Ramy "Ray" Brooks (born December 24, 1968"1996 Iditarod Mushers: B", para. 11. in

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a Municipal home rule, home rule city and the county seat, borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior Alaska, interior region of Alaska and the second la ...

) is an

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

kennel A kennel is a structure or shelter for dogs. Used in the plural, ''the kennels'', the term means any building, collection of buildings or a property in which dogs are housed, maintained, and (though not in all cases) bred. A kennel can be made o ...

owner and operator,

motivational speaker A motivational speaker (or inspirational speaker) is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep ta ...

, and dog musher who specializes in long-distance races. He is a two-time runner up in the 1,049+ mi (1,600+ km)

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod (), is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of between 12 and 16 dogs, of which at lea ...

across the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

state of

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

, and a former winner of the 1,000 mi (1,600 km)

Yukon Quest The Yukon Quest, formally the Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, is a sled dog race scheduled every February since 1984 between Fairbanks, Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, switching directions ...

dog sled race across both

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the U.S.

Family

Brooks is

Yup'ik The Yupʼik or Yupiaq (sg & pl) and Yupiit or Yupiat (pl), also Central Alaskan Yupʼik, Central Yupʼik, Alaskan Yupʼik ( own name ''Yupʼik'' sg ''Yupiik'' dual ''Yupiit'' pl; Russian: Юпики центральной Аляски), are an ...

and

Athabascan Athabaskan ( ; also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large branch of the Na-Dene language family of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, ...

, two of the Indigenous groups who were the first to mush dogs in Alaska."Meet Ramy Brooks", para. 3. His grandfather, Gareth Wright, was a competitive musher who won both major Alaskan sled dog races of the 1940s, the American Championship (twice), and the Fur Rendezvous World Championship (three times). Wright was also a

dog breeder Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intention of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offspring's characteristics are determined by ...

and kennel owner who became known for breeding the Wright's Aurora Husky from the

Irish Setter The Irish Setter (, literally "red setter") is a setter, a breed of gundog, and family dog originating in Ireland. The term ''Irish Setter'' is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognised by the American Kennel Club as well a ...

, the St. Lawrence Siberian Husky, and village dogs."History of Sled Dog Racing in Alaska", para. 1, 5. Brooks's mother is Roxy Wright (or Wright-Champaine), another kennel owner and competitive musher. She became the first woman to win both the Fur Rendezvous World Championship in

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

, and the Open North American Championship in Fairbanks. She won the open class of each event three times, and the women's classes eight times apiece. In 1990, she also won Europe's largest dog sled race, the Alpirod, across

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. She was also honored with the Mush with PRIDE Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and once competed in the Iditarod."Wright Champaine Earns 1996 Lifetime Award", para. 1, 2, 6. Brooks's maternal aunt is Shannon Erhart, who competes in sprint races. She placed third in the Women's Fur Rondezvous race in 2000, and has also raced in the Open Fur Rondezvous. Her ex-husband Curtis Erhart has raced in the Kuskokwim 300."Meet Ramy Brooks", para. 4, 5.

Personal history

Brooks was raised in a

Yukon River The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. From its source in British Columbia, it flows through Canada's territory of Yukon (itself named after the river). The lower half of the river continues westward through the U.S ...

fish camp in the Fairbanks and

Rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

areas. During the summer he operated a fishwheel, and during the winter he mushed the family dogs. After high school he joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

then went to the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

before returning to Alaska and married his wife, Cathy. His wife was raised in a

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and attended

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

, but moved to Alaska where she is employed by the

University of Alaska Fairbanks The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-, National Sea Grant College Program, sea-, and National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, space-grant research university in ...

and works as the

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

youth development specialist for the Alaska. Originally they lived in Fairbanks, but moved briefly to

Delta Junction, Alaska Delta Junction (; ) is a List of cities in Alaska, city in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 918. The city is located a short distance south of the con ...

, then Eureka, Alaska, in 1997, before settling in

Healy, Alaska Healy is a census-designated place (CDP) and the borough seat of Denali Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 966 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 1,021 in 2010. History The history of Healy is intertwined with th ...

by 1999."Ramy Brooks Interview", para. 1, 3, 4. They have two young daughters, Abbigal and Molly. The cabin they lived in at Eureka was owned by former Iditarod champion

Susan Butcher Susan Howlet Butcher (December 26, 1954 – August 5, 2006) was an American dog musher, noteworthy as the second woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1986, the second four-time winner in 1990, and the first to win four out of five ...

. He and his family are currently living on Murphy Dome Road in Fairbanks Alaska. They still own the kennel in Healy. The family owns and operates Kami Kennels, primarily composed of Alaskan Huskies."Ramy Brooks Interview", dogs section. ''

Kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

'' is a respectful

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

term for

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

spirits,"Kami", para. 2. and Brooks chose the name to symbolize the importance of his family. Brooks has visited schools as a motivational speaker since 1993, participates in Mush for Kids since 1997, and from 2003 has been a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of the Alaskan Children's Trust. He attempted to commit

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

at age 16, and suffered from depression in his 20s. As a result, he began working with the Alaska Mental Health Trust in 2005, in an attempt to reduce the extraordinarily high rate of suicide among Native Alaskans.Dillon 1, 2, 6–8.

