HEBER, Utah — Adrenaline junkies are gearing up for a big weekend, as Skijoring Utah is preparing to host its annual competition February 16-17 at the Wasatch Event Center.
What is skijoring? It's a sport with roots in the old West, combining horseback skills with skiing or snowboarding.
Like many winter sports, it takes a daring personality to muster up the nerve to master it.
“Making those turns and going over those jumps, the adrenaline is just awesome,” said Scott Hoover, a past skijoring champion and scheduled competitor at the 2024 event.
“As soon as that horse takes off it is mind boggling how fast you get going.”
Skijoring requires two humans and one horse.
One member of the team rides the horse, while the skier/snowboarder hangs on to a rope connected to the horse’s saddle.
As the horse races through the course, the person on the skis maneuvers through gates and obstacles, including jumps.
Some disciplines require the person being pulled to grab rings at various locations on the course.
The fastest time wins.
With speeds approaching 30 miles per hour, most runs last between 16 and 20 seconds.
“If you like skiing and horse sports, it's a win-win,” Hoover said. ”You can’t go wrong.”
Hoover is part of a team named “Hook, Line and Snowboarder.”
His teammates are a horse named Timmy and horseman Trevor Howard.
“If it wasn’t for Scott, I am not sure I would have jumped into it,” Howard said.
“He’s good about that. He gets me to do stuff I wouldn't do normally. He talks me into it.”
Howard does not regret accepting Hoover’s invitation to team up four years ago—the pair have combined to win several belt buckles.
Howard emphasizes the importance of getting the horse ready to compete in front of a crowd of several thousand fans.
“If you haven't exposed your horse to stuff, it can be too much,” he said.
It is equally important for the human competitors to be prepared.
“If you have someone who is dead nervous behind a horse and the horse is nervous and you are nervous as a rider, that is probably the worst combination you can have,” Howard explained.
Where and how did the sport begin? It's not a settled question, but according to the International Olympic Committee website, the sport appeared in the 1928 Winter Olympics held in Switzerland, its only Olympic appearance.
