Skijoring brings thrills, enjoyable to Big Hole Valley

WISDOM, Mont. — What occurs if you mix snowboarding, horse-riding, and some chilly drinks?

You get the game of skijoring, which has made its method from Norway to America and has change into a staple of the winter calendar in Wisdom.

Whether they’re competing, tailgating, or simply soaking within the solar and watching the racing, a whole lot of individuals and loads of canine and horses, flocked to Wisdom for an unforgettable weekend.

“All Montanans get a little bit of cabin fever, and they want to come outside and they want to play,” stated Tom McKnight, occasion emcee, and member of the Big Hole Valley Association. “They come on out here, a thousand or better. People just come from nowhere and we’re out in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden, we’ve got a population base. And they’re enjoying it, they’re loving it.

The rules are simple: one horse, one rider and one skier or snowboarder, racing the clock through a series of gates and jumps.

“So, we had 68 teams divided into 3 different categories, the open class, the sport class and the novice class,” stated McKnight.

“You just have to hold on, you have to be a little crazy, and you have to know a lot of awesome people that own horses,” stated sport class snowboarder Dan Currie of Ennis.

The occasion has been an annual custom in Wisdom for 20 years, with a Calcutta on Saturday night time that raises funds for native schoolkids and different vital causes.

“The top team sold for $2,100. So, it’s Montana betting at its finest, high stakes poker if you will,” stated McKnight.

Winning bids on the Calcutta totaled round $16,000, with 20% of that going again to the BHVA. The BHVA receives different funds from the occasion, together with by way of parking and the gun raffle.

“We’ve done several fundraisers for the local school districts in the valley, including a Washington D.C. trip that they put together every couple of years. We do 4th of July celebrations out here, it’s a free and open event to the public,” stated Kyle Bushman, first director for the Big Hole Valley Association. “We’ve also done several outdoor recreation activities like trap shoots, treasure hunts. We have a plethora of different stuff that we do.”

Competitors gown up, some in extravagant costumes, like Currie a former sizzling canine restaurant proprietor who has gone from cooking up franks to craving an adrenaline rush.

“It’s a wild mix of the ski culture and the horse and ranch culture in Montana. It’s amazing,” stated Currie.

“You’ve gotta have some guts and glory here,” stated McKnight.

And this occasion wouldn’t be doable if it wasn’t for sponsors and volunteers who go the additional mile to verify everybody stays protected and has enjoyable.

“We’re a small community here in Wisdom, so we don’t have the biggest volunteer base to work with. There’s a lot of work that ends up on a few shoulders. So, the people that are out there helping every year, I just want to say thank you for that,” stated Bushman.

The Skijoring circuit now heads to Three Forks subsequent week, then Red Lodge in mid-March.