STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTOS BY JOHN BOYDSTON

The cowboy culture donned a pair of skis Saturday and Sunday when the Wood River Extreme Ski Joring Association threw its annual rendezvous south of Bellevue.

It was T shirt weather at Browning Lane south of Bellevue as horses galloping up to 40 miles per hours pulled skiers and snowboarders behind in races that involved riders and skiers spearing rings and navigating jumps.

A rider spears the lone ring a rider is required to spear.

Fresh snow deposited both mornings flew as riders moved down the track, penalties assessed each time a skier or rider missed a jump or a ring hanging from a pole.

The event is based on a popular winter sport that likely developed in Scandinavia where the Sami people harnessed reindeer while strapped into Nordic skis as a way to travel across snowy ranges. Later, people traveled behind horses and even dogs, the name coming from a Norwegian word “skikjoring,” meaning “ski driving.”

Leadville, Colo., introduced this winter version of a rodeo to the American West in 1949, with towns like Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Steamboat Springs, Colo., following suit.  Wallace, Idaho, converts one of its downtown streets into a skijor track every year, substituting ATVs for horses.

The Wood River Extreme Skijoring Association has hosted the event since 2001, after a few Wood River Valley residents revived it on a track near Fairfield. It was held in several locations, including Swiftsure Ranch, Heather McMahon’s Bellevue ranch, Old Cutters and out Croy before taking its place on Carl Browning’s place in 2019.

“Whoops!” This rider lost her hat as she and horse fly down the track.

Counting the Pee Wee Division, 148 teams competed this year, with some horse riders and some skiers competing more than one time as part of different teams. They ranged in age from youth into the 70s.

Besides the glory, there was a $10,000 purse.

Many of the horses and riders travel the circuit, with a big event in Big Sky, Mont., last week followed by the National Finals in Red Lodge, Mont., March 8-9.

“I love the camaraderie of it,” said Michelle Bobbitt, one of the organizers behind it. “We had people come from Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Boise, Idaho Falls this year—a couple made a 12-hour drive from Washington. And most know each other.”

A skier puts his arm through the first of three rings.

Given the fast horses and snowy and icy conditions, there’s usually a couple casualties. And this year’s took place early in the game on Saturday when a horse slid on the track with both the horse and rider going down. The horse did get up, and the rider was able to walk away, bruised and shaken, but okay after getting checked out.

If you missed this round of ski joring, you’ll get a chance to see it in late March when a demonstration of ski joring is held during the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals.

THE WINNERS….

NOVICE DIVISION

If smiles counted, this rider would be a winner.

Kristin Winter on Prince with McKinley Keener; Caroline Potter on Tarzan with McKinley Keener; Lizzy Cameron on Jake with McKinley Keener

WOMENS DIVISISON

Kali Castle on Howie with Anastasie Echeverria Brown; Lydia Miller on Maggie with Teagen Palmer; Harlee Manning on P with Teagen Palmer

PEE WEE DIVISION

Charlie Young on Gold Buckle with JP Zondag; Ally Wackerman on Dolly with Weston Wackerman; Clara Grimes on Dolly with Weston Sackerman

COUPLES DIVISION

Caroline Potter on Tarzan with McKinley Keener; Millie Berger on Joe with Jake Berger; Madison Lloyd on Streak with Joe Lloyd

OPEN DIVISION

Trae McInroe on Charlie with Cam Fraser; Cortney Anderson on Gunner with John Anderson; Derrick Pawlikowski on Kaiser with KJ Savaria

SPORT DIVISION

Stephanie Botkin on Hoss with Dane Morse; Luke Mullendore on Brownie with Neal Robertson; Cole Youren on Bacardi with David Rau

JUNIOR DIVISION

Ally Wackerman on Dolly with Baylee Lane; Quinn Merrill on Pop Tart with Baylee Lane; Quinn Merrill on Pop Tart with Aubrey Johnstone

SNOWBOARD DIVISION

Katherin Licht on CVC Wild Look with Jakobe Chacon; Cortney Andersen on Gunner with Jakobe Chacon; John Hyde on Otis with Cam Fraser

NOVICE SNOWBOARD DIVISION

Stacey Wines on Coco with Tristan Fordin