2022 OPEN CHAMPIONS

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ SKIJOR USA AWARDS ~

In absence of a bona fide
National Championship or Skijoring Finals,
Skijor International and Skijor USA
has developed a point system which awards points
to teams, riders, horses and skiers at every race during the 2022 season.
We use placements from each day for the top ten finishers,
so combined times or averages are not considered.
This formula reveals consistency, talent, team work and staying power.

Since it takes a lot of effort to compile the data,
we only have Open/Pro results now.
Sport results will follow in next week's newsletter.

We have decided to award

BEST HORSE & RIDER 2022
to
Dennis Alverson and Jet

Dennis attended 9 events in 4 states
and traveled with his daughters,
Fiona and Phoebe,
who competed in various divisions.
Dennis relied on only two horses,
Jet and Jimmy,
Jet earned over 100 points
and Jimmy earned 50.
Dennis pulled dozens of skiers to victory
showing that teamwork pays off with many combinations.
Dennis embodies the true spirit of skijoring.
Sportsmanship, agility, talented horsemanship and a determination to win.
Congratulations!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We have decided to award

BEST SKIER 2022
to
Tyler Smedsrud

Tyler competed at 5 events in 3 states.
Tyler dominated at each event earning 221 total points,
about 35% more than the two closest skiers in 2nd and 3rd.
Tyler finished in the top 3 at every event each day
with 6 first place, 7 second place and 5 third place wins
(plus a smathering of other top 10 finishes).

He would have, no doubt, earned points at Red Lodge
as well had his teammates not scratched due to adverse conditions.

Tyler earned 200 of his points behind riders,
Sarah McConnell and Richard Weber,
who pulled him behind 8 different horses,
yet he also skied with
Dennis Alverson & Jet
(First place in Big Sky Day 2)
and Amanda Sanders & Harley D
at his own race in Ridgway, Colorado
bringing his grand total in points to 221.

Tyler embodies the true spirit of skijoring.
Sportsmanship, skiing agility, talent and a determination to win.
Congratulations!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are the top ten in each category

Open Teams

Sarah McConnell / Derby / Tyler Smedsrud 56
Sarah McConnell / Hardened / Tyler Smedsrud 56
Josh Abbott / Reb / Colin Cook 42
Jennifer Butler / Fast / David Rizzolo 39
Josh Abbott / Elvis / Colin Cook 38
Richard Weber / McLeod / Tyler Smedsrud 35
Richard Weber / Serge / Tyler Smedsrud 31
Michael Miller / Jackie B / David Rizzolo 29
Dennis Alverson / Jet / David Rizzolo 26
Dennis Alverson / Jet / Aaron Griffen 25

Open Riders

Richard Weber 170
Dennis Alverson 151
Sarah McConnell 147
Josh Abbott 141
Jennifer Butler 83
Michael Miller 69
Marquise Young 51
Jeff Dahl 43
Katherine Licht 40
Melissa Ostrander 40

Open Horses

Jet 101
Fast 83
Reb 71
Elvis 70
McLeod 68
Derby 67
Hardened 67
Jackie B 58
Jimmy 50
Serge 45

Open Skiers

Tyler Smedsrud 221
Colin Cook 152
David Rizzolo 149
Aaron Griffen 100
Foster Kennedy 83
Nevada Kramer 74
Colter Fretwell 70
Cam Fraser 60
Greg Dahl 52
Addison Dvoracek 44

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HONORABLE MENTIONS
(Riders, Skiers & Horses to keep an eye on in 2023!)

Jennifer Butler and Fast,
her only horse, accumulated 83 points in Open
after moving up from Sport at Ridgway and Big Sky.
David Rizzolo
did not start competing until half way through the season
yet STILL accumulated 149 points!
Foster Kennedy, Nevada Kramer and Colter Fretwell
were in the 70-80 point range
and are destined to capture more wins in 2023!
Watch out for Addison Dvoracek and Marquise Young
as a winning team in 2023!
They accumulated 44 points at just two events!
Josh Abbott split his points evenly 71/70
between horses Reb and Elvis.
Sarah McConnell and Tyler Smedsrud
earned 56 points with BOTH Derby and Hardened.
Richard Weber earned the most points as a rider
between his five horses at six races.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ 2023 CALENDAR ~

The Skijoring Season is taking shape for 2023.
There are still at least 15 more race dates to be determined,
and several new events yet to be announced!

The dates below are unofficial until the websites
or social media pages for each race are updated by organizers.

