Since mid-January, Jackie Nadel has been making the trek across Utah, Montana and Idaho to ski as fast as possible on a snow course while being yanked by a rope drawn from a horse — a fusion of cowboy and skiing culture known as skijoring. 

Nadel was one of dozens of competitors who committed to the first-ever Pro Skijor tour, which began in Heber City in January and ended in Kamas over the weekend. The competition involves a skier, pulled by a horse and its rider, weaving through gates and grabbing a ring while flying down the track and across a 15-foot-long jump as quickly as possible. 

“It was absolutely exhausting trying to balance skijoring and work,” Nadel said. “It was a lot of leaving late after bartending Thursday, Friday nights and coming back Saturday night at one, 2 in the morning, and then working the next day.”

But Nadel’s dedication paid off. Along with rider Kylee Nielson and a horse named Moose, her team, called “Babes of Glory,” won first place in Pro Skijor’s women’s division, narrowly beating out the “Stall Muckers” team composed of rider Nielson and skier Magnolia Neu.

“You become pretty good friends with everyone that you’re competing with,” Nadel said. “Even when I was neck-and-neck with Magnolia Neu … (or) she would beat me, I couldn’t be upset because I just love being able to watch my friends thrive and win.”

The competitors with the best times across the overall tour were invited to the finals on Sunday at High Star Ranch, where the winners were awarded prize money totaling $75,000 across five divisions: pro, sport (the division right behind pro in terms of skill level), women’s, snowboard and all-around, in which competitors must be able to ski and ride a horse, switching places with their teammate between competitions. 

But the most sought-after prizes, according to Pro Skijor co-founder Brian Gardner, were shiny belt buckles nearly the size of dinner platters, awarded to the first-place winners in each category.

Gardner founded Skijoring Utah, the predecessor to Pro Skijor, in 2017. The annual competition began at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center before being moved to venues in Heber City, such as the Wasatch County Events Complex. 

Gardner and co-founder Joe Loveridge both came from ranching families and were ski patrolmen for a decade at Sundance Mountain Resort. When they first learned about skijoring, they knew they had to bring it to Utah. 

“Utah has such a rich history in agriculture and farming and ranching,” Gardner said. “This sport draws two communities together that don’t always come together. … Maybe those people don’t normally hang out on a regular basis, but now, they’ve become best friends and teammates.”

With the help of media industry veteran Greg Lipstone, Gardner and Loveridge expanded the annual competition to a nationwide tour this year. The co-founders’ hopes are high. Over time, they’d like to add more tour stops and, eventually, circuits ranging from the East Coast to South America and Europe. 

“What we’re trying to do could be equated to UFC. I know that sounds big, but UFC, at one point, started here, a small, niche sport, and then they organized it and took it to the world,” Gardner said. 

Gardner, Loveridge and Lipstone aren’t the only people hoping to take advantage of skijoring’s growth. Entrepreneur Manjari Prakash traveled to the event from New York to take notes about the competition’s logistics: equipment, safety, insurance and so forth. She hopes to launch her own skijoring competition in Long Island. 

“Our horses are indoors, doing nothing all winter,” she said. “This is fabulous because a skier meets a rider and a horse. You’re not alone, (whereas) you ski alone. You ride a little bit alone.”

While Prakash thinks Long Island has the snow for skijoring — she “shoveled all last week” — the warmer climate in Utah was a challenge for the Pro Skijor organizers this year. Gardner’s never seen such high winter temperatures, which hovered around 50 to 60 degrees in Kamas on Sunday.

“The challenge this year hasn’t been snow. We can make snow. But it’s having the temperatures cold enough to make the snow,” Gardner said. 

That resulted in logistical difficulties. While the competition usually involves both horse and skier riding on snow, several of the competitions were changed so the horse would be running alongside the skier on a dirt path, so as to preserve the little snow on the course. 

While the finals competition on Sunday was supposed to be held at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, it was moved to Kamas for the cooler temperatures at a higher elevation. 

“I reached out to the owner of High Star Ranch. … And they said, ‘We’re game.’ And in three weeks, we put this all together,” Lipstone said.

Despite the venue change, Pro Skijor garnered around 5,000 to 6,000 attendees over the two-day event. 

Lifelong friends Chase Vance, from Park City, and Ian Hoaglin, from Ogden, came to ski in practice runs between the finals competitions. 

Hoaglin crashed in what he described as a cartwheel as he came off the 4-foot-tall jump.

“I’m used to taking bodies. … This actually was a lot more pleasant than coming down a park jump,” he said. “I’ve got to find somebody who has a horse so I could be like, ‘Hey, let’s go practice,’ rather than just having to come (do this) baptism by fire every time we’re here.”

