Sled dog activities, as recreation and friendly competition, may have existed for almost as long as the relationship between dogs and humans, in the regions where snow was a seasonal probability. The first written account of a race was an informal challenge between travelers on the route from Winnipeg to St. Paul in the 1850's. In 1886, the first Saint Paul Winter Carnival featured sled dog races and ski competitions to glorify the attractions of winter in Minnesota. Sled dog races have been part of the Winter Carnival to the present day. The most memorable event was the 1917 race from Winnipeg to Saint Paul, on which a recent Walt Disney movie (Iron Will) was loosely based. In reality the race that year was won by Albert Campbell, a Metis from The Pas, Manitoba followed by his brother in second place.
*Taken from IFSS "mushing a breif history of the sport."
