FARMINGTON – Saturday’s cool air and chilly wind were just right for 315 sled-racing dogs and 81 teams, but not so great for spectators.

Even so, people of all ages came in droves to watch the first of two days of the sixth annual Farmington Sled Dog Races on Bussie York’s fields off routes 2 and 27.

“I just love to watch them,” Bertha Smith of the Farmington area said while waiting for the eight-dog Sport Class race to begin.

She and her husband, Brent, attend the races each year.

“It’s just a fun thing. I love animals, and it’s fun to watch them all lined up to go. They can’t wait. They’re just like race horses,” Bertha Smith said.

The “race horses” jumped and twisted every which way while howling, barking, yipping and yowling in one big, discordant, canine symphony.

About midafternoon, an en masse a cappella erupted as half a dozen teams entered the 10-mile Open Class race gathered behind the starting line.

Each team could race from eight to 18 dogs with one sled. That meant each team had nearly as many handlers tending to each paired dog to keep the frenzied canines from tangling each others’ lines.

Earlier, spectators were treated to two, three- and four-dog sprint races, skijor competitions and recreational entertainment, and a one-dog, 50-yard race for children as young as 2.

Skijor racing involves a dog or two pulling a Nordic skier, or sometimes, as happened on Saturday, the skier pulling the dog who just wanted to play.

One skijorer’s dog in the recreation class race left the starting gate running and hopping backwards, much to the amusement of the crowd and the exasperation of its owner.

Another skijorer’s dog made an abrupt left turn into deep snow within a few yards of the finish line. This appeared to cause the skier to wipe out, poles and arms flailing through an explosion of snow.

First-time skijor entrant Peggy Dwyer of Livermore Falls offered some advice.

“It helps to learn how to stand on your skis before you hook the dogs up. Just try it and if it doesn’t make you giggle like an 8-year-old, you’re doing something wrong,” she said.

Unlike most sled dog and skijor racers who use either the traditional Alaskan husky breeds or German short-haired pointers, Dwyer drew stares and a small crowd when she attached herself to a large pair of standard poodles named Beckett and Autumn.

“This is a blast. I usually do this around the house on snowmobile trails, but today, this is my first competition. It’s an opportunity to be on the trail and see what real dogs do. I’ll be happy to get out of sight before I fall,” Dwyer said.

She managed to accomplish that goal and still cross the finish line ahead of other racers, smiling from ear to ear.

Sunday’s races, presented by the Down East Sled Dog Club and Mark and Joy Turner of Wilton, start at 9 a.m. Admission and parking are free.