Feature films SEPP AND LIZ RICKER were a feature on the eastern race circuit from It was 50 F in Fairbanks. Finally, Seppala did indeed attempt to give Togo away to a woman who tried to make him a house pet, and according to The Cruelest Miles, Togo really did escape by jumping through a windowpane. He had forced all of his dogs to push through stormy weather and many of them wound up injured. The fact that I won that race, started my career as a sled dog racer.. Bering Sea coastline. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Seppala initially followed in his father's footsteps as both a blacksmith and a fisherman. This meant avoiding rocky cliffs along the shore, but it also exposed him and his team to the dangers of the Sound. Poland Spring against Arthur Walden, breeder of 'Chinook' dogs and author of https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPZG-Z2K, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBL-18T, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonhard_Seppala&oldid=931924516, Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (, "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (. At the end of his career, Leonhard Seppala was known as the Big Norwegian although he was only five foot, four inches tall, and 145 pounds. In researching the Togo true story, we learned that in real life Leonhard and his wife Constance had a daughter named Sigrid, who was eight years old at the time of the 1925 Serum Run to Nome. They were survived by their daughter, Sigrid Hanks. Club was challenged by the Ruby Kennel Club. Seppala dominated Alaska's major race thereafter, winning Togo jumped into the water, clambered back out, wrapped the rope around his body, and pulled. on the S.S. Ohio in the city of Nome, where Lindeberg had his Pioneer and then in the Fairbanks gold fields until his departure from Alaska in By Robert Forto, PhD. The most dangerous part of this trail was the 42-mile shortcut across the sound. In Disneys telling, Togos beginnings are an underdog story. In 1931 the SeppalaRicker partnership ended. It was decided that he was the most qualified of the relay mushers to attempt this shortcut. First Name Leonhard #3. In And although Seppala did not seem upset on his own account (he praised Kaasen), he was reportedly upset that Togo had not received his due. Dog Mushers. racing teams were fielded, dominated the 1910 third All-Alaska Sweepstakes, The dog that plays the adult Togo in the movie is a so-called Seppala Siberian named Diesel (the Seppala Siberian is now its own breed) and is actually Togos great-grandson, 14 generations removed, according to the movies director. In Seppalas account, as summarized in The Cruelest Miles, the tow rope connecting Togo and the rest of the team on the floe snapped, and the end of the rope fell into the water. Seppala had taken the shortcut across the Sound several times in his career; a less-experienced musher was likelier to lose not only his life and the lives of his dogs, but also the urgently needed serum. All rights reserved. However, as going around the ice meant slowing the delivery of the serum by a full day, he chose to go across. His career took off when he won the Sweepstakes the following year, beating experienced musher Scotty Allan by two hours. . Without the antitoxin, estimated mortality rates stood anywhere from 75% to 99.99%, practically a killing blow to Nome. In the movie, Leonhard Seppala is depicted as a stoic, hardscrabble Norwegian whose demeanor is in direct contrast to that of his softhearted Belgian wife. [15][16] He bred Togo, and the dog's descendants contributed to the "Seppala Siberian Sleddog", a sought after sled dog line, as well as mainstream show-stock Siberian Husky lines bred in New England and eventually elsewhere. Leonhard Seppala and his wife Constance play with a litter of puppies on the porch of their home. of his childhood sweetheart Margit, whom he had planned to marry, Learn more about Leonhard Seppala at the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum, take a stroll down Front Street, where he won the All Alaska Sweepstakes three times, or reflect on Seppalas contributions as you head into town from the airport on Seppala Drive. Gunnar Kasson, however, did not hand over the serum to the next waiting musher but brought it the rest of the way into Nome. He was best known for being a Dog Musher. The odds were set at 100 to 1 against these Siberian runts. (Color/Silent/16mm film). His skeleton is in the Peabody Museum of Natural History's collection at Yale University. The serum was now only 78 miles (126km) from Nome. around 1899. Alaska Airlines has established the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Husband of Constance M Seppala. When is Leonhard Seppalas birthday? Leonhard Seppala is considered one of Alaskas first great dog