Redington became known as the “Father of the Iditarod” for his work promoting the race, and personally competed in seventeen Iditarods from 1974 to 1997, but never placed higher than fifth. He was the honorary musher in the 1997 race, as he was 80 years old when he completed the race.

He also had been lobbying to make the Iditarod Trail a National Historic Trail since the 1950s….

Joe Redington, Sr.

Dick Wilmarth

Thomas Waerner

Togo’s and Seppala’s Deaths By January 1927, Seppala had opened a kennel with a socialite named Elizabeth Ricker in Poland Springs, Maine, and he was traveling between Alaska and Maine. 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.

*Balto was never an outcast as shown by the film, but was instead born in a kennel owned by the famous musher Leonhard Seppala, where he grew up until he was deemed fit for pulling a sled, Seppala was also the owner of Togo, whom he personally used during the relay, Balto was instead used by one of his workers, Gunnar …

The 1995 movie Balto immortalized it for a generation: the eponymous dog rallied the team that brought the lifesaving serum through the Alaskan wilds, heroically saving the city’s children. But Togo, a new movie that hits the Disney+ platform on December 20, corrects the historical record in favor of an underdog.

Yes. The true story behind Togo confirms that as a result of his relatively small size, illness, and bad behavior as a young puppy, Leonhard Seppala decided that Togo was not sled dog material and gave him away to be a house pet when he was six months old.

In the serum run, she wrote, Togo was the real hero: the dog that often gets credit for eventually saving the town is Balto, but he just happened to run the last, 55-mile leg in the race. The sled dog who did the lion’s share of the work was Togo.

Balto received the credit, as lead dog. Balto was an amazing husky and did an amazing job, but Balto did not run the length of difficult terrain, in the horrendous conditions, or cover as much danger and ice during the Serum Run, as Togo had. His heart would break all over again, for his beloved Togo.

CLEVELAND — On this day 86 years ago, Balto, the nationally-famed sled dog, died. On Jan. 20, 1925, an outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious disease affecting the throat and lungs, in a remote part of Alaska called Nome, brought a team of sled dogs to the national stage, including Balto. Balto in 1915.

Balto died in 1933, at 14, but the dog and what he stands for are remembered to this day. Thousands of children visit him in New York City’s Central Park, where there is a bronze statue in his honor, or at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where a special exhibit tells his story.

On Jan. 20, 1925, an outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious disease affecting the throat and lungs, in a remote part of Alaska called Nome, brought a team of sled dogs to the national stage, including Balto.

After the Race for Life A dispute between owners over unpaid wages resulted in a tour of the country’s vaudeville circuit for two years. Then, the dogs were transferred to a “dime” museum in Los Angeles, where they caught the attention of Cleveland businessman George Kimble.

Meaning & History It is possibly related to BALDO, which means “bold, brave”, or VALTO, which means “to rule with greatness”. A famous bearer of this name is Balto, a Siberian Husky that led a dog sled team that helped transport diphtheria antitoxin from Nenana, Alaska to Nome, Alaska.