World Skijoring Championships January 27-29, 2012
January 01, 2012
Whitefish, Mont. — The World Skijoring Championships are coming back 
to Whitefish, Montana as the signature Winter Carnival event that combines a Montana-style winter extreme sport mix of two of Big Sky Country’s favorites: horses and skiing.
The spectator-friendly event scheduled for the weekend of January 27-29, 2012 is now in its 9th year, and will feature an exciting combination of horses, (and mules), riders, and skiers mixed with speed, jumps, and of course, snow, as competitors vie for an estimated purse of well over $20,000, and the title of World Skijoring Champion.
The competition takes place at the snow-covered Whitefish Municipal Airport grounds from noon to 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Multiple local establishments will offer a wide variety of food and beverage selections throughout the event, including the Great Northern Brewery Beer Gardens. Spectators are free (there is a nominal $5 per vehicle parking fee with proceeds donated to the non-profit Human Therapy on Horseback) with plenty of on-site parking.
Last year, over 5,000 reveling spectators witnessed 85 teams compete for an actual purse of nearly $20,000.
Modern skijoring involves a horse and rider pulling a skier around a horseshoe shaped 900-foot-long course at high speeds, with the skier required to navigate over jumps and around slalom gates. The sport of skijoring began several hundred years ago in Scandinavia as a way to travel during the long winters, with skiers back then pulled by dogs. Skijoring found its way to North America, where bored ranch hands attached a long rope to the saddle horn, and galloped on a horse at high speeds down a long straight-away.
Currently, the sport of equestrian skijoring has become a highly specialized competitive sport, where competitors must navigate a high-speed, snowy course of jumps and gates and curves. In 1928, equestrian skijoring was actually an exhibition sport in the St. Moritz Winter Olympic Games.
This year’s World Skijoring Championships will have four divisions: the Open Class for the most experienced skiers (including some former U.S. Ski Team competitors) and fastest horses vying for the biggest cash purse; a Sport Class for the next level of competitors, which is typically the largest division), and the Great Northern Novice Class. New this year is a special Black Star Mule Class, with mules being required to have their extra-long ears measured prior to the race, to determine the qualified Mules. The occasional unpredictability of mules may make running for the “Best Ass in the World” trophy extra-challenging.
In addition, at the end of competition each day, the Murdoch’s Long Jump competition, combines a team of horse, rider & skier who can land a straightaway jump for the longest distance...with the requirement that the skier lands standing upright. Last year’s winner, Cody Smith of Spokane, WA flew an astonishing 56-feet and stuck the landing.
There will be prizes for each class including cash awards for winners based on the event’s entry fee purse plus an estimated $15,000 added money.
The public is invited to the evening events as well. The Registration Party will be January 27th, from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Black Star Draught House in the tallest building in downtown Whitefish.
On Saturday evening, the public can get into the big money competition at the Calcutta, overseen by professional rodeo announcer Joe Warner, who auctions off all the teams based on Sunday’s results, with an 80% payback to those winning the bidding. The Calcutta goes off at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at the Great Northern Bar and Grill downtown.
The Awards Party starts Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Craggy Range in downtown Whitefish, with locally famous entertainer John Dunnigan scheduled to play from 5:30 p.m. until the Awards Ceremony starts at 7 p.m. Dunnigan will continue his unique entertainment style until 9 p.m.
For more information, visit whitefishskijoring.com.
###
The spectator-friendly event scheduled for the weekend of January 27-29, 2012 is now in its 9th year, and will feature an exciting combination of horses, (and mules), riders, and skiers mixed with speed, jumps, and of course, snow, as competitors vie for an estimated purse of well over $20,000, and the title of World Skijoring Champion.
The competition takes place at the snow-covered Whitefish Municipal Airport grounds from noon to 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Multiple local establishments will offer a wide variety of food and beverage selections throughout the event, including the Great Northern Brewery Beer Gardens. Spectators are free (there is a nominal $5 per vehicle parking fee with proceeds donated to the non-profit Human Therapy on Horseback) with plenty of on-site parking.
Last year, over 5,000 reveling spectators witnessed 85 teams compete for an actual purse of nearly $20,000.
Modern skijoring involves a horse and rider pulling a skier around a horseshoe shaped 900-foot-long course at high speeds, with the skier required to navigate over jumps and around slalom gates. The sport of skijoring began several hundred years ago in Scandinavia as a way to travel during the long winters, with skiers back then pulled by dogs. Skijoring found its way to North America, where bored ranch hands attached a long rope to the saddle horn, and galloped on a horse at high speeds down a long straight-away.
Currently, the sport of equestrian skijoring has become a highly specialized competitive sport, where competitors must navigate a high-speed, snowy course of jumps and gates and curves. In 1928, equestrian skijoring was actually an exhibition sport in the St. Moritz Winter Olympic Games.
This year’s World Skijoring Championships will have four divisions: the Open Class for the most experienced skiers (including some former U.S. Ski Team competitors) and fastest horses vying for the biggest cash purse; a Sport Class for the next level of competitors, which is typically the largest division), and the Great Northern Novice Class. New this year is a special Black Star Mule Class, with mules being required to have their extra-long ears measured prior to the race, to determine the qualified Mules. The occasional unpredictability of mules may make running for the “Best Ass in the World” trophy extra-challenging.
In addition, at the end of competition each day, the Murdoch’s Long Jump competition, combines a team of horse, rider & skier who can land a straightaway jump for the longest distance...with the requirement that the skier lands standing upright. Last year’s winner, Cody Smith of Spokane, WA flew an astonishing 56-feet and stuck the landing.
There will be prizes for each class including cash awards for winners based on the event’s entry fee purse plus an estimated $15,000 added money.
The public is invited to the evening events as well. The Registration Party will be January 27th, from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Black Star Draught House in the tallest building in downtown Whitefish.
On Saturday evening, the public can get into the big money competition at the Calcutta, overseen by professional rodeo announcer Joe Warner, who auctions off all the teams based on Sunday’s results, with an 80% payback to those winning the bidding. The Calcutta goes off at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at the Great Northern Bar and Grill downtown.
The Awards Party starts Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Craggy Range in downtown Whitefish, with locally famous entertainer John Dunnigan scheduled to play from 5:30 p.m. until the Awards Ceremony starts at 7 p.m. Dunnigan will continue his unique entertainment style until 9 p.m.
For more information, visit whitefishskijoring.com.
###
