Meet the 2023
Mushers
David Burge
Brookston, MN
By day I am an aquatic ecologist and by morning, night and evening I am the luckiest parent. Even more fortunate is my family’s engagement in dog driving. I am a new musher with only distance training miles and a sprint race for experience. I’d like to express the most gratitude to my wife for her support to me and her love for the dogs!
KENNEL NAME
Dogwoods
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START RUNNING SLED DOGS AND HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED?
My wife, new girlfriend at the time, encouraged me to volunteer at the Marathon. On my first night at the Sawbill check-point, I was able to help handle dogs to their resting chutes and verbally guide mid-distance teams through the check point. I was struck by the energy and excitement the dogs, mushers, and spectators all shared in such a beautiful environment. During our honeymoon, unbeknownst to us, we ended up staying with with an Iditarod and Yukon Quest Veteran who started giving us dogs (4) to build our team. The love for the dogs, time in the wilderness, and a love for the cold are all what really synergized my interest into running dogs.