Jerry Riley, ’76 Iditarod champion from Nenana, dies
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - One of the first champion mushers of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race died last week.
In a Facebook post, Iditarod officials wrote they were sad to lose Jerry Riley, a “member of the mushing family.” It did not list an age.
“Jerry was always sharp on the trail whether it be in training or on a race,” Iditarod staple Aaron Burmeister said. “Strapping on a pair of snowshoes and breaking trail in front of his team was a common routine for Jerry well into his 70’s.”
A sophomore competitor in 1975, Riley finished as runner-up behind Emmitt Peters.
Riley, who was Athabascan, came back stronger and outpaced the entire field the following year, covering the 1,000-mile route in just shy of 19 days.
Riley took home $7,200 in prize money.
The Nenana musher got progressively faster on the trail — he finished the 2001 race in under 10 days — but it was not without controversy. He sat out of multiple races due to mistreating his dogs.
Other Alaska Natives to win the Iditarod include Carl Huntington (1974), John Baker (2011), Pete Kaiser (2016) and Ryan Redington (2023).
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