MEEKER, CO ~ DEC 31 & JAN 1

RIDGWAY, CO ~ JAN 14 & 15

PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO ~ JAN 21 & 22

LEWISTOWN, MT ~ JAN 28 & 29

BIG SKY, MT ~ FEB 4 & 5

SARATOGA, WY ~ FEB 4 & 5

PINEDALE, WY ~ FEB 11 & 12

SILVERTON, CO ~ FEB 18 & 19

BELLEVUE, ID ~ FEB 18 & 19

CANTERBURY PARK, MN~ FEB 25

WISDOM, MT ~ FEB 25 & 26

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT ~ FEB 25 & 26

LEADVILLE, CO ~ MAR 4 & 5

POLE AND SPUR, BLAIRMORE, ALBERTA ~ MAR 11

RED LODGE, MT ~ MAR 11 & 12

Go to Skijor USA and click on names for updates.
Please email loren@skijorusa.com
with any corrections or additional dates.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ LATEST NEWS ~

To round out the 2022 Skijoring Season,
two events in Alberta, Canada
show just how innovative and exciting
our winter sport can be!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Ain't Going Down 'Til The Sun Comes Up ~

Thunder In The Pines 2
held their event under "the big lights".
The surf and ski shop that organized the event,
S3 Boardshop GP
had a lot of fun with promotion
including a bumper sticker that we'd love to get our hands on.
It reads, "Rode Wet and Skied Away Hard".
From the video below, it looks like they
had plenty of room to build a figure 8 course
with multiple jumps at Evergreen Park, a local race track.

This is not the first time that a skijoring event
has been held after sundown.
Winter Park, Colorado hosted an event
back in the 1990s, and Saint Moritz, Switzerland
held an event called Night Turf
(a play on the words White Turf) several years ago.

Photos of winners were posted on Facebook,
but we don't have official results, but
Jarin Carter and Ben Mitchell
won the snowboard division from what we can determine.
Hopefully, Thunder in the Pines 3 will happen next year!

Check out this video below!
https://www.facebook.com/1235625594/videos/pcb.10221637480026391/508047301038794

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Ain't Given' In 'Til They Get Enough ~

Pole and Spur
hosted their fifth annual event
the very next morning.
We are curious to know if anyone from
Thunder In The Pines pulled an all nighter!

There were about 50 teams competing,
and in typical Albertan fashion, riders and skiers
were dressed to the hilt!
The horses also put on an exciting show
as you can see from the series of photographs above.

Keely Gibb and her horse, Sky, who competed in both
Chapman Springs and Whitefish,
pulled skier Kamilia Grabinski at Pole and Spur
finishing fifth in the second go around.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Goin' 'Round The World In A Pickup Truck ~

In order to celebrate my daughter's 24th birthday,
Skijor USA decided to remain in Colorado after Leadville
and gave our 1997 pickup truck a much needed rest
after adding nearly 10,000 miles to its odometer this skijoring season.

"Old Baldy", as we call it, traveled from Ridgway, CO
to Clark Fork, ID to Kamas, UT to Canterbury Park, MN to Silverton, CO
to West Yellowstone, MT to Leadville, CO.

Red Lodge

We watched the live broadcast of
Red Lodge Skijoring from a very comfortable couch
thanks to the Wrangler Network and our iMac.

As has become typical in mid-March, temperatures were warm,
and track conditions slick on turn number two.
("Mud Lodge" might be a better name for this race going forward.)
Thankfully, despite some close calls, everyone and every horse stayed safe.
Stan Olsen, finish line judge, and the Rodeo Clown, hired for the event,
entertained the crowd during the down time needed to sand and repair the track.

85% of competitors entered from their home state of Montana.
One competitor came from Idaho.
One rider, John Hyde, traveled from Wyoming.
One skier, Cody Smith, came from Washington.
Three skiers, Duffy Counsell, Kevin Wilder and Josh Morrison
(originally from New Zealand) ventured north from Colorado.
Two competitors, Foster Kennedy and Nick Bentley hailed from Alberta, Canada.

Best Wreck:
Tayler Stobaugh
A bottle of Pendleton with a Pendleton Montana Silversmiths
buckle, KINCO leather gloves and Pit Viper sunglasses.
&
Best Dressed:
Michael Miller
A bottle of Jim Beam, Pit Viper sunglasses and KINCO leather gloves.

Top three winners in each division are listed below.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ IN THE NEWS ~

Voices of America on March 12, 2022

High in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, skiers race through an obstacle course pulled by riders on horseback in a decades-long tradition that is part skiing and part rodeo. VOA correspondent Scott Stearns has our story from Leadville, Colorado.

Click below to view video:

https://www.voanews.com/a/horses-pull-skiers-in-race-through-obstacle-course-during-colorado-festival-/6481104.html?fbclid=IwAR2OL8kdjZmJFUM3-ipMSmT1i9L2D1QpDmMeP547kFEbIXKCKCPBD7mZQ4w

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ WINNERS CIRCLE ~

Pole and Spur

Division A

Super Fast: Chance Bohmer & Sam Edge
$972
Damn Fast: Kurt Devlin & Jamie Philip
$583
3rd: Jesse Romo & Jean Louis Frank
$309

Division B

Darn Fast: Fiona Francis & Adam Bondi
$648
Fast Enough: Kenny Miller & Kamilia Grabinski
$389
3rd: Hannah McMeiken & Colin Champagne
$259

Novice

Just Enough: Alan Dixon & Jacob Fraser
$200
2nd: Alma Ladouceur & Trevor Baxter
$150

