If you’ve ever wondered what happens when skiing meets horsepower, welcome to the wild world of Skijoring. It’s part skiing, part rodeo, and all adrenaline. Hard to imagine... Sounds like something you might need to see to believe, right?

2024 Winter Roundup Skijoring Snowboarder

What is Skijoring? 

Skijoring is an exhilarating winter sport in which a horse pulls a skier who navigates an obstacle course, jumps, or races for speed. The skier holds a tow rope while balancing on skis, often reaching speeds of up to 40 mph.  

A Brief History

Surprisingly, Skijoring isn’t new to the winter sports scene (even though you might not find it on ESPN)—it’s been around several hundred years and likely started simply as a means of transportation. The word "skijoring" comes from the Norwegian "skikjøring," which translates to "ski driving."  As a sport, it gained recognition in Europe in the 1800’s in places like Switzerland and France before making its way to St. Moritz for the 1928 Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport.

Women on horse drags man skiing over a man-made ski jump. The man is being pulled by rope by the woman on a horse on West Temple Street in front of Nordstrom's in City Creek Center.

Skijoring's Origin in the US

Skijoring found its way to the States in the mid-20th century, with communities in the Rocky Mountains embracing it. In the state of Utah, the history of the sport is tied to love for winter recreation (2002 Winter Olympics, anyone?). There’s something about skis and saddles that just work in the Intermountain West. Skijoring is like winter’s ultimate mashup—speed, skill, and teamwork with a dash of chaos for good measure. It’s a sport that takes the snowy traditions of the season, throws in a hefty helping of human-and-animal camaraderie, and serves it up on the rugged, powdery canvas of the great outdoors. 

In Utah, skijoring is pure adventurous spirit on display—a chance to dive headfirst (hopefully not literally) into winter thrills. Don’t miss out on Salt Lake’s Winter Roundup and see what skijoring is all about!