It was a cold but beautiful day, Jan. 25, 2026, in Estes Park, Colo. An announcer shouted, “Ski Haw!” and the race began.
A horse furiously galloped through the snow, spikes fastened to its hooves to provide traction. Shortly behind it, a skier gripped a tow rope as he weaved back and forth across the track, launching from the jumps that lie on either side.
It’s called skijoring. On the surface, it appears to be a thrilling blend of two cultures that have long been situated in Colorado; a handshake between the competitive skiers of the mountains and the cowboys of the open country.
The true origin of the sport doesn’t involve either of those two groups. The name is the first hint of its roots. “Skijoring” was derived from a Scandinavian word that literally translates to “ski-driving.”
As a practice, it dates back centuries. Skijoring first emerged as a simple means of transportation in the snowy region of Scandinavia.
Horses aren’t necessarily the original towing animal either. Dogs have also been documented in early cases of skijoring, as well as reindeer, which are an integral part of the culture of the Sámi people, a diverse group from areas of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. The Sámi, using reindeer, are believed to have developed the practice of skijoring.
It wasn’t until the early 20th century that skijoring began to gain popularity in the United States.
Before coming to the U.S, competitive skijoring events had long since proliferated across the Atlantic. In fact, skijoring technically appeared at the 1928 Winter Olympic Games in Saint Moritz, Switzerland.
In the Olympic Games, it was deemed a “demonstration sport,” meaning that medals were not awarded to the winners of the competition, and the results were not included in the official report of the games.
In a slow but steady manner, skijoring in the U.S. has continued to gain popularity since it arrived from overseas about a century ago. Those who champion the sport even have aspirations to bring skijoring back to the Winter Games in 2030 or 2034.
U.S towns such as Leadville, Colo., have been hosting skijoring events for decades.
Others have only recently adopted the tradition. Maine, for example, saw its first skijoring event debut in 2019. According to SKIJOR USA, up to 13 new skijoring events are being added to the calendar in 2027.
Despite the steady increase in events, many people across the nation have still never heard of skijoring. This could be due to its popularity being highly concentrated in the Midwest.
Skijoring is also a notably difficult sport to organize, requiring lots of space, trained horses and experienced skiers. Not to mention adequate snow on the ground. This unique set of requirements makes it hard to host skijoring events outside of the few regions that have the criteria readily available.
These factors, along with a host of other strict rules and regulations, make achieving another Olympic showcase a daunting task. Substantial progress will need to be made in establishing centralized national and international organizations and competitions, which will likely only be possible if the sport’s fanbase continues to grow.
Regardless of what the future holds, those who have the opportunity to attend a skijoring event will find testimony as to why it is so loved in local communities.
Whether your passion is for animals, extreme snow sports or just a hot drink in the cold, the excitement of skijoring has something for everyone to enjoy.
Those in the United States interested in experiencing this spectacle for themselves can find a list of over 30 skijoring events planned for 2026 on skijorusa.com.
Who knows? These small-town competitions may even feature a future Olympian.
