by Ashley Daily
Photos by Mark LaRowe (www.marklarowephotography.com)
Oklahoma’s lack of significant snowfall means winter thrill seekers often head out of state to take part in winter sports, such as skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. But if you’re looking for a winter sporting event that’s a little outside the box, look no further than skijoring.
Skijoring is a winter sport in which a skier is pulled across the snow by a team of dogs, a motorized vehicle (often a snowmobile) or a horse. The activity dates back hundreds of years, originating in Scandinavia where people were first towed on skis behind animals. Historical records also show similar practices in parts of Asia. The word skijoring (pronounced skee-JOHR-ing) comes from the Norwegian term meaning “snow driving.”
Skijoring first appeared in America in the early 1900s. The 1915 Winter Carnival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is credited with hosting the first exhibition that introduced the sport to the West. It was later featured as a demonstration sport at the 1928 Winter Olympics in Switzerland. Over a century later, the activity has become widespread across the Western states, and Leadville, Colorado, is home to arguably the biggest skijoring event in the country.
In 1948, “Mugs” Ossman and Tom Schroeder sat in The Golden Burro Café, trying to decide on a new event to offer for the upcoming winter festivities in Leadville. They decided to take a trip to Steamboat Springs for inspiration. Upon their arrival at the carnival, Ossman and Schroeder witnessed horse and rider pairs casually towing skiers along the snow-covered streets.
Impressed by the display, Ossman and Schroeder decided to bring skijoring to Leadville.
However, they couldn’t understand why anyone would choose to go so slowly. Ossman raised Quarter Horses — bred for speed — and Schroeder, a feisty Irish skier, declared there wasn’t a horse around that would be able to lose him on a pair of skis. Returning to the Ossman Ranch, the two began testing out a faster version of skijoring, using a horse pasture that was deeply bedded in snow for their practice runs. Thus, the skijoring we know today was born.
Held the first weekend of March, the Leadville Ski Joring (split into two words) competition has been going strong since it was first held in 1949. “Leadville Ski Joring is the longest-standing high-alpine equine skijoring event in the country,” notes event organizer Duffy Counsell. “About to enter its 78th year, and attended by tens of thousands, it is literally the granddaddy of them all.”
Each year, crowds gather on historic Harrison Avenue — braving 36 inches of snow one year — to cheer on competitors from all across the country, including Oklahoma. The event has welcomed spectators from as far as New Zealand and the United Kingdom and has captured the attention of countless national and international publications.
An estimated 12,000 people attended the 2025 event, marking it as the largest turnout in event history. Participants vary each year, ranging from 50 to 300 runs. Leadville holds in-person registrations on Friday night. Similar to those in golf games, a Calcutta is organized once teams are identified. The teams are then auctioned off, with the highest bidder becoming the “owner” of the team. Owners of the first, second and third place teams receive a portion of the Calcutta pot.
The National Anthem opens the event, then contestants line up for a dose of Wild West adrenaline. As skiers are pulled down Harrison Avenue by a galloping horse and rider, often reaching 40 mph, the skier must neatly land jumps and pick up rings, aiming for the fastest time. Crashing or missing a jump earns a team a “did-not-finish,” while missing a ring adds time to their score.
Counsell knows firsthand the anticipation of competing in the high-octane sport. “You’re never ready,” he says. “As a former competitor, you’re at the start, you have butterflies, you’re nervous, thinking about a million different things. You’re never ready; it’s just your turn.”
Leadville Ski Joring offers a family-friendly atmosphere, and kids can get in on the action with a children’s event, held Saturday evening after the main runs. During the children’s event, kids are pulled along the track by a snowmobile, earning a 50-cent piece after their run.
It’s all hands on deck to prepare for the event, and Counsell says that the countless volunteers who help make Leadville Ski Joring such a success are a huge testament to the Leadville community.
With an energy often compared to the Super Bowl, and set against Colorado’s stunning mountains and historic buildings, it’s no wonder people from around the world flock to this small mountain community each year to witness the event known as “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All.”
Sidebar
The 78th Leadville
Ski Joring competition
is planned for
March 7-8, 2026.
For more information on Leadville Ski Joring,
visit www.leadvilleskijoring.com.