mushers; He took part in the 1925 serum run to Nome. Who are the richest people in the world? Zodiac Sign: Leonhard Seppala was a Virgo. Togo (formally), Togo acting up After four children took ill and died, the town's only doctor, Curtis Welch, eventually diagnosed diphtheria in three-year-old Billy Barnett, who died just two weeks after the onset of symptoms. The other half of the meeting is not-so-subtle pressure on Seppala to ride to Nenana to pick up the serum. He crossed Norton Sound without incident. it would have broken the Bank of Nome.) His tour finished in the State of Maine in 1927 with a challenge race in Later, he began racing in the All Alaska Sweepstakes, winning a spot in the annals of sled dog racing history for three wins. [1] tough and self-reliant. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. . [10] He became a naturalized citizen in 1906. Seppala was assigned to train the dogs. Shortly after arriving in Alaska, Seppalas boss gave him the opportunity to take a dog team out prospecting. This also meant he worked as long as 12 hours a day. Yes. (a hand-forged vise) that would demonstrate his competence at the But in 1899, when a friend of Leonhard Seppala returned to Norway, rich from the goldfields of Alaska, the lure of wealth and adventure was just too much for the twenty-two-year-old smithy to overcome and before long he was on his way to the new world. Likes Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. The only planes they had were water-cooled aircraft from World War I, which didn't perform well in cold weather. Previously unexposed children as well as adults were at risk of dying from the infection. By that time, he had already been a lead sled dog for seven years. As for Seppala, he lived to be 89. behind Seppala; in fact, she won the Poland Spring race in 1930, also with Bonzo Seppala is initially unmoved, but after peeking into the windows of the town hospital and seeing children crying and coughing, he is convinced he must go, despite the misgivings of his wife. remained in St. Jovite through the winter of 1931-32 and competed with They have a strong faith and can be seen as stubborn in their old ways. JUMP TO: Leonhard Seppalas biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. He once attempted to leap over a 7-foot-high fence and got stuck in the wiring. They called a team of 20 mushers, including Leonhard Seppala. Seppala would cross the sound each way in the race to deliver the serum. [1]:64[2][3][4], Seppala was born in the Lyngen, Troms og Finnmark, Northern Norway. Seppala died in 1967 at age 90, and his ashes were scattered along the Iditarod Trail by his wife, Constance. Leonhard Seppala, or Sepp, as he was called by his friends, received his first team of Siberian Husky imports from his employer to be trained in 1913, a few years after the first import by Goosak and the subsequent import of Siberians by Charles Fox Maule Ramsey. In real life, Seppala faced a similar issue when he entered his dogs in the 1914 All Alaska Sweepstakes. Leonhard Seppala Was born 14 Sep 1877 in Skibotn, Troms, Norway. Seppala apparently You, he said, are no Leonhard Seppala.. Leonhard Seppala was born on the 14th of September, 1877. His tour ended in January 1927 with the dogsled race at Poland Spring, Maine, where he accepted the challenge to race against Arthur Walden, founder of the New England Sled Dog Club and owner of the famous lead dog, "Chinook". Diphtheria can attack healthy tissues in the respiratory system. Seppala embarked on a tour of the 'Lower 48' with 44 dogs and an Inuit handler. Seppala grumbles that Constance is too softhearted and. Desperate, he sent radiotelegrams to the other major towns in Alaska and one to the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, D.C., pleading for help. One competitor described his communion with dogs as unnatural control or hypnotism.. Have you taken a DNA test? just what happened (rumours say that Seppala ran up a hotel bill at the Seppala and his wife returned to Alaska in the mid-thirties, and then after retirement moved to Seattle, Washington. Some later claimed that the Nome Bank bribed Goosak to throw the race so it would not go under. supply of antiserum via an otherwise impassable route between Nenana and the . He tries locking him away and later give him away to another owner twice. The expedition was ultimately cancelled and Seppala got to keep the dogs. Seppala had not abandoned his mining career with his tour of the U.S.A. After In real life, Leonhard Seppala also had a daughter named Sigrid who was one of the children at risk for catching diphtheria. January 29, 1967 (89) Seattle, King, Washington, United States. When he was a young man his friend Jafet Lindeberg convinced him to come to America due to the gold rush that was going on. His telegram is pictured below. For more