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Red Lodge

Open

Saturday

1st: Audrey Williams/Jack & David Rizzolo
20.09
2nd: Dennis Alverson/Jimmy & Nevada Kramer
20.54
3rd: Dennis Alverson/Jet & Aaron Griffen
20.70

Sunday

1st: Josh Abbott/Elvis & Aaron Griffen
20.02
2nd: Dennis Alverson/Jet & Aaron Griffen
20.09
3rd: Josh Abbott/Elvis & Toby McIntosh
20.12

Combined
1st: Dennis Alverson/Jet & Aaron Griffen
40.79
2nd: Dennis Alverson/Jimmy & Nevada Kramer
41.11
3rd: Tayler Stobaugh/Bo & Cody Smith
42.10

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sport

Saturday

1st: Kevin Frueh/Pop A Top & Tara Hines
20.26
2nd: Monica Plecker/Z & Jeff Smallcomb
20.63
3rd: Melissa Ostrander/Itchy & Nick Bentley
21.10

Sunday

1st: Kevin Frueh/Pop A Top & Tara Hines
20.25
2nd: Melissa Ostrander/Itchy & Tara Hines
20.69
3rd: Monica Plecker/A & John Anderson
20.81

Combined

1st: Kevin Frueh/Pop A Top & Tara Hines
40.51
2nd: Melissa Ostrander/Itchy & Tara Hines
42.13
3rd: Monica Plecker/Z & John Anderson
42.18

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Novice

Saturday

1st: Arley Douglas/Deadline & Kristin Van Everen
21.81
2nd: Amanda Abbott/Roscoe & Al Tariot
22.65
3rd: Karli Jo Lloyd/Trace & Joe Lloyd
25.20

Sunday

1st: Amanda Abbott/Roscoe & Al Tariot
21.78
2nd: Elizabeth Cohee/Splash & Carson Averill
24.25
3rd: Arley Douglas/Deadline & Kristin Van Everen
26.13

Combined

1st: Amanda Abbott/Roscoe & Al Tariot
44.43
2nd: Arley Douglas/Deadline & Kristin Van Everen
47.94
3rd: Elisabeth Cohee/Splash & Carson Averill
51.50

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Switch-A-Roo

Saturday

1st: Dennis Alverson/Jimmy & Aaron Griffen
20.26
2nd: Nick Bentley/Sammy & Foster Kennedy
22.06
3rd: Fiona Alverson/Raven & Phoebe Alverson
31.43

Sunday

1st: Nick Bentley/Sammy & Foster Kennedy
21.09
2nd: Fiona Alverson/Raven & Phoebe Alverson
23.15
3rd: Dennis Alverson/Jimmy & Aaron Griffen
27.85

Combined

1st: Nick Bentley/Sammy & Foster Kennedy
43.15
2nd: Dennis Alverson/Jimmy & Aaron Griffen
48.11
3rd: Fiona Alverson/Raven & Phoebe Alverson
54.58

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Snowboard

Saturday

1st: Trae McInroe/Z & Chris Golz
29.12
2nd: Cal Douglas/Freya & Lewis Douglas
33.01
3rd: Cal Douglas/Freya & Russell Douglas
37.38

Sunday

1st: Amanda Abbott/Roscoe & Chris Golz
27.70
2nd: Cal Douglas/Freya & Lewis Douglas
33.30
3rd: Cal Douglas/Freya & Russell Douglas
40.13

Combined

1st: Cal Douglas/Freya & Lewis Douglas
66.31
2nd: Cal Douglas/Freya & Russell Douglas
77.51

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Junior

Saturday

1st: Phoebe Alverson/Scooter & Silar Hahn
26.37
2nd: Makenzie Woodring/Trashy Rooster & Taylor McVey
27.82
3rd: Dakota Woodring/Momma Shark & Luke Smith
29.36

Sunday

1st: Phoebe Alverson/Scooter & Silar Hahn
24.41
2nd: Makenzie Woodring/Trashy Rooster & Taylor McVey
27.72
3rd: Dakota Woodring/Momma Shark & Taylor McVey
28.19

Combined

1st: Phoebe Alverson/Scooter & Silar Hahn
50.78
2nd: Makenzie Woodring/Trashy Rooster & Taylor McVey
55.54
3rd: Dakota Woodring/Momma Shark & Taylor McVey
58.17

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pee Wee

Combined

1st: Josey Woodring/Trashy Rooster & Dayne Free
59.24
2nd: Josey Woodring/Jaxon & Bennett Smith
77.29
3rd: Josey Woodring/Jaxon & Samuel McConnell
139.52

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ FACES OF SKIJORING ~

Click below for Standing Timber Photography's gallery from Pole and Spur.

https://www.facebook.com/standingtimberphotography/

For photos by Amy Lynn Nelson at Red Lodge, click below:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=5436330449764973&set=pcb.5436335023097849

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
JOR ON! and Stay safe and healthy!

Loren Zhimanskova,
President, Skijor USA, Inc. & Skijor International, LLC