BELLEVUE, Idaho — The Wood River Valley is gearing up for one of its largest skijoring competitions yet, with 135 teams set to compete in the thrilling sport where horses pull skiers at high speeds.
Skijoring, a sport with Scandinavian roots, involves a horse pulling a skier behind them at speeds of 30 to 35 miles per hour. The Wood River Valley has hosted skijoring competitions for the past 30 years, and this year's event promises to be the biggest yet.
"It's a horse and a rider/skier getting pulled behind a rope going 30 to 35 miles per hour. It's a riot," said Hollis Lloyd, Board Member of the Wood River Skijoring Association.
Lloyd explained what the competition is all about, "I tell everybody that it's where you have a skier/rider and a horse pulling the skier down a course going through gates like slalom."
The competition not only tests speed but also precision, as participants navigate slaloms, jumps, and ring grabs. "It's not necessarily the fastest one, but the most accurate," said Bill Bobett, President of the Wood River Skijoring Association.
The event has grown significantly, with the number of teams far exceeding the original expectations of the organizers.
"The guys that originally started this were talking how great it would be if they could have 40 teams show up. And now we're fully booked up at 135 teams," noted Lloyd.
With a prize purse exceeding $10,000, the Wood River Valley skijoring competition has become a major event, attracting teams from across the country.
As Lloyd reflected, "You talk to all the old-timers and they say 'oh, we just did that for fun!' There was never money and buckles in it, we just did it to have a good time."
For more information on this weekend's Skijoring competition, Click Here.
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