information please contact the Alaska Film Archives. Leonhard Seppala and his sled dog team led by Togo traveled 340 miles roundtrip to pick up the serum and start bringing it back, eventually handing it off to Charlie Olson's team. He was He was the son of a blacksmith and arctic fisherman. Togo eventually passes away with Seppala reminiscing on the loyalty of a well trained dog. If not for Togo finding the way and leading the team to the roadhouse at Isaac's Point on the shore, a distance of 84 miles since picking up the serum, they would have faced certain death. He and his 10 dog team + Togo, the Lead and the HERO ran 264 miles. Unlike the movie, Leonhard Seppala eventually decided that he wanted Togo to live out the remainder of his life in comfort. second son of the Earl of Dalhousie. Sepp Gunnar Kaasen - Born in Norway in 1882, Kaasen came to Nome in 1904. Big ship or small ship? moved to the village of Skjervy two years after his birth. He was recruited to Alaska from Norway by fellow Norwegian Jafet Lindeberg, who had struck it rich in Nome. If the Serum Drive finished Both are buried in Nome, Alaska. The People of Nome had another idea. 2-5 day small ship explorations. This can lead to death from asphyxiation. This page is updated often with latest details about Leonhard Seppala. This clip features famed Alaska dog musher Leonhard Seppala and his wife Constance Seppala sitting on the porch in front of a house and playing with a litter. Kaasen, whose team is being lead by Seppala's other dog Balto, makes the last couple of miles back and ends up gaining the credit for saving Nome. He was disruptive to harnessed sled dogs, just as hes shown to be in the film. Willem Dafoe in that drive he had worked his hardest and best. This film sequence is an excerpt of AAF-2240 from the Seppala-Hanks collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska \u0026 Polar Regions Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.The Alaska Film Archives appreciates your support. consistently with his Siberian sleddogs until the race was discontinued Claim at Anvil Creek. The victory is depicted as a flashback in the movie. Leonhard Seppala Is A Member Of . The native drivers from the Birth Name: Leonhard Seppala Occupation: Dog Musher Place Of Birth: Norway Date Of Birth: September 14, 1877 Date Of Death: January 28, 1967 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: Norwegian Leonhard Seppala was born on the 14th of September, 1877. of Harry R. Wheeler, the owner of Grey Rocks Inn. The Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, which honors excellence in sled dog care, is named in honour of him. Yes. Your donation in any amount will help us continue important preservation work. In 1928, Seppala moved his permanent home to near Fairbanks, Alaska. IN 1913 SEPPALA'S EMPLOYER Jafet Lindeberg, a mining company operator, entrusted him with the raising and training of a group of Siberian females and puppies, about fifteen dogs in all. worked as a ranger for U.S. Mining and Melting Company, first in Nome Togo, it must have been harder yet for Seppala's old Sweepstakes leader. Born in 1877 #36. ), Popular Alaska Itineraries Using In-State Airlines, Anchorage to Denali National Park Driving Map, Denali National Park Campgrounds & RV Parks. This was possibly filmed in Chatanika, Alaska. He then had to learn mining from the ground up, starting The very next year, Nome ran its second annual, 500 mile, All Alaska Sweepstakes Race. Genealogy profile for Constance M Seppala. Seppala told his father who responded with ridicule for what he perceived was a ridiculous dream. Furious, she left the house and refused to come back. In October of 1926 Seppala and his team was brought to the lower 48 states for a tour and to be honored in Madison Square Garden with a medal which would be presented by the famed Explorer, Roald Amundsen. Like in the film, Seppala almost missed musher Henry Ivanoff, who had been in Shaktoolik in case Seppala didn't arrive. While tending to newborn pups, Constance took pity on one puppy that was noticeably weaker than the others. He lived in Seattle until his While my trail has been rough at times, he wrote in his diary at age 81, the end of the course seems pretty smooth, with downhill going and a warm roadhouse in sight. Source. Poland Spring stock, marked the founding of the second historic Seppala Lake Placid, NY, in 1932, which was Seppala's last race in the East. 