Hoaglin and Vance agreed that the most exhilarating part of the sport is being pulled by a horse. 

“I classify myself as a good skier. I’m pretty comfortable in all conditions. But there’s a lot to think about because you’re thinking about the horse, the rope, the gates, having enough rope behind you, enough rope in front of you. I don’t think I’ve ever been on more mental overdrive in anything,” Vance said. “If there’s anyone else who wants to try this for the first time, get as much information as you can from other riders. Just get the tips of what they suggest. But at the same time, if you have a good skiing background, trust your instincts and trust the physics.”

While Park City local Erica Hill has been skiing and horse riding for decades, she watched the competition from the sidelines rather than competing herself.

She came with her friend, Liana Mandryka. While moving the competition from Salt Lake City to Kamas may have been a pain for the organizers, the pair are glad the finals were held at High Star Ranch. 

“This feels like what it used to feel like at events in Park City where you could just rock up, park easily, hang out (and have) family-friendly fun,” Hill said. 

Mandryka said, “It definitely brought the homey, local vibe to it that might have been missing. If the location was Salt Lake City, it would not be the same.”

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Over 10,000 spectators, many in cowboy hats, visited the Wasatch County Events Complex on Friday and Saturday to watch skiers weave through gates and fly off jumps while being pulled by rope by a horse and its rider. Heber City was the first stop of the Pro Skijor Frontier Tour, which will move on to its other four competitions across Utah, Montana and Idaho through the end of February.

The fastest time was 36.01 seconds, clocked by rider Michael Miller, skier KJ Savaria and the fittingly-named horse, Smoakem. 

A run involves flying through about 15 gates and grabbing a ring on the track. If a gate or the ring is missed, a 2-second penalty is added to the team’s score.

Rosie Smith of Eden competed in 10 races across the pro, sport, women’s and novice categories over the two days. The nine divisions are largely determined by the skier’s ability and also include snowboarding, children’s and teen’s categories, and the century division, where the ages of skier and rider must add up to 100 or more.

Smith said the warm temperatures and lack of snow have been unlike any Utah winter she’d experienced. This year’s snow track was made artificially. 

Smith, who is 25, has competed at the Heber City skijoring event annually as both a skier and rider for six years. She’s been involved with both sports since she was a child. 

“I’m the mother mucker,” chimed in Smith’s mother, Karen Bossner. “She gets the glory. I clean the stalls.”

Because horse riding is “straightforward,” Smith prefers the thrill of skiing. 

Mizelle Mulder of Saratoga Springs disagreed. She called pulling a skier on her fast-as-lightning steed, Finn, the “coolest thing (she’s) ever done.” 

Friday was Mulder’s 30th birthday, which she celebrated by competing in skijoring for the first time. When she rings in the next decade, she might try skydiving.

Mulder’s concern was going too fast for her rider — like what happened to skier Beau Brown of Magna during his first pro race earlier that morning.

“I had probably one of the worst runs in the Pro Division,” Brown laughed. 

He ran into a gate within the first 10 feet of the run, which wrenched his ski off. He said part of the reason he washed out so fast was because the speed of his horse, Pistol Annie, was “a lot to manage.”

But Brown remained determined. He’ll be competing at the tour’s other stops in hopes of being invited to the final competition in Salt Lake City.

And at least Brown made an impression. He wore cow-patterned pants and a gold tinsel jacket, with a unicorn horn affixed to his helmet. 

“I was just looking for something really, really flashy and over-the-top because that’s the thing they do here, and I love that sort of thing. I’m a flashy, over-the-top person,” he said. “I was going for ‘chandelier that fell on top of a cow.’”

His wife, Jess, thought it looked more like Big Bird going to the disco.

The couple was joined by their mini Golden Retriever, Ruger, a mold detection dog and mascot of Brown’s business, C&H Inspections.

Ruger wasn’t the only dog that made it out for the event. An unexpected canine competitor shot down the track on Friday after a particularly inspiring run, to the announcers’ shock. 

The dog was Phil, a mischievous 2-year-old blue heeler-border collie mix.

“He’s standing next to me, and then, I’m like, ‘What the hell?’ I see him on TV,” said his owner, farrier Brian Decanter, afterwards. “He never chases horses. He’ll chase cows.”

Decanter’s 9-year-old son, Grayson, provided a demonstration of how Phil had gotten so fast by racing him in a circle.

“Everybody’s petting Phil and asking his name. … This is like the millionth time. Everybody knows him now,” Grayson giggled. 

