American Dog Derby

 

The American Dog Derby is thought to be the oldest dog race in the lower forty-eight states. The first race was held in 1917 and went from West Yellowstone, Montana, to Ashton, Idaho. The race was supposed to take 6 hours to complete but due to blizzard conditions the mushers didn't finish until 29 hours later!

The 1920's and 30's were the hay-day for the Dog Derby, with as many as 15,000 people attending the race. People came up from Salt Lake city on passenger trains to experience the fun.

The race was postponed during World War Two but was continued after the war. The race in 1948 was highlighted by 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 thirty years before another was held.

In 1993 a group of interested volunteers under the auspice of the Ambassador's Sports Foundation decided to bring back the American Dog Derby. Reliable snow conditions, a scenic race course, and a welcoming Ashton community has made the Dog Derby popular among mushers and revived one of the greatest traditions in dog racing!