'Sepp' entered the 1914 Seppala grew to adulthood and followed in his fathers footsteps as both a smithy and a fisherman. However, the descriptions in The Cruelest Miles suggest more whimsy: The cheerful and diminutive Seppala was also seen as something of a show-off, known to flip double back handsprings just for laughs and land with a somersault. As shown in the movie, Seppala did beat legendary musher Scotty Allen in a race, which marked the beginning of his own celebrity. He is a sled dog trainer and racer who is known for carrying the supply of diphtheria serum to the residents of Nome, Alaska. Leonhard Seppala is the protagonist in the 2019 film Togo. Club in Canada in 1939 as the 'Siberian Huskie.' Regardless, Seppala could tell that Togo wanted to press on. The Disney+ movie Togo is about the heroic run of the titular Siberian husky, who led a team of sled dogs across hundreds of miles to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to the town of Nome, Alaska, during an outbreak of the disease in 1925. The only treatment available in 1925 was diphtheria antitoxin serum. Leonhard Seppala with his dog Togo and Willem Dafoe in. 1947. By the time Seppala arrives at home, Togo has been moved to the lead position, and Seppala is marveling at Togos speed. The next day a seven-year-old girl was diagnosed and Welch tried to give her expired antitoxin (all that was on hand) in hopes that it would work, but she died several hours later. As a child One day, Ashley's wife tried to strike Mumbet's sister with a spade. In 1925, more than 20 men and their dogs helped rush an emergency package of medicine nearly 675 miles to Nome, Alaska, which faced a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. [7] His father's family name is of Finnish origin. Whos the richest Dog Musher in the world. The Ramsay import dogs, from which three He was born in Skibotn, Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, in the summer of 1877. If the story of Seppala ended here we would probably not be thinking of him now, nor trying to preserve the breed he worked so hard to establish. THE GOLD STRIKES IN ALASKA and the Yukon were the talk of Norway Leonhard Seppala and his sled dog team led by Togo spent three days traveling 170 miles from Nome to Shaktoolik to pick up the diphtheria serum on January 31, 1925. He immediately began the trek back across Norton Sound without pausing to rest.The conditions on the return trip were even worse. Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USA Arctic Circle -- the 14th September in the year 1877. While in Skjervy, his father worked as a blacksmith and fisherman, building up a relatively large estate. Background information Did Leonhard Seppala and his wife have any children? His contribution to Alaskas sled dog racing history, and his pioneering work developing the Siberian Husky bloodline are also well known. He is a sled dog trainer and racer who is known for carrying the supply of diphtheria serum to the residents of Nome, Alaska. SEPPALA'S EXPLOITS and the Poland Spring kennel breeding gave Categories: Notables | Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. with its endless mounds of gravel to be shoveled, he was very fit. Like many famous people and celebrities, Leonhard Seppala kept his personal life private. seventy Siberian dogs bought at the Siberian trading village of Markovo on the Beyond the possibility of getting caught in a storm or a dog injuring its paw on a shard of ice, it was also likely that the ice of the Norton Sound could break up and carry the team out to sea. I once told Jeffrey Bragg about about a training run I had with 16 dogs attached to my four-wheeler. that he had left behind; none of the other teams made more than 53 miles of Seppala won the race, and afterward However, the town's supply was not only insufficient but also of presumably low efficacy, being past its expiry date. It was there they rested and slept for six hours before continuing their journey at 2 a.m., heading into another bad storm. Explorer. Dog Musher. Seppala became interested in dog sledding during his first winter in Alaska when he became a sled dog driver for Lindeberg's company. Details of Death: Died in the Poland Spring, Maine home of Elizabeth Ricker, a friend of Leonhard Seppala and fellow dog musher and breeder. The world had been drawn into its first World War. As a puppy, he is a runt with little more than a fighting spirit and the endorsement of Seppalas wife, Constance (Julianne Nicholson). Nome, Alaska Just one grandparent can lead you to many [1], The next day, the gale had intensified into a severe blizzard, with blinding snow and winds of at least 65mph (105km/h). Dog musher who was one of the men tapped to deliver a vital shipment of diptheria serum over ice-bound roads. Fortunately, he succeeded in stopping 20 feet from the drop-off, saving all their lives. with a former driver of Chinooks, Mrs. Elizabeth Ricker. Leonhard Seppala: property of Jonathan Hayes. Thank you! Seppala's wife nursed him and took great care of him, even at the opposition of Seppala. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. Thank you! Dog Musher #11. The greatest overall compatibility with Virgo is Pisces and Cancer. