Brent Sass

Brent Sass (born January 2, 1980, in Excelsior, Minnesota) is an American dog musher who is one of only six people to have won both the Iditarod and Yukon Quest sled dog races.

Brent Sass
Brent Sass, posing for photos at the checkpoint on Chena Hot Springs Road during the 2015 Yukon Quest.
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1980-01-02) January 2, 1980
Excelsior, Minnesota
Websitewildandfreealaska.com
Sport
SportDogsled racing
Event(s)Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Yukon Quest

The Yukon Quest is a 1,000 mile international sled dog race from Whitehorse, Yukon to Fairbanks, Alaska. He won the Yukon Quest in 2015, 2019 and 2020 and 2023, and the Iditarod in 2022. He is well known for rescuing other mushers along the Yukon Quest trail throughout his dogsled racing career. In 2011, the rescue efforts of Sass and his then-lead dog Silver at American Summit in blizzard conditions led to the introduction of the Yukon Quest's Silver Award that recognizes sled dogs that have performed acts of heroism on the trail.[1][2]

Dogsled racing career
Brent Sass departing Rainy Pass checkpoint during Iditarod 2020

In 2012, Sass participated in his first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and earned Rookie of the Year honors.[3]

In 2015, Sass won the Yukon Quest in nine days, 12 hours, and 49 minutes.[4] He also competed in the 2015 Iditarod, but his quest to become the second musher to win both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year fell short as he was disqualified from the Iditarod for possessing an iPod Touch during the race; the iPod Touch was deemed a prohibited two-way communications device due to its built-in Wi-Fi Internet connectivity feature.[5] Sass was in fifth place at the time of the disqualification.[6]

During the 2016 Iditarod, Sass' dogs refused to leave the White Mountain checkpoint, 77 miles (124 km) from Nome. Sass did not want to force his dogs to leave, fearing the decision would negatively impact his team. Sass fed them, waited until they were ready, and took it slow to the finish line. Originally in 3rd place, he subsequently dropped to 20th place which resulted in Sass losing $44,175 in prize money.[7]

In 2017 Brent withdrew from the Yukon Quest 1000 mile race, at a checkpoint, he also withdrew, prior to the race from the Iditarod. Focus is on health of dogs and kennel. Taking some well-deserved personal time off. Several of the Wild and Free dogs did participate in the Iditarod for other mushers.

In 2020 Brent Sass won the Yukon Quest [8][9] which he began on Feb.1 and finished on Feb. 11 at 1:51 p.m. AST[10]

On March 15, 2022, Brent Sass won the 2022 Iditarod.[11]

He scratched (voluntarily withdrew) from the 2023 Iditarod at the Eagle Island checkpoint.[12]

Television

Sass appeared in the first season of Ultimate Survival Alaska which aired in 2013.[13]

References
  1. Caldwell, Suzanna (March 1, 2015). "Moving into winner's circle means moving out -- way out -- for musher Brent Sass". Alaska Dispatch News. Anchorage. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  2. "Musher Hall of Fame | Yukon Quest". Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  4. "Brent Sass Wins 2015 Yukon Quest". February 17, 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  5. Grove, Casey (March 10, 2015). "Yukon Quest champion Brent Sass disqualified from Iditarod". newsminer.com. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  6. Newcomb, Alyssa (March 11, 2015). "Brent Sass Disqualified From Iditarod for Using an iPod Touch". ABC News. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  7. "Poised for a 3rd-place Iditarod finish, Brent Sass slipped to 20th. Here's what happened". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  8. "Brent Sass repeats as champion in 2010 Yukon Quest". AP NEWS. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  9. Horazdovsky, Kortnie. "Sass wins back-to-back Yukon Quest titles". www.ktuu.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  10. "Brent Sass wins his third Yukon Quest". Anchorage Daily News. 2020-02-11. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  11. Treinen, Lex; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (2022-03-15). "Meet Slater and Morello, the sled dogs that led Brent Sass to victory". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  12. "2023 Iditarod Lineup". Iditarod. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  13. "Local musher to appear on National Geographic show". April 18, 2013. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
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