ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Four-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey denies he administered banned drugs to his dogs in this year’s race, and he has withdrawn from the 2018 race in protest.
The Iditarod Trail Committee on Monday identified Seavey as the musher who had four dogs test positive for a banned opioid pain reliever after finishing the race last March in Nome.
Seavey in video posted to his Facebook page says he fully expects the Iditarod Trail Committee to ban him from the race for speaking out. There’s a so-called gag rule preventing mushers from making statements critical of the race or sponsors.
Seavey says in the video he has “done absolutely nothing wrong,” and adds he won’t be “thrown under the bus.”
The 30-year-old musher said he doesn’t care if he never races again, or makes another cent as a musher.