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. had constant problems with claim-jumpers and shyster lawyers, all of whom Seppala said, Ive always said that this buzzard was the reason why I started sled dog racing. Trips available from Whittier, Homer, Seward, Juneau, and Sitka. Despite doing most of the work, the credit instead largely went to the Gunnar Kaasen-controlled sled dog Balto, who completed the last, 55-mile stretch of the Serum Run through a blizzard. Please check back soon for updates. Various dogs portrayed Togo as a puppy, including RipTide (Ripley) from Evelyn Ely's pack. Seppala tells the story that he won this first race due to the intervention of a raven. In 1916 the Nome Kennel Conditions on the ice were perilous, with sudden soft spots in the ice underfoot and outright open water sometimes only a few feet away. His wife, Constance, died a few years later aged 85. sleddogs from Chukotka, Kamschatka and the Kolyma River basin, had been placed As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder (), I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. He made the decision to leave Togo behind in Maine in March 1927, concerned that the journey would be too much for the retired dog. Leonhard Seppala was born in Norway. entrusted him with the raising and training of a group of Siberian And while the movie Seppala gets the date of Togos death right (He left us on a Thursday in December), in reality Seppala decided to put Togo to sleep, given Togos joint pain and partial blindness. The serum was to be taken by train to Nenana, and from there relay teams would set out from Nome and Nenana, meeting in the middle at Nulato. Leonhard Seppala lived there and ran his dogs, year-round, for the Pioneer Mining Company out of this coastal town. Was Togo really such a good boy as the movie suggests? for the gold fields, even offering to lend him money for his passage. This clip features famed Alaska dog musher Leonhard Seppala and his wife Constance Seppala sitting on the porch in front of a house and playing with a litter of puppies. Dallas Seavey. The diphtheria serum was first transported by train from Anchorage northward to Nenana, Alaska. Once more details are available, we will update this section. The whole trail was 674 miles from Nenana to Nome, and Seppala was initially selected to cover the more than 400 miles from Nome to Nulato and back. At the start of Togo, Seppala arrives in town after a run to find that a diphtheria outbreak has already claimed the lives of five children. Seppala and his team mushed five times farther than any other team during that effort. The Scandinavian miners, including Sepp's employer, Seppala happily decides to have Togo continue running for him. Overwhelmed by choices? Lygenfjrd, Norway -- 600 miles north of the 12.5K subscribers This clip features famed Alaska dog musher Leonhard Seppala and his wife Constance Seppala sitting on the porch in front of a house and playing with a litter of puppies.. Leonhard " Sepp " Seppala ( / lnrd spl /; September 14, 1877 - January 28, 1967) was a Norwegian-American sled dog breeder, trainer and musher who with his dogs played a pivotal role in the 1925 serum run to Nome, [1] and participated in the 1932 Winter Olympics. [4][9] When Seppala was two years old, his family moved within Troms county to nearby Skjervy municipality on the island of Skjervya. A Dog-Puncher on the Yukon. They asked him to begin traveling toward Nenana. In the movie, Seppala sets out for Nenana in the midst of a blizzard. He and his wife lived in Seattle until his death at the age of 89. Sweepstakes. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, The 9 Best Northern Lights Viewing Spots Near Anchorage, How to Travel to Alaska in January and February, The Best Large Family & Group Vacations in Alaska, How to Get from Anchorage to Your Cruise Port in Whittier or Seward (or the reverse! [11], During his first winter in Alaska, Seppala became a dogsled driver for Lindeberg's company. Subsequently he The 2019 Disney film costars Nicholson as Constance Seppala, wife of dog sledder Leonhard Seppala (played by Willem Dafoe) who brought life-saving diphtheria medication across Alaska in 1925. Poland Spring event three years running. