Skijoring. Where cowboys meet ski bums.
First debuting in the 1901 Nordic games, ski joring is a one of a kind specialized and competitive partner sport that requires speed, agility, precision, and a lot of guts. Held in Leadville, Colorado since 1949, skiers and riders come from all over to participate at 10,200 ft of elevation to become the annual champions. The Main Street of downtown Leadville is transformed into a race course by piling snow onto the street and forming jumps. And then the action begins.
A time based event, skijoring involves two participants: one rider and one skier. The rider navigates their galloping horse along the race course and has a rope attached to the saddle horn. The skier flies behind the horse holding onto the rope while going off jumps and performing tricks. To add to the challenge, there are three sets of hanging rings that the skier must try to grab with a small handheld stick. Scoring is based off of time, gates or jumps the skier must go through or off, as well as the rings they collect and are able to hang onto by the end of the track.
The sport originated from skiers harnessing the strength of reindeer as a form of transportation and in some areas, reindeer races are still held, but other towing options include snowmobiles, dogs, and motorized vehicles such as ATVs.
