Rookie Iditarod musher Brenda Mackey scratches from the race

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Rookie Iditarod musher Brenda Mackey, bib #15, has scratched at the Nikolai checkpoint.

Officials say she made the decision “in the best interest of her race team.” She scratched at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Mackey had nine dogs in harness at the time she made the decision to scratch.

If her last name looks familiar, you would be correct in thinking she comes from a family of mushing Mackeys.

According to her bio on Iditarod.com, she is the daughter of Rick and Patti Mackey. Rick won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1983 and last hit the trail in 2004. She is also the niece of Lance Mackey who won the race four times in a row starting from 2007 to 2010 and the granddaughter of Dick Mackey won the 1978 Iditarod.

She owns and operates Mackey’s Alaskan Distance Dogs, a competitive racing kennel, with my husband and kennel partner, Will Rhodes.

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