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. Seppalas greatest test was to come in the winter of 1925 when the advent of the airplane was already putting the final nails in the casket of dog sled transportation in the north. until he completed his "masterpiece" in December 1898, the project Wikipedia contributors, "Leonhard Seppala," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. considered the hero of the run. Free personal GPSdriven travel guide to Alaska. IN 1913 SEPPALA'S EMPLOYER Jafet Lindeberg, a mining company operator, When . Leonhard Seppalas mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Kristiana (now called Oslo), where he worked at the smithies there partnership arrangement with the Bow Lake Kennels of Earl L. Snodie, Seppala, Togo and the team traveled through tough, snowy terrain encountering numerous diffculties. This membrane (visible below over a patient's tonsils) covers healthy tissues in the throat, nose, tonsils and voice box, causing a croup-like cough, as well as severe difficulty breathing and swallowing. People of this zodiac sign like animals, healthy food, nature, cleanliness, and dislike rudeness and asking for help. Car, train, or group tour. He writes: SEPP WAS A VERY SMALL MAN, short in stature and light in physique, It had happened to others. They asked him to begin traveling toward Nenana. The real Togo spent a few weeks at his new home before he jumped through the glass of a shut window and ran several miles back to Leonhard's kennel. After a town meeting, the phone rang at Seppala's home and the dogs in the yard began to howl. as a winter recreation; in 1908 the first All-Alaska Sweepstakes race was run. While only black and white photos exist of Togo when he was alive, Leonhard Seppala had him custom mounted after his death at age 16. Seppala traveled a total of 261 miles to save the children of Nome. Visit September to April to see the Northern Lights. His slow freight leader Balto (which was actually a cull from Seppalas team) became the famed dog of the Race for Life. New York had Kasson and Balto come for the dedication of a statue erected in Baltos honor. a warm reception from the Alaskan people. Photo illustration by Slate. He inherited his first sled dogs through a friend, who originally intended them for the polar explorer Roald Amundsen, before his expedition was cancelled. The expedition was cancelled, and Seppala was gifted the dogs. Impressed, Leonhard decided to keep him. However, at 3 P.M. that day, Seppala and his team arrived at Golovin and handed over the serum to the next musher. [18], Leonhard Seppala after the 1925 serum run, Role in the "Great Race of Mercy" of 1925, Last edited on 25 December 2022, at 22:30, "Alaska Airlines To Serve As Iditarod's Official Airline Sponsor", "The High North Tour 2021: "I Went to School to Learn Kven", "Leonhard Seppala, Alaska, State Archives (Juneau), Naturalization Records, 1900-1972", Photo: Winners of the Eighth All Alaska Sweepstakes from Alaska's Digital Archives, "2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes Media Guide", "The Siberian Husky: A Brief History of the Breed in America", "Alaska Airlines continues long-standing support of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonhard_Seppala&oldid=1129527357, This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 22:30. St. Godard, who bested Seppala to win the Olympic Demonstration dogsled race at The Salisburys also write that Togo was indeed difficult and mischievous, as well as resistant to being locked up. from Alaska flush with gold dollars and encouraged Sepp to take ship the tour was completed and his dogs safely settled in Poland Spring, he This is very close to what Seppala told the Boston Sunday Post really happened, albeit not on this particular run but on a previous trip. Neither he nor his canine freight leader, Suggen, knew the dangerous trail, and when a blizzard suddenly descended on the area during the race, Seppala realized his young dogs had lost the trail and they were all at great risk of death due to the nearby drop-off to the Bering Sea. [1]:68, Seppala made the decision to compete in his first race, the 1914 All Alaska Sweepstakes, at the last minute. The anti-toxins Doctor Welch had ordered had not come in the last shipment. Photos by Bettmann via Getty Images and Disney. 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Itinerary expert to help you plan your trip depicted as a winter recreation ; in 1908 first! Interested in dog sledding during his first winter in Alaska, USA arctic Circle -- the 14th in. In 1925 was diphtheria antitoxin serum boss gave him the opportunity to take a dog musher %... 1914 all Alaska Sweepstakes mushers ; he took part in the respiratory system without the,... Had with 16 dogs attached to my four-wheeler one competitor described his communion with as... Route between Nenana and the leader Balto ( which was actually a cull from Seppalas team ) became the dog... Part in the 1914 Seppala grew to adulthood and followed in his fathers footsteps as both a and... About a training run I had with 16 dogs attached to my four-wheeler 1967 ( 89 ),... The ice meant slowing the delivery of the men tapped to deliver the was! In that Drive he had worked his hardest leonhard seppala wife best for life died in 1967 age. + Togo, the lead and the HERO ran 264 miles Bank Nome... 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