ANCHORAGE, Alaska – For the first time in the history of the world’s most famous sled dog race, several of the high-performance animals have tested positive for a prohibited drug. But race officials have refused to name the musher involved.
The governing board of the nearly 1,000-mile race said in a statement that several dogs tested positive for the opioid pain reliever Tramadol. Officials said the team was tested six hours after finishing the nearly 1,000-mile race in Nome in March.
Officials say they likely could not prove legally prove intent on the affected musher’s part. Officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment and to say whether the musher faces discipline.
Iditarod board member and musher Aaron Burmeister says he doesn’t know the musher’s identity, but he adds that only the first 20 teams to reach Nome are tested.
