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Musher

Joar Leifseth Ulsom 

Joar Leifseth Ulsom is a professional long-distance dog musher from Mo i Rana, Norway. From there, he ran a variety of small races with borrowed dogs until he started his own kennel in 2008. Today, the Iditarod champion owns and runs his kennel, Sivo Racing, based in Willow, Alaska. 

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Alaska

Location

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21.02.87

DOB

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12

Achievements

Doghouse

Sivo Racing

Kennel

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50

Dogs

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37

Races

Mushers Bio

Get to know the Alaskan based Norwegian 

Joar Leifseth Ulsom started skijoring in his hometown, Mo i Rana, Norway. From there, he ran a variety of small races with borrowed dogs, until he started on his own. After developing his kennel in Norway, he moved to Alaska in 2011 and began to pursue a career in dog mushing.

Joar can be proud of being the only musher in history to finish Iditarod in top-7, in all his eight starts, as well as being the first non-native to ever win the Nadezhda Hope Race in Sibir, Russia. In 2018, he reached his life long dream and became the Iditarod champion, making him one of few foreigners that have ever won the "The Last Great Race on Earth."

He currently has his base in Willow, Alaska, where he runs his kennel Sivo Racing. When not mushing or taking care of his dogs, Joar enjoys exploring Alaska. Joar is a life-time member of Rana Trekk-og Brukshundklubb, based in Mo i Rana.

Dogs

LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE ATHLETES

Russern

Russern is a dog of an exceptional caliber. A unique combination of speed, power, size, and dedication. This guy is all business when racing and a complete ladies man when not. Russern won the Golden Harness in Iditarod 2018 and is a dog who never fails to impress.

Jumpa

Jumpa might perhaps be the quietest dog in the yard, usually just observing all the craziness. However, once he on the harness, he is ready to go, and no one can stop him. Jumpa has an infallible appetite and knows when to sleep and rest up during check-points. 

Brooks

Brooks is probably the most darling dog you will ever come across. She might be young, but is already showing great leadership qualities. Brooks is also a good team player who really adores attention. With her well-rounded personality and skill set, this lady is most likely one you will see a lot of in the years to come.

Jæger

Jæger is a very social boy, however, it wasn't always like this. As a puppy, he was a somewhat awkward dog that would keep to himself. He hated attention and would not play with his siblings. Jæger now thrives in the lead and takes his job very seriously. At the Iditarod in 2019, he ran hundreds of miles in single lead while keeping a fantastic pace, barking with excitement.

Q & A

Did you know?

I knew I wanted to do professional dog mushing when… Ever since I was a little kid, I always liked working with dogs. Initially, this was in the form of skijoring and backpacking. After Robert Sørlie won Iditarod in 2003, I started following the sport and became very interested in racing. 

My most memorable racing experience is… Coming into Whitehorse-finishing the Yukon Quest in 2012. I had my girl Sivo in single lead, with bright northern lights blazing in the sky and a coyote trotting behind me. It was spectacular and also marked the finish of my first 1000 mile race. 

The race I dream of winning is… Iditarod. Again!

My goal for the next five years is… To continue to develop the kennel, enjoy racing at a high level while building a family. 

If I didn’t do what I am doing today, I would… I can’t picture myself doing anything else. 

Achievements

2019

2nd Place at the Iditarod race

2018 

Iditarod Champion - The Last Great Race on Earth 

2018

GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award - Iditarod 

2018

Northrim Bank Achieve More Award - Iditarod 

2017

4th Place at the Iditarod race

2014

Champion of the Nadezhda Hope Race 

2014

4th Place at the Iditarod race

2013

 Rookie of the year - Iditarod 7th Place

2012

Champion of the Nadezhda Hope Race 

Fun facts

He never stops brushing his teeth!

While most mushers' personal hygiene usually gets neglected the further into a race they get, Joar never stops brushing his teeth. Most commonly you will see him and his dogs leaving a check-point, while he brushes his teeth. 

Video

See latest videos about Joar

Joar just before Iditarod 2019

Joar & Co. at check-point Iditarod 2019

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