BOULDER — People from all over the state gathered at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds for a weekend of skijoring. Whether it's getting on the back of a horse, getting pulled by one through the snow or enjoying from the grandstands it's a sport enjoyed by many during the winter.
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When you combine skiing, horse racing, and rodeo, you get skijoring. Skijoring is a Norwegian word meaning "ski driving", a sport enjoyed by many around Montana, especially in Boulder, where they hosted Skijoring the Big Rock, a couple of days of entertainment and experience.
For their fourth year, Jefferson County invited riders and racers from across the Treasure State to gather together for a couple of days of competition.
"You can't really take the sport too seriously or it loses its fun," said Tayler McVey, a three-year competitive skijorer.
Skijoring involves a horse, and rider, pulling a skier or snowboarder around a man-made course sometimes over snow ramps and jumps.
There are events to cater to riders of every skill and experience level.
"So far my first year I did it. I was a novice and according to other people, I crushed it," said McVey, "So I moved up the sport but I'm just trying to figure out my groove so I can hopefully, get my next buckle."
While some travel far in hopes of earning the belt buckle, others participate just to try a new sport.
"If they, like, enjoy the skiing portion of skiing, and then they probably enjoy it, and if they have a good background, too," said Wesley Rose, first-time skijorer.
It's not only enjoyed by those being pulled by the horse, but also for the riders and their four-legged friends.
Rider Aspen Smart teamed up with her brother and her 8-year-old horse Pippa to try skijoring for the first time.
"She's such a high-energy horse. She just loves doing it all. She loves going out on the rides, just running in the fields. I'm like, you know what? How do we put a sever behind ya and see how it goes?"
Pippa, Smarts horse, is also part of 4-H and equestrian competitions during warmer months.
Smart wanted to try skijoring to give them a way to stay active during the winter.
Smart adds that the community support for the event is why she's enjoyed skijoring so much, and how it's been a huge help getting her into the sport.
"I've asked so many questions, and anybody is willing to answer," said Smart, "You can ask anybody here for gloves or for a rope, and they're willing to hand it over for you."
