SETTIN’ THE WORLD ON FIRE
February 10, 2022
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ LATEST NEWS ~
Last weekend,
Skijoring Utah
knocked it out of the park
with a SPECTACULAR event in Kamas, Utah,
at the High Star Ranch.
&
Big Sky Skijoring
also hit a home run with an event
during the inaugural Big Sky Winter Fest,
a multi-tiered winter carnival presented by Outlaw Partners.
BOTH races were broadcast live by
The Cowboy Channel & The Wrangler Network.
We will have official stats to share shortly,
but suffice it to say, we attracted a healthy audience
and media attention is very strong!
The Skijoring Utah Open Champions
Marquise Young & Addison Dvoracek,
a former US Ski Team Member,
were interviewed on Fox News
(national coverage).
A concert on Friday night featuring
Chris Petersen
was a highlight as well.
His song "Fast Horse and a Long Rope"
fit in perfectly with the event!
Chris sang the National Anthem on the track
Saturday morning which was amazing!
https://cpcountry.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Big Sky added a Bar of Flame to one of its Open/Pro skier jumps on Sunday!
&
Bode Miller, an Olympic Gold Medalist,
skied behind a draft horse at the Big Sky event!
Bode now calls Big Sky, MT home.
He is an avid lover of both horse and ski racing,
and built a special training facility in Maryland for thoroughbred race horses.
No doubt, this is the first time he has combined the two!
We hope to see more skiers of Olympic legend or World Cup fame
as well as PRCA and PBR cowboys and cowgirls
participate at skijoring races in the future!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
BOTH events had 150 teams competing,
and the courses held up beautifully keeping all horses safe.
A BIG shout out to organizers, course builders, volunteers and sponsors
as well as private venue and town officials and staff who made these events possible.
&
A BIG pat on the back to all competitors who drove countless miles
and signed up to race in a multitude of divisions
from Snowboard to Century, to Women's to All-around (Switcheroo) to
Youth, Novice, Sport and Open/Pro.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saratoga Skijoring
also had a successful event
with just shy of 100 teams competing.
They ran a 3D race as well as Novice and Youth Divisions.
Our community is growing by leaps and bounds.
Let's keep the momentum going!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ THIS WEEKEND'S EVENTS ~
This weekend Skijor USA will be
at Canterbury Park in
SHAKOPEE, MN
Saturday, February 12
This is the 4th skijoring event for Extreme Events MN.
We are VERY excited about seeing teams compete SIDE BY SIDE!
There is also a FREESTYLE event!
https://www.canterburypark.com/events/extreme-horse-skijoring/
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Main Street Pinedale brings skijoring back to
PINEDALE, WY
on Saturday & Sunday, February 12 & 13
at the Pinedale Rodeo Grounds
They will be running Junior (12 and under) and Open/Pro Divisions,
and a 3D Division will include the rest of the field.
https://www.mainstreetpinedale.com/skijoring
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Other events this weekend include:
TOPSHAM, MAINE
https://www.facebook.com/topshamfair/
&
BOULDER, MONTANA
https://www.facebook.com/Skijoringthebigrock/
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO
will also be hosting their 109th Winter Carnival
and children will be pulled on skis down Lincoln Avenue
by local horses and riders on Saturday only.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ MEDIA EXPOSURE ~
on February 4th, CNN Sport posted the story:
Lost sports of the Winter Olympics:
Skijoring, the wild blend of horses and skis
Here is an excerpt:
Exhibited at St Moritz, Switzerland in 1928, skijoring holds the honor of being the first ever demonstration sport at a Winter Olympics, yet the discipline's origins extend well beyond its Games debut.
Practiced differently across continents, the history of skijoring is a complex one. Fortunately, there exists a one-woman fountain of knowledge for all things skijoring in Loren Zhimanskova, President of SkijorUSA and Skijor International.
A key coordinator for American skijoring and central to the sport's growing reputation in the region, Zhimanskova's passion for skijoring is matched only by her seemingly endless knowledge of its history and its people.
Zhimanskova and SkijorUSA acts as the coordinating central hub of skijoring in the region.
Supported by Zhimanskova's relentless efforts, skijoring in the US has enjoyed a golden age over the last decade. Some 23 races are slated for 2022, with two more potentially to come in Canada.
Despite skijoring's US expansion and the swathes of new faces, the core community remains incredibly tight knit. For Zhimanskova, permanently on the road, this camaraderie lies at the heart of her love for the sport.
Whilst Zhimanskova is doubtful that skijoring would ever be slated on the official Olympic schedule -- citing reasons surrounding the Games' complicated relationship with animals -- she would be keen to reignite the demonstration tradition or incorporate it into the opening ceremony for a forthcoming Games.
Not least because 2028 marks the 100th anniversary of skijoring at the Olympics and there's a prospect of Salt Lake City potentially being the host city for the 2030 or 2034 Games.
Picture the scene: a cowboy or cowgirl riding a horse into the opening ceremony bearing the American flag, followed in tow by a skier carrying the Olympic torch.
"I think it really represents the American spirit," Zhimanskova said.
"The freedom, the love for the outdoors and the environment, the ability to come together from different backgrounds, different worlds and compete as a team.
"Of course, the horse is also just an iconic animal that's been so important to our growth as a country."
