Recently updated on April 22nd, 2025 at 09:56 am
We caught up with Tekla Butcher-Monson, the eldest daughter of four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Susan Butcher and Yukon Quest champion David Monson. These days the trained theater designer and director is based in Fairbanks, Alaska. Here she continues the family business, Trail Breaker Kennel, where they race sled dogs and educate people about mushing.
“The dog’s enthusiasm for racing and pulling the sled is infectious. It’s what inspires me every single day, and I hope that it’ll inspire guests that come to visit.” – Tekla Butcher-Monson
We asked Tekla to share more about her life in Alaska, the lasting legacy of her mother, Susan Butcher, how she inspires younger mushers today, and what happens when our Trafalgar guests meet her Alaskan Huskies on our Majestic Alaska tour.
Tekla, aged 10, with her sister Chisana and mom Susan out on a mushing trip
Can you tell us about the history of Trail Breaker Kennel and your mom’s achievements?
“The kennel was founded in the late ‘70s when my mom, Susan Butcher, moved to Alaska to pursue her love of sled dogs. She moved out into the wilderness, 150 miles from Fairbanks, and started raising a dog kennel,” says Tekla. “Mom started racing, and eventually she won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1986, ‘87, ‘88 and ‘90. She became the first woman to win the Iditarod four times. In 1995 I was born, and she retired from racing.
“I would say her biggest achievement was just her passion that inspired so many people. But in addition to that, she climbed to the top of Denali with a dog team. In fact, her leader in that trip was a dog named Tekla, who is my namesake.
“She raised me and my sister and always encouraged us to chase our own passions and follow our dreams. And I think in addition to being a good mother and good musher, she was a really inspiring person that obviously has a huge legacy in Alaska today.”
How does it feel that her legacy is still alive?
“I think the thing that brought her into the public imagination so strongly was the fact that she loved her dogs and she loved what she was doing,” Tekla explains. “You see that in anybody who is passionate about their sport or their art or their lifestyle. I think it’s really awesome to watch somebody who is genuinely passionate about their life and inspire that passion in other people.
“When my mom was winning her main races, she attributed a lot of that to her great lead dog Granite. Granite was born the runt of his litter. Many people didn’t believe in him, but she decided to work with him and build his confidence, and through that really intensive bond, Granite became one of the greatest lead dogs of all times.
“And that story has always stuck with me. It’s told me that I can chase my dreams no matter the obstacles, and that’s what we base all of our training at Trail Breaker on today. Let every dog, every human, every musher, show their potential and foster them through community and collaboration.”
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How are you keeping your mom’s dream alive today?
“The way that I have found to keep my mom’s memory alive is by creating a race, the Tanana Valley Sled Dog Race, commonly known amongst Fairbanksians as the T-Dog,” Tekla says. She launched the race in 2023 with a T-Dog training run and 10 mushers. Last year was the inaugural event, the T-Dog 200 – an Iditarod qualifying race.
“I’m really excited about the community that it brings in, not just the mushers and the dogs, but also the volunteers and the veterinarians and everybody that comes out to support wilderness travel through the beautiful Tanana Valley.”
How did it feel when you mushed your own team of dogs at age 11?
“When I was 11, I mushed my own team of eight dogs 700 miles on the Iditarod trail as a memorial event for my mom,” Tekla says, reflecting on how wild that was. Sadly Susan Butcher passed away in 2006.
“I look at 11 year olds now and can’t believe I did that. But when I was doing it, it was rather a matter of fact. Growing up in Alaska, I became very tough. I became very driven, and so being on the back of a dog sled for eight to 10 hours a day just became my normal.
“I really thank my dad and my family. Not only is it so beautiful to see the Iditarod trail and to see all the communities that my mom knew and loved when she was racing there, but it’s also pretty wonderful just to be able to have that toughness in my back pocket that I can call on when I really need it.”
What’s it like when Trafalgar guests visit on a Be My Guest experience?
“When Trafalgar guests come to Trail Breaker Kennel they can expect a really authentic look into the lifestyle of dog mushers. We bring them into our home and show them what a kennel in the off-season looks like,” Tekla explains.
“Summer sled dogs love to play in the water, go for short training runs, and mostly get a lot of love. Guests are always floored by how happy and healthy the Alaskan Huskies are.
The kennel has around 40 playful dogs that love scratches behind their ears. Trafalgar guests learn about their nutrition, training schedules, and what life is like in the wintertime before everyone joins for a family dinner with the Butcher-Monsons and other mushers.
“You also help us train the sled dogs – and that means cuddling puppies!” says Tekla. “Every single puppy needs a lot of attention as they’re growing up, and it’s really important that they get to socialize with as many humans as possible. So before our Trafalgar guests leave we hand them an adorable Alaskan Husky pup and let them cuddle to their heart’s content.”
What’s the best reaction or feedback you’ve had from a guest who’s visited?
“The best feedback I have gotten from our guests who visit us at the kennel in the summer is that they want to come back in the winter and go for a dog sled ride. And I love it when we spark the enthusiasm for a lifelong sled dog fan,” says Tekla.
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What do you say to guests who might be concerned about the dog’s well-being?
“What I love is when folks get to come into our kennel and see how happy these dogs are to do their job. It’s like a retrieving dog getting to fetch a stick all day long,” she says.
“The Alaskan Husky has an innate instinct to pull a sled, and they are never more joyful when they are pulling a sled during our tours. You get to see us hook the dogs up to the sled. You get to see them bouncing and jumping and cheering with joy until we finally let off the break and they get to start running.
“The enthusiasm that these dogs show us, our guests, and each other out on the trail is truly infectious. I love being able to share it with people.”
What impact do you think your mom, Susan Butcher, has had on the future generation of mushers?
“I think my mom’s achievements will continue to inspire generations of mushers to come. I hope to contribute to that by creating the Tanana Valley Sled Dog Race,” says Tekla.
“The T-Dog is meant to inspire younger mushers. It’s meant to be accessible and fun and foster mentorship. And I hope that my mom’s legacy and her love of the sport and her love of being out on the trail can really encourage these next generations to get on the runners and to go out and have wilderness adventures with their dogs.”
You’ll visit Trail Breaker Kennel for a special Be My Guest experience on Trafalgar’s Majestic Alaska tour.