Fremont Rescue

The 2007 American Dog Derby

Ashton Main Street          February 16 & 17,2007

90 Year Anniversary!!!

2007 pictures

The American Dog Derby is thought to be the oldest dog race in the lower 48 states. The first race was held in 1917 and went from West Yellowstone to Ashton. The race was supposed to take six hours to complete but took more than a day, due to blizzard conditions,.
As many as 15,000 people attended the event in the 1920's and 30's. People came up from Salt Lake City on passenger trains to experience the fun. 
Although the school mascot in Ashton is a Husky, in the early years of the Dog Derby, mushers raced Targhee Hounds, a cross between setters and gray hounds. Now mushers rely mostly on sleek Alaskan and Siberian Huskies. 
The race was postponed during World War Two but continued after the war. The 1948 event featured a team and musher parachuting from an airplane to the starting line!
The popularity of snowmobiles in the 1950s eventually led to a decline in interest in the Dog Derby. The last race was held in 1961 and it would be more than 30 years before another was held.
In 1993 a group of volunteers under the auspice of the Ambassador's Sports Foundation brought back the American Dog Derby. Now it is organized each year by hard working volunteers. who love the excitement and joy that dog racing brings to the community. There are two main races, depending upon number of dogs on a team. Each race varies in degree of difficulty. The "100 miler" allows a musher to have nine to 12 dogs on the team. The "60 miler" is for mushers who want a challenging race but a shorter distance. This class of mushers travels 60 miles and allows a musher to have 5 - 8 dogs on the team.
Courses travel through gently rolling hills and flat potato fields. Spectacular views of the Grand Tetons are visible throughout the course on clear days. Snow conditions are generally pretty good in February, although day time temperatures can be warm .

The 1999 American Dog Derby launched snowshoe races, a real crowd pleaser.
In 2001, the American Dog Derby added the Potluck Race. This popular race got its name because the "pot" (entry fees) were divided among the top three finishers. The mushers, using three to six dogs, cover 40 miles during the two days.

Come early to watch the mushers prepare their sleds and hook up the dogs.

Mushers 16 years of age and younger can participate in the Junior Musher’s Race. Junior mushers race their teams over a three and a half- to four-mile course on Friday and Saturday. Many junior mushers return in following years to compete in the longer events.
The Mutt Race is very popular for kids of all ages. Whether the dog’s name is Sam or Rex, the common denominator for the mutt dog race is excited dogs and lots of laughter. Mushers are limited to one dog and the course is approximately 100 yards long. Spectators line the race track to watch what may be the Dog Derby's most howling!
In the weight pull, a single dog is hooked to a sled loaded with a measured weight. The dog is encouraged by its owner to pull the sled across the finish line a few feet away. Each dog must pull a certain weight before they move on to the next level of competition. The winner is the dog who pulls the greatest amount. Dogs are separated into size classes. Sometimes the smaller dogs end up pulling more than the big dogs!

For more information about the American Dog Derby, contact American Dog Derby Committee Information Officer, Patsy Garz at (208)652-3377. For a race packet and entry form, contact Karren Nygaard at (208)652-7980 or e-mail thenygaards@fretel.com

   Ashton Dog Derby