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Skijoring off and running in Silverton

Hundreds of spectators line Blair Street to watch unique competition

SILVERTON – Hundreds of cheering spectators lined Blair Street on Saturday in historic Silverton to watch horses and riders pull skiers through a series of gates and jumps in a sprint for the fastest time – an annual competition known as skijoring.

“It’s pretty darn Western, that’s for sure,” said event starter “Dirty” Don Hinkley. “There’s a certain element of danger to it like any speed event, whether it’s dealing with skiing or horses. But for the most part, it’s a good, challenging event that takes a certain amount of talent and skill.”

Skiers hold on tight to a rope as a galloping horse pulls the skier over three city blocks. Let too much slack in the line and the skier gets jerked hard and can lose the rope. Lose your balance over a jump or rounding a gate, and it’s game over. As an added challenge, skiers must pick up rings attached to magnetic hooks to avoid penalties to their time.

It takes about 17 seconds from start to finish. The fastest time Saturday was 15.3 seconds, set by Greg Dahl (skier) and Savanna McCarthy riding Tank. They each won $550 for the first-place finish.

“There is nothing like the instantaneous acceleration of popping out of the start when you’re getting towed by a race horse,” said Hinkley, who is a former competitor, organizer and announcer of skijoring. “When they take off out of the start, you better have your (expletive) together, because they’ll snap that rope right out of your hands.”

For several skiers, Saturday was the first time they’d ever tried skijoring.

“It’s a cross between waterskiing and alpine skiing,” said skier Dan McKay, a skijoring veteran. “You’re getting pulled behind a horse at 40 mph and having the time of your life. It’s an adrenalin rush.”

Spectators were treated to a warm, sunny day.

“It’s a great combination of athletes – horses, skiers and riders – and it’s an awesome spectator event,” said Martin Hotter, who has attended all seven years the competition has been held in Silverton. “It’s a great thing for this town.”

Skijoring is a growing sport being held in mountain towns across the West, including in Leadville, Steamboat Springs, Minturn and Red Lodge, Montana. It used to be part of Durango’s annual Snowdown, starting in the mid-1980s.

As a competition, it has become more organized and more demanding. Jumps are bigger and gates are tighter. Collecting rings during the ride has become a requirement, Hinkley said.

“The competition has gotten a little stiffer and the skills are a little bit higher,” he said. “I think it’s really making an upswing. There have been efforts to get more standardization and increase purses.”

Most riders use a Western saddle. Horses can go barefoot, but some riders like to fit them with aluminum racing plates or shoes that have toes and heels to grip the snow. Skiers tend to use slalom racing skies – “snowboards don’t work at all,” Hinkley said.

“It’s quite a mix of cowboys, horses and skiers,” he said. “It’s a pretty exciting winter Western event.”

Competitions continue at “high noon” Sunday in Silverton.

shane@durangoherald.com

Saturday skijoring results (PDF)



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