Ski joring races at Whitefish this weekend

Faster horses, more talented skiers and a larger prize purse. Whitefish’s annual World Ski Joring Championships continue to get bigger and better as the sport grows in popularity across the West.

This year’s event, slated for Jan. 25-27, will bring the top ski joring teams in the nation to Whitefish as they vie for a $20,000 cash purse and bragging rights as World Champions.

Event organizer Scott Ping says he’s seen the pool of quality ski joring teams thicken since the races re-emerged in Whitefish in 2002.

“The horses are faster and the skiers are learning how to work the rope,” Ping said. “It’s all about rope management and getting the horse confident to run fast on the corners.”

He says it’s not uncommon to clock a horse going 40 or 50 miles per hour on a straight-away as the skiers being towed slalom through gates and launch off jumps.

Favorites in this year’s open class include Spokane, Wash., skier Cody Smith and Colorado rider Dana Styles on her horse Merlin. Local’s who should give a good run are rider Tim Guest and skier Toby McIntosh.

Amateur racers have been training at Ping’s land off Monegan Road. He invites anyone with a horse or skis who’s interested in trying the sport to come out and give it a go. Call Ping at 261-7464 to find out more details.

The World Championships takes place at the snow-covered Whitefish Municipal Airport grounds with opening ceremonies beginning on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The ski joring events start at noon both Saturday and Sunday. There is a $5 per vehicle parking fee with proceeds donated to the non-profit Human Therapy on Horseback.

Modern ski joring involves a horse and rider pulling a skier around a horseshoe shaped 700-foot-long course at high speeds, with the skier required to navigate over jumps and around slalom gates. The sport 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.

A registration party will be Friday from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Great Northern Brewery.

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 percent payback to those winning the bidding. The Calcutta starts off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Casey’s Bar.

The Awards Party will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Craggy Range, with John Dunnigan scheduled to play from 5:30 p.m. until the awards ceremony starts at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit whitefishskijoring.com.