Assault claims roil Iditarod sled dog race as 2 top mushers are disqualified, then 1 reinstated

By MARK THIESSEN
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Claims of violence against women are roiling the world’s most famous sled dog race — Alaska’s Iditarod. Officials disqualified two top mushers this week and then quickly reinstated one of them on Friday. Race officials disqualified 2023 rookie of the year Eddie Burke Jr. on Monday. But the state of Alaska then dropped charges alleging he choked his then-girlfriend in 2022, and the Iditarod Trail Committee reinstated him Friday. The committee disqualified 2022 champion Brent Sass without explanation. Sass said in a Facebook post he was “beyond disappointed” and that the “anonymous accusations” made against him were “completely false.”