Racing

Brooks won his first race, the single-dog Junior North American Championship, when he was four years old, with his dog Sam. He went on to become the first person to win the race three times in a row, and by 14 years of age he had won every class in the race."History of Sled Dog Racing in Alaska", para. 7. He started competing in long distance races in 1992 and 1993."WINNER! Ramy Brooks won the 1999 Yukon Quest!!", para. 3, table. Brooks placed 17th in his first Iditarod, in 1994, and won the Rookie of the Year Award. He consistently improved his ranking for the next three years, breaking into the top 10 in 1997 with an 8th-place finish. After two family deaths less than 10 days before the 1998 race and recurrent dog problems,O'Harra, para. 1, 9, 10. he completed his worst finish in 1998. In 2000, he returned and has consistently placed in the top 10, with his best a back-to-back pair of 2nd-place finishes in 2002 and 2003. In 1998, he won the drawing for the Joe Redington, Sr. Award, and in 2000 he won both the Sportsmanship and Most Improved Musher Awards. Brooks is one of the few Alaskan Natives competing in the modern Iditarod, which is a considerable change from the early days of the Iditarod. In 1976, more than one quarter of the entrants, including the record-breaking Emmitt Peters, were of native descent. The most common reason given for this paucity is the expense of the training and equipping a competitive team. Rural Alaskans find it difficult to acquire the necessary sponsors.Hutchison, para. 6–13. In 1993, he placed 15th in 1,000 mi (1,600 km) Yukon Quest dog sled race."1993 Race Results", table. In 1999, he won the race from Fairbanks, Alaska, to

Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's Downtown Whitehorse, downtown a ...

, with a time of 11 days, 7 hours, and 31 minutes."1999 Race Results", table. His 1999 win was accompanied by the Dawson Award for being the first musher into

Dawson City, Yukon Dawson City is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon. History Prior t ...

, winning 4 oz of gold, the Kiwanis Award for being the first to cross the United States-Canada border, and the Major's Award for winning. His lead dog, Pretty Boy, won the Golden Harness."Hall of Fame", lists 1999 Yukon Quest awards. Brooks has also raced in the Kuskokwim 300, Copper Basin 300, Tour de Minto, Fire Plug Stakes, Sheep Creek Classic, and Henry Hahn 200. He won the Henry Han 200 in 1996, and placed 4th in the Kuskokwim 300 in the same year (also winning the Eddie Hoffman Humanitarian Award), but his primary goal is to win the Iditarod. According to Brooks, "living my dream and the love of working with my dogs", is the reason he races."Ramy Brooks (Bib 16)", quoted in para. 9.

Iditarod disqualification and suspension

During the 2007 Iditarod, witnesses said they saw Brooks punch and kick some of his dogs and hit them with a ski pole when they refused to leave a checkpoint during a March 15, 2007, stage in Golovin, Alaska, less than from the finish in

Nome, Alaska Nome (; , , also ''Sitŋazuaq'', ''Siqnazuaq'') is a city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, Unorganized Borough of the US state of Alaska. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula c ...

. Brooks denies the more serious allegations, but acknowledged "spanking" the dogs in his team with a trail marking lath. One of Brooks‘ dogs died the day after the incident, but a necropsy could not determine why the dog died and race officials said there was no evidence that Brooks was to blame. On March 17, 2007, the judges voted unanimously to disqualify Brooks from the 2007 Iditarod. On May 18, 2007, the Iditarod Trail Committee Board of Directors announced that they had suspended Brooks for the 2008 and 2009 race, and following that, Brooks would be on probation for 3 years.KTVA: Ramy Brooks Decision
Interviews of three adult and two child witnesses by an independent investigation team factored into the decision.

Notes

References

* "1993 Race Results". (n.d.)

* "1996 Iditarod Mushers: B, The". (1996)

* "1999 Race Results". (n.d.)

* Dillon, R. A. (October 19, 2005). "Musher speaks out about fight against depression, suicide." Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved March 7, 2006 from State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Alliance for Direct Service Careers sit
(pdf)
* "Hall of Fame". (2006)

* "History of Sled Dog Racing in Alaska." (1998)

* Hutchison, Kristan. (n.d.). "Fewer Native mushers in the race." The Juneau Empire

* "

". (March 3, 2006). * "Meet Ramy Brooks". (n.d.)
Retrieved March 7, 2006 from Ramy Brooks' site
* O'Harra, Doug (Sunday March 15, 1998). "Heavy Load". Anchorage Daily News

* "Ramy Brooks". (2006)
Retrieved March 7, 2006 from Official Site of the Iditarod, 2006 Iditarod Musher Profiles
* "Ramy Brooks (Bib 16)." (2006)

* "Ramy Brooks Interview". (n.d.)

* Runyan, Joe. (2003). "Rating Ramy Brooks: The Summer Season.

* "WINNER! Ramy Brooks won the 1999 Yukon Quest!!". (n.d.)

* "Wright Champaine Earns 1996 Lifetime Award". (2000)

* "Media Advisory... Ramy Brooks" (2007). ttp://iditarod.com/press/release/pressrelease_370.html Retrieved March 18, 2007 from www.iditarod.com. * "Brooks disqualified from Iditarod" (2007)
Retrieved March 18, 2007 from Anchorage Daily News
* "Ramy Brooks Decision" (2007)
Retrieved May 19, 2007 from KTVA.com

External links

Current statistics in the 2006 Iditarod from the official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Ramy 1968 births 20th-century Alaska Native people 21st-century Alaska Native people Alaskan Athabaskan people American people of Yupik descent Dog mushers from Alaska Living people Native American sportspeople Sportspeople from Fairbanks, Alaska