryland mushing, and the future of sled dog sports. Ron also talks about the possibility of traveling to Alaska with Mandy Collins to experience the state's racing circuit firsthand. It's a trip that could put them on some legendary Alaska trails and introduce them to a racing community known for welcoming mushers from outside the state. The conversation turns toward where mushing may be headed over the next five to ten years. Ron sees continued growth in dryland racing, particularly smaller classes and mono-sports. These events offer a more accessible entry into mushing for people who may not have the ability or desire to maintain a kennel of ten, fifteen, or twenty dogs. Originally heard on The Dog Driver Show, this episode offers an interesting look back at a conversation about a part of the sport that continues to introduce new people to working with dogs. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  5. Aug 29

    Riley Parker on Racing, Resilience, and Life Off the Trail in Alaska

    What does it take to keep an elite sled dog kennel thriving through one of Alaska's coldest winters? In this episode of the Mushing Podcast, hosts Dr. Robert Forto and Kourosh Partow welcome accomplished open-class musher Riley Parker from Salcha, Alaska. Riley shares what it is really like to manage a kennel of 35 sled dogs while balancing family life, racing, gardening, and running a growing herbal business. The conversation explores how Riley and her kennel partner divide responsibilities while Gary is away flying as a professional pilot, how they adapted their kennel during weeks of temperatures approaching 60 below zero, and the planning required to keep the dogs healthy and conditioned through one of the harshest winters in recent memory. Riley also discusses developing young race dogs, preparing for Alaska's biggest sprint races, breeding decisions that have shaped their kennel for years, homeschooling their son through mushing, and why building strong relationships with dogs begins long before race day. From championship racing to growing medicinal herbs and producing local honey, this episode offers an inside look at one of Alaska's mushing families and the lifestyle that supports success on and off the trail. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  6. Aug 20

    From the Archives: Susan Butcher, Lance Mackey, Team and Trail September 2006

    In this episode, we pull the September 2006 issue of Team & Trail off the shelf and discover just how much of its wisdom still holds up nearly 20 years later. From Susan Butcher’s sense of belonging in Alaska and her remarkable comeback after the 1985 Iditarod to her role as one of mushing’s greatest ambassadors, this issue captures a pivotal era in sled dog history. We also revisit lessons on organizational leadership and the sport's survival, along with a young Lance Mackey boldly declaring that the coming season would be his year. The names and races may change, but the questions about perseverance, leadership, belonging, and believing in your team remain remarkably familiar. Join us as we head From the Archives and rediscover the stories preserved in more than 60 years of Team & Trail. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

  7. Aug 15

    Eddie Duque on the Future of Dog Mushing

    On this special re-air from The Dog Driver Show archives, Dr. Robert Forto and Kourosh Partow talk with musher Eddie Duque for a conversation about dogs, racing, the mushing community, and what it takes to keep the sport moving forward. Eddie shares his perspective on the attitude and commitment that go into working with sled dogs, along with his thoughts on where mushing could be headed over the next five to ten years. For Eddie, the future comes down to something bigger than winning races. It means leaving a legacy, welcoming younger people into the sport, volunteering, creating fun events, and introducing dog mushing to the wider community. Originally heard on The Dog Driver Show, this conversation remains just as relevant today as mushers consider how to preserve the traditions of the sport while building its next generation. Support our Work Like this episode? Share it with your mushing friends! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share Sign up for our Newsletter HERE Join the On-Air Media Coaching waitlist for a chance to get coached on the air by Rober and get your podcast questions answered in real time. Apply now to the Team and Trail Foundation funding page and get support to turn your outdoor, education, or community project into a real impact. Apply for the Mushing® Media Accelerator and get deeper support and expert guidance tailored to your specific sponsorship and media goals. Email us at podcast@mushing.com Follow Mushing® for more muhsing news, insights, and more: Facebook | X | Instagram You can contact us here: Podcast@mushing.com © 2010-2026 by Mushing® All Rights Reserved

4.9
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

Mushing is a podcast from First Paw Media that follows the sport of dog mushing, the Iditarod, and races worldwide. Mushing is hosted by best-selling author Robert Forto (A Musher's Dream) and a team of co-hosts that bring a unique perspective to the show. During the Iditarod race each March, the show is a daily podcast that covers the race with an in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else. In the off-season, hear interviews with mushers, behind-the-scenes news, and updates. Popular guests: Emily Robinson, Jesse Holmes, Ryan Redington, Barb Redington, Lance Mackey, Brenda Mackey, Jason Mackey, Anna and Kristy Berington, Rohn Buser, DeeDee Jonrowe, and more. Popular Podcast topics: Iditarod race stories and analysis, dryland mushing and off-season racing, interviews with mushers and racers, race preparation and training strategies, sled dog kennel life and dog care, Yukon Quest and other major races, mushing history and heritage, global mushing perspectives (international races), canicross and alternative mushing formats Community and culture in the mushing world, and more.

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