Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2023
Author: JW Robinson, Associate Broker | Licensed in WY
It doesn't matter if you have lived in Wyoming for 50 years or if you just moved to town, winter can leave you with cabin fever. The cold winds leave you wondering what entertainment may be available. If this is you, let me recommend a weekend watching Skijoring. There are several events around the state of Wyoming and a few just over the border. You will find great food and spirits, western hospitality, and action-packed fun in some of the greatest western towns!
For those of you that are new to skijoring, let me brief you on the sport. The word originally comes from Norway, where horses pulled skiers as a primary mode of transportation. Of course, like many things, humans turned this mode of transportation into a competition. There are two types of skijoring. In canine skijoring, a dog pulls a human on regular cross-country skiing equipment with poles. In equestrian skijoring, a horse pulls a human wearing regular skis and holds tug lines. Skijoring can also be a great way to provide your horse with some exercise during the winter months, but make sure to get them accustomed to being driven.
Skijoring even made a debut as an exhibition sport at the Winter Olympics of 1928. Through the years, it has moved and developed around the globe to towns and countries where people love horses, skiing, and cold, frosty winter days. Skijoring eventually moved to the western United States, where the sport also got a little ‘western’. It created the perfect combination of cowboys and horses pulling skiers and snowboarders through a racecourse of jumps and obstacles. Obviously, when cowboys and rocky mountain snow sports junkies found this event, it was a match made in heaven.
Now, the sport draws serious attention in the rocky mountain region with both competitive, amateur, and youth divisions. The Skijoring tour, according to Skijoring USA, includes events in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Maine, and even several areas in western Canada. If you are sitting in the house wondering what to do during the winters of Wyoming let me recommend the following Skijoring events in Wyoming for the New Year.
Wyoming Skijoring - 2023
Saratoga, WY- February 4 & 5, 2023
Buffalo, WY- February 11, 2023
Pinedale, WY- February 11 & 12, 2023
Sundance, WY- February 18, 2023
Sheridan, WY- February 18 & 19, 2023
Gillette, WY- February 25, 2023
Bondurant, WY- March 18 & 19, 2023
I also highly recommend a few Skijoring events just over the border from Wyoming. Although Wyoming Fay agents love and promote the “Cowboy State” above all others, these small neighboring towns will not disappoint. They will all provide an enjoyable weekend. Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado are all worth a wintertime visit.
Neighboring State Skijoring – 2023 (JW’s favorite out-of-state picks)
Red Lodge, MT- March 11 & 12, 2023
Driggs, ID- January 28 & 29, 2023
Heber City, UT- January 27 & 28, 2023
Leadville, CO- March 4 & 5, 2023
Plan a Skijoring trip to begin the new year. It will be a highlight to your western winter. A weekend at any of these locations will leave you with lasting memories. However, events in Wyoming, the cowboy state, are hard to beat!
