▁blow ▁and ▁the ▁snow ▁storm ▁became ▁a ▁bl izz ard . ▁ ▁The ▁m ushing ▁became ▁even ▁slower ▁and ▁more ▁exhaust ing ▁but ▁the ▁four ▁teams ▁pushed ▁on ▁through ▁the ▁flat ▁Island ▁Park ▁country ▁all ▁day ▁in ▁the ▁bl izz ard . ▁ ▁With ▁f ading ▁day light , ▁the ▁teams ▁realized ▁that ▁an ▁exc iting ▁finish ▁before ▁a ▁che ering ▁crowd ▁was ▁not ▁to ▁be . ▁ ▁They ▁finally ▁ho led ▁up ▁for ▁the ▁night ▁at ▁a ▁fish ▁h atch ery ▁on ▁W arm ▁River ▁at ▁the ▁ 4 0 ▁mile ▁mark . ▁▁▁▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁in ▁As ht on , ▁the ▁spect ators ▁waiting ▁for ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁mil der ▁cl imes ▁of ▁the ▁valley ▁were ▁having ▁a ▁pretty ▁good ▁time . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁“ large ” ▁crowd ▁by ▁the ▁papers ▁but ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁tiny ▁when ▁compared ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁following ▁years . ▁ ▁They ▁watched ▁or ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁many ▁other ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Dog ▁Derby ▁such ▁as ▁ski ▁races , ▁ski ▁jump ing , ▁and ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 - yard ▁boy ’ s ▁dog ▁s led ▁race . ▁ ▁Each ▁“ team ” ▁in ▁the ▁Boy ’ s ▁Race ▁consisted ▁of ▁one ▁boy , ▁one ▁s led , ▁and ▁one ▁dog . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁ 1 5 ▁teams , ▁and ▁at ▁one ▁point , ▁it ▁was ▁reported , ▁all ▁ 1 5 ▁dogs ▁were ▁in ▁one ▁big ▁fight ▁with ▁all ▁ 1 5 ▁boys ▁trying ▁to ▁un t angle ▁them