Seppala Siberian Sleddogs Recreating History
Centennial Seppala Expedition 2025!
The expedition has begun!
History comes alive as Jonathan Hayes and a team set out on the Centennial Seppala Expedition, retracing the legendary route from Nenana to Nome! This 700-mile journey marks 100 years since the heroic 1925 serum run when brave sled teams delivered life-saving diphtheria antitoxin to save the children of Nome. The only way to get medicine to the village during the blizzard of the century was by dogsled teams! A relay was set up to cover the miles. One team in particular, owned by Leonhard Seppala with his famed leader, Togo, mushed over 261 miles in the relay and risked the treacherous Norton Bay sea ice twice in the effort!
This isn’t just a tribute—it’s a celebration of courage, teamwork, and the unbreakable bond between humans and their dogs. Let’s honor the spirit of the original relay that captured the world’s heart.
Keep an eye out for more information to come about this historic event! We will be sharing updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Additionally, you can visit the Poland Spring Seppalas website for updates as well!
Want to know more about the Seppala Siberian Sleddog breed? Check out the breed standard and breed spotlight on our website!
Seppala Siberian Sleddog Breed Origins
Northeastern Siberia is a land of vast expanses and great contrasts, a land cut in half by the Arctic Circle. It is a land of high mountains and deep valleys, vast plains and snowy tundra, merciless winds and blinding blizzards, long white nights and black days, numbing cold and intense heat, a land of feast and famine. Dogs were held in high esteem by the people who lived in this land because their existence often depended upon their sled dogs. These sled dogs were the ancestors of the present-day Seppala Siberian Sleddog.
In 1908, William Goosak, a Russian fur buyer from northeastern Siberia brought a team of 10 Siberian sled dogs to Nome, Alaska. They finished third in the All-Alaska Sweepstakes race of 1909. Over the next 10 years, a number of additional Siberian sled dogs were imported, and Siberian sled dog teams, driven by John "Iron Man" Johnson and Leonard Seppala, dominated the All-Alaskan Sweepstakes races.
Seppala Siberian Sleddogs are a working dog of moderate size, specifically adapted in temperament and physical construction to the needs of rapid, long-distance dog-sled transport with a light load in a cold arctic climate. This includes sled dog racing.
Seppala Siberian Sleddog: Preserving A Breed
The Seppala Siberian Sleddog breed first rose to fame for its important role in the 1925 race to deliver lifesaving serum to the isolated residents of Nome, Alaska, during a diphtheria outbreak. Over the following decades, the breed has continued to gain popularity and respect among dog mushers as a fiercely competitive racing breed.
In 2002, CKC worked with the International Seppala Siberian Sleddog Club (ISSSC) to develop criteria for breeders and owners of Seppalas to register their dogs, and, from 2002 to 2005 and in 2019, CKC opened its books to Seppala Siberian Sleddog registrants.
The studbook for new stock is currently closed.
Registering Additional Seppala Stock
As of May 1st, 2023, the International Seppala Siberian Sleddog Club (ISSSC) Board of Directors reached a decision to close the Seppala Siberian Sleddog Studbook at this time with the Continental Kennel Club. They have every confidence that this decision will help preserve and improve the Seppala Siberian Sleddog breed with its guiding principles held strong for the future generations to come. Going forward, suitable outcrosses eligible for Seppala Siberian Sleddog registry inclusion will be decided by the ISSSC Board of Directors.
Continental Kennel Club is the registry that gave the Seppala Siberian Sleddog a breed designation of its own. CKC has preserved the records of the original dogs from Leonhard Seppala's team through every breeding kennel along the way to the present-day descendants of his dogs. This registry is open to all offspring of SSSD parents as purebred SSSDs (Dogs greater than or equal to 93 percent of CKC-registered SSS ancestors). You are invited to join CKC’s efforts to ensure that they continue to have their place in history, in the hearts of present-day breeders and mushing enthusiasts all over the world, and in ensuring their reputation stays as one of the great Nordic breeds of the 21st century.
If you are still interested in registering Seppala stock with CKC, please contact us at 1-888-952-3376 for more information. And, if you believe your dog(s) qualify and are interested in registering, download the Canine Registration Application and complete one for each dog you wish us to consider for Seppala Registration.
