Sled dog racing at the 1932 Winter Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sled dog raceat the III Olympic Winter Games
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| Venue | Lake Placid, New York | ||||||||||||
| Competitors | 12 from 2 nations | ||||||||||||
| Medalists | |||||||||||||
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A sled dog race was part of the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. It was a special "demonstration event." This means it was shown to people but did not count for official medals.
Twelve people competed in the race. Five were from Canada and seven were from the United States. The race followed rules from the New England Sled Dog Club. Each team raced twice over a long course. The course was about 25.1 miles (40.5 km) long.
Each sled had six dogs pulling it. The teams started three minutes apart. Race officials also recorded times at different points along the course. This helped mushers, or dog sled drivers, know how they were doing.
How Mushers Qualified for the Race
To join the Olympic sled dog race, mushers had to qualify. Norman D. Vaughan, a musher from the United States, qualified by winning a race. This race was held in Wonalancet, New Hampshire in early 1932. It was organized by the New England Sled Dog Club.
Twenty-six teams competed in this two-day qualification race. It took place just two weeks before the Olympics began. There was a worry that Emile St. Godard, a top musher from Canada, might not be able to compete. He needed financial help to travel and participate.
Sled Dog Race Results
The sled dog race was held over two days. Each musher completed the 25.1-mile course twice. Their times from both races were added together to find the winner. Here are the final results:
| Place | Driver | Race #1 Time | Race #2 Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Emile St. Godard (CAN) |
2:12:05.0 | 2:11:07.5 | 4:23:12.5 |
| 2 |  Leonhard Seppala (USA) |
2:13:34.3 | 2:17:27.5 | 4:31:01.8 |
| 3 | Shorty Russick (CAN) |
2:26:22.4 | 2:21:22.2 | 4:47:44.6 |
| 4 | Harry Wheeler (CAN) |
2:33:19.1 | 2:29:35.0 | 5:02:54.1 |
| 5 | Roger Haines (USA) |
2:34:56.0 | 2:31:31.3 | 5:06:27.3 |
| 6 | Raymond Pouliot (CAN) |
2:53:14.3 | 2:52:21.5 | 5:45:35.8 |
| 7 | Jack Defalco (CAN) |
2:53:49.5 | 2:55:50.1 | 5:49:39.6 |
| 8 | Stuart Belknap (USA) |
2:57:14.0 | 2:57:08.5 | 5:54:22.5 |
| 9 | Henry Murphy (USA) |
2:42:49.4 | 3:15:24.1 | 5:58:13.5 |
| 10 | Dexter Sears (USA) |
3:00:21.7 | 3:01:49.5 | 6:02:11.2 |
| 11 | Norman D. Vaughan (USA) |
3:24:10.0 | 3:49:46.0 | 7:13:56.0 |
| 12 | Eva Seeley (USA) |
3:28:01.7 | 3:46:45.0 | 7:14:46.7 |
Countries in the Race
Twelve competitors from two different countries took part in the sled dog race at the Lake Placid games.
- Canada (5) (5 competitors)
- United States (7) (7 competitors)
