Industry News
The skijoring scene has surged in popularity in Montana over the past decade. Towns across the state like Bozeman, Big Sky, Red Lodge, and several others, have hosted local skijoring competitions for many years. Skijoring mixes two lifestyles: ranching and skiing, to create a fan-favorite event that packs excitement into every turn…but what exactly is skijoring?
Most people who spend their winters on skis or a snowboard usually take a lift up a mountain and enjoy downhill turns, but for those involved in skijoring, the experience is entirely different. Skijoring typically takes place in an arena or somewhere with adequate space, like a fairground. There is no need for a lift, as a horse pulls a skier around a course that is lined with jumps, gates, and rings to collect. Also, skijoring is a timed event, so finishing the course quickly and avoiding penalties are critical for success. A team consists of two people, someone riding the horse and a skier or snowboarder, both doing their best to get across the finish line as fast as possible.
Typically, skijoring competitions are rather small in size and scattered across rural mountain towns in the middle of winter. However, the 2025-26 winter ushers in a bigger stage, and Bozeman’s own Gallatin Skijor Invitational will be featured in the first pro skijoring series, the PRO Skijor Frontier Tour. This series will feature some of the best competitors in the sport as it travels through multiple states, awards cash prizes, and elevates the sport.
The nature of skijoring is fast, exciting, and community-centered. PRO Skijor aims to elevate the sport and the community behind it as it launches skijoring’s first professional series. Traveling through Utah, Montana, and Idaho, this series will feature seven events during the months of January and February. Competitors will earn their spot in the championship finals in Salt Lake City by qualifying during the season.
One of the featured qualifying events will take place in Bozeman, Montana, on January 24 and 25. Deemed the Gallatin Skijor Invitational, this event will feature the sport’s best competitors as they race for Frontier Tour points that count toward season standings and their shot at the finals. To understand the momentum of the sport in Montana, as well as the rise of the Gallatin Skijoring Invitational, I got in touch with one of the founders of the Gallatin Invitational, Josh Abbott, and the event organizer, Andrea Stevenson.
For decades, skijoring has been a staple event in towns throughout Montana, capturing the attention of most unexpectedly. Josh Abbott was first introduced to the sport in 2014, and not long after, he helped host a local race from 2016 through 2019. Ever since, Abbott has been itching to host another event in Gallatin County. Abbott and the team eventually partnered with the Gallatin County Fairgrounds and got the green light to tailor the course to their liking by adding gates, fencing, and other changes to keep the event safe and fun for athletes and horses.
Once the word got out about the race being held in Bozeman, Brian Gardner with PRO Skijoring reached out to get the Gallatin Skijor Invitational on the series. The anticipation has only grown since then, and both Abbott and Stevenson cannot wait to get folks out for the race. The invited athletes for this race have high praise from Abbott. “We’re going to have teams over the last five to 10 years, who have been winning pro races all compete against each other, so it should be some of the toughest competition that we’ve ever seen,” he described the level of competition.
Typically, athletes come from a ski racing background, translating the skills they mastered from years of downhill skiing to getting pulled around a course by a horse. The precision, balance, and quick reflexes honed on icy slopes become essential as they navigate tight turns, jumps, and obstacles at high speed, all while maintaining control behind a powerful animal. Due to the unique nature of most people finding this sport later in their athletic careers, it’s common to see athletes make the jump from novice to elite quickly. Luckily for those just getting into the sport, the Gallatin Skijor Invitational will also feature an amateur competition on January 17 and 18, the weekend before the Pro Skijor Series comes to town.
On race day, it’s not just the skiers preparing by getting a fresh tune on their skis, but the horses will utilize shoes designed to handle the variable conditions. There are several configurations of horseshoes with different styles and lengths of studs to improve their traction and performance in the snow. Horses will also use snow pads, which are usually rubber or plastic pads that fit within the horseshoe to prevent snow from packing into the sole. After talking with Abbott, it’s clear that he and his team prioritize horse safety above all else.
The horse safety extends to monitoring the course conditions. Just like being picky about conditions on the slopes, Abbott’s team ensures the course is dialed in. They start with the base, grading and smoothing the dirt beneath the snow. They keep the snowpack at six inches or less of hardpack and groom it carefully, especially when icy conditions appear. The goal is to prevent horses from post-holing, tripping, and slipping.
Abbott also provided insight in the training the horses undergo during the offseason to prepare for these elite races. As the sport continues to grow, so does the competition and the training that prepares the horses to perform their best. One of Abbott’s favorites is equine hydrotherapy, which is essentially a water treadmill for horses. This training offers low-impact exercise that uses the water’s buoyancy and resistance to build muscle, improve stride, and cardiovascular fitness. Abbott will leave his horses with a trainer for about a month at a time to exercise each horse anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour each day. While everyone has a different approach to training and preparing for the upcoming season, it’s clear that they all have the same goal in mind: keeping the horses safe and healthy.
Both Abbott and Stevenson are expecting the sport’s popularity to continue to grow with the combination of the pro series as well as the social media presence that is capturing a wider audience. Stevenson explained, “This series will bring a whole new group of people that come to participate in our race that we may not have seen before, since typically the races draw in a local crowd. We are really excited to see new competitors and the talent from around the West.”
Stevenson has high hopes that along with the competition growth that the sport will continue to capture a wide range of people. Skijoring is a sport that has a little bit of something for anyone, as Stevenson continues to describe: “This sport can reach young people, old people, families, people that love animals, and people that are looking for a fun social experience.”
For many, their roots in skijoring started at a local competition where they either entered for fun or came to the arena to watch a new sport. Stevenson often highlights her favorite part of the sport, the fans and the vibrant community that define skijoring. Stevenson described the community as welcoming and helpful, whether it’s competitors assisting each other or announcers explaining the rules and point system during the races.
While the skijoring may not make major headlines, the passion for the sport runs deep across Montana. Small towns come alive for these competitions, giving people a winter hobby and excitement during the cold months. The sport is not only a competition, but an expression of culture, a blend of passion and livelihood into a high-speed competition.
Montana will host several skijor competitions this winter. The Gallatin Skijor Invitational kicks off January 17 and 18 with the amateur event, followed by the pro division on January 24 and 25. Tickets are available for both weekends, and there will also be a streaming option on the Cowboy Channel.
High Level Rules and Regulations from Pro Skijor
Penalties
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Missed jump or missed gate: +2.00 seconds each.
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Horse contact with a jump/gate: +2.00 seconds (No-Time if the timing device is struck).
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Rings: +2.00 seconds per ring missed or dropped.
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No penalty if a ring falls off its standard before the approach or breaks on course.
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Collected rings must cross the finish line with the skier and rider (as applicable)’
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Course
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Length: Approximately 700–1,200 ft (start to finish); may include wide sweeping turn(s).
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Run-Out: Varies by venue in length and surroundings; competitors must be aware of space, snow, and surface conditions.
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Gates: Breakaway/whisker style; skier passes right of red and left of blue.
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Fencing: Spectator and safety fencing used at the discretion of organizers and course setters.
Equipment
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Rope: 25–33 ft recommended; ≥ 3/8 in diameter recommended. No handles, loops, or knots. Teams are encouraged to bring their own rope.
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Attachment: To the saddle horn or behind the saddle. If behind the saddle, secure to the primary rigging rings with a narrow-diameter, non-elastic rope, positioning the pull point ~6 inches from the cantle (carabiner included).
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Inspection: The Start Master (or designee) must approve rope length and attachment prior to racing.