Click the link below to see the video and read the full article:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/04/sport/skijoring-winter-olympics-usa-salt-lake-spt-intl/index.html
Thank you
Skijoring Magazine
for posting the article on your site!
www.skijoringmagazine.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ WINNERS CIRCLE ~
Skijoring Utah
Snowboard
1st: Brandon Francis & Derek Sims
2nd: Branson Burnhope & Christopher James Brown
3rd:Roger Burnhope & Casey Munns
Century
1st: Krista Horting & Arne Erisoty
2nd: Leanna Huber & Ryan Evans
3rd: Steve McDonald & Cub Keller
All Around
1st: Rosie Smith & Grace Mull
2nd: Ashley & Heidi aka "The Bridel Party"
3rd: Alyssa & Brian of RMO Horses
Women's
1st: Grace Mull & Rosie Smith
2nd: Denvers Girls
3rd: Ashley Owens & Sylvia Greer
Novice
1st: Kayla Teichert & Kole Balser
37.302
2nd: Alyssa & Austin Scace
39.359
3rd: Katie Frickle & Luke Kaschmitter
42.554
Sport
1st: Alyssa Claiborne & Thomas Scaccianoce
43.238
2nd: Whitney Watts & Holly Harrison
45.641
3rd: Andy Bailey & Evan Friedman
48.324
Open/Pro
1st: Marquise Young & Addison Dvorcek
33.088
2nd: Marquise Young & Addison Dvoracek
36.14
3rd: Montana Landis & Karl Verhaaren
36.165
For full results click below:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0133/6085/7188/files/2022_SkiJoring_Utah_Final_Results_-_All.pdf?v=1644268144
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Big Sky Skijoring
Junior
1st: Makenze Woodring & Dayne Free
2nd: Makenze Woodring & Trippe Tubbs
3rd: Anna Putnam & Carole Putnam
Snowboard
1st: Richard Weber & Kalei Pitcher
2nd: Monica Plecker & Kalei Pitcher
3rd: Jennifer Butler & Kalei Pitcher
Switcheroo
1st: Aaron Griffen & Nick Bentley
2nd: Tyler Smedsrud & Nick Bentley
3rd: Dennis Alverson & Aaron Griffen
Women's
1st: Melissa Ostrander & Tara Hines
2nd: Sarah McConnell & Tara Hines
3rd: Fiona Alverson & Phoebe Alverson
Novice
1st: Matty Kirkland & Drew Vanyo
47.65
2nd: Kristyn MacDonald & Dan Marion
53.52
3rd: Caileen Boisvert & Kayla Seaman
56.64
Sport
1st: Cal Douglas & Ed Anderson
39.39
2nd: Trae McInroe & Tara Hines
39.61
3rd: Dennis Alverson & Nick Becker
40.67
Open
1st: Sarah McConnell & Tyler Smedsrud
36.76
2nd: Richard Weber & Colin Cook
38.17
3rd: Richard Weber & Lang Schuler
38.78
For full results click below: https://www.facebook.com/bigskyskijoringassociation/photos/pcb.1157264061680950/1157263585014331
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saratoga Skijoring
Junior
1st: Corky Stevens & Jackson Kopasz
2nd: Richard Raymer & Edgar Faust
3rd: Cody Cox & Beckett Spaulding
Novice
1st: Olivia Leviton & Ben Spaulding
2nd: Brook Smith & Jed Moore
3rd: Caitlin Garda & Jed Moore
3D
1st: Dakota Lewis & Travis Lee
23.86
2nd: Tessera Bustillow & Duffy Counsell
24.14
3rd: Cody Stickler & Alex Dorothy
24.00
2D
1st: Richard Raymer & Craig Kopasz
21.96
2nd: Drew Hunsaker & Will Faust
22.86
1D
1st: TJ Simmons & Kevin Wilder
18.86
2nd: TJ Simmons & Jason Decker
20.18
3rd: Skylar Ball & Jason Decker
20.58
For full results click below: https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaSkijoring/photos/pcb.3416593955235118/3416593431901837/
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ NEWS from RACES ~
Garden City, UT
will hold their 2nd annual event
on
February 19th
This is a small, family style event which plans to grow in 2023.
Their goal is to attract more people to the Bear Lake area for winter activities.
Bear Lake already has a Winter Fest in late January every year.
Skijor USA will be providing support to the organizers
&
putting them in touch with additional resources.
If you are interested in helping,
email: loren@skijorusa.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Whitefish, MT
has announced that their dates are
February 19th & 20th.
https://www.facebook.com/whitefishskijoring/
www.whitefishskijoring.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The weekend race in
LEWISTOWN, MT
was a GREAT success!
They had 40 teams competing in Novice and Sport Divisions.
The town is behind the event 100%
and local businesses came to the rescue on Sunday
to ensure that the race could go on.
The track needed tending due to icy conditions which developed overnight,
and organizers credit
Ray at Desel Construction
Terry Gill at Rafter T Construction
and
Lewistown Rentals
with getting the show back on the road safely.
It required bringing in snow and sand with loaders,
then using a skid-steer and a roller with teeth to groom the track.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The exhibition event in
Banff, Alberta, Canada
is still TBD.
For a full schedule of 2022 events, go to www.skijorusa.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ FACES OF SKIJORING ~
Check out over 100 photos taken by Skijor USA at Skijoring Utah!
https://www.facebook.com/skijorusa/photos
TAG AWAY ! ! !
For additional photos from
Skijoring Utah
go to:
Western Edge Photography
https://westernedgephotography.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=11074030
Cattleman Photography
or
https://cattlemanphotography.smugmug.com/Utah-Skijoring-2022/
Big Sky Skijoring
go to:
Mark LaRowe Photography
https://marklarowe.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2022-Skijoring/C0000GiqJ.DAEiqE?fbclid=IwAR3xNLKDFGbl-5hTfHjyIFjNtYunkObXh6PzVUwoOomnqjoqdiUWIWeiuE8
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Our thoughts go out to Brandon Francis for a speedy recovery!
JOR ON! and Stay safe and healthy!
Loren Zhimanskova,
President, Skijor USA, Inc. & Skijor International, LLC
Above photos were taken by Skijor USA at Skijoring Utah
Top: Open Champions: Addison Dvoracek and Marquise Young