“I say he’s running for mayor. Hey, Phil, you running for mayor?” Decanter called as the dog was petted by one of many passers-by who recognized him. 

Phil’s fame was matched only by that of the riders who had competed in camp costumes. The “Pirates of the Carabiner” team, composed of Boston skier Heather Thomas and Ogden rider Morgan Dickerman, dressed to sail the high seas, inspired by the spirit of skijoring.

“(Skijoring) feels like a clash of two worlds that get to come together,” Dickerman said. “(It’s) kind of this rebellious take on the sport. It’s not your everyday thing you get to see a skier pulled by a horse.”

The last year Dickerman competed, she did so in a tutu. Her horse, Thaya, wore one, too.

Quarter Horse Jess, 11, was not subjected to that kind of embarrassment, though he did have to be a third wheel to his rider, Zoe Ziebarth, and her skier, Gavin Rawle.

The Charleston couple has competed in skijoring individually, but this was their first year doing so as partners. They competed in the women’s, sport and snowboard categories and have already hit the road to compete in the tour’s next events. 

“We’ve been counting down the days. … We’ll be in the car for seven hours next week together, hauling back and forth,” Ziebarth said Friday. “It really does bring us together.”

The Pro Skijor Frontier Tour continues in Bozeman, Montana, Jan. 24-25 and will return to Utah Feb. 27-28 for the finals at the Utah State Fairpark.

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Skijoring Utah hit Heber City Feb. 14 and 15, and hundreds of spectators crowded snowy bleacher seats to watch a competition that blends rodeo-style action with high-speed skiing.

Considering nine divisions, varied courses, big-air results and crowd favorites, skijoring winners are somewhat subjective based on preference. But fastest times are undeniable, and skiers in “jorts” were clear crowd pleasers. 

Marquise Young, Dillon Flinders, Josh Abbott, Collin Cook and a horse named Love were all standout competitors this year. In the pro division, Abbott and Cook took first with a combined time (adding heats from both Friday and Saturday) of 28.32 seconds. 

Abbott, who rode Love, and Cook set this year’s record single run time of 13.9 seconds. Young, riding a horse named Iceman, and Flinders tied for fastest time, coming in at 13.9 seconds for their first heat. Young and Flinders took second place overall with a combined time of 28.98 seconds.

A frequent skijoring competitor, Young has made a name for herself as a rider. On Feb. 1, Young took first place in the Cache Valley Skijoring sport division along with skier Eli Frandsen. 

Cook and Abbott competed as a team for a total of four times at Heber City over the weekend. While their fastest time earned them first place, their additional heats secured them multiple places in the pro division’s top spots. Neither Cook nor Abbott competed in Logan on Feb. 1. 

Another rider, Clayson Hutchings, is on multiple skijoring rosters. He competed in Logan on Feb. 1, taking third place with skier Eli Frandsen. Hutchings’ team, which included Flinders as his skier, did not place at the Heber City competition due to a time penalty. But the pair did come close to the fastest time with a single run time of 13.96 seconds. 

Out of the gate, riders and skiers ride at breakneck speed to grab rings, hit and land multiple jumps and weave through cones to the finish. Skiers pull up or give slack on the rope pulling them to make sharper turns or hit jumps more quickly. New to competing, Lily Woulfe said riders just “hold on for dear life.” 

This year was 15-year-old Lily’s first year competing in a skijoring Utah competition. Her father, Justin, 40, was her skier. Fresh off the track, Lily and Justin were both wind whipped and exhilarated. Like every other competitor, neither father or daughter had seen, walked or ridden the course prior to their novice division heat. But Lily said that despite the fact the pair did not finish the race, she was glad they participated.

When asked why they were interested in skijoring, Justin’s answer was simple.

“It’s stupid fun. The whole thing — the crowd, the jumps — is ridiculous,” he said.

Spectators had the option to cast their votes for crowd favorites, placing one team, horse and outfit above the rest. With a winning team name like “Skijorting,” it’s no wonder skier Casey Rude also won favorite outfit, donning a pair of cutoff jean shorts. Rude’s horse, Playboy, took the top spot as well. 

“With his fearless attitude and quick reflexes, he knows how to carve his way through the powder like a pro,” Skijorting’s team description reads. “But what really sets him apart is his iconic choice of attire: a pair of classic jorts.”

Also seen in the race were teeny young riders wearing unicorn horns and tutus, all-American jumpsuits, a plethora of cowboy hats, and chaps.

While skijoring Utah’s speediest times are seen in the pro and sport races, the competition also includes participants in the novice, century (where the rider and skier’s age must add up to 100), snowboard and ponies divisions. 

Skier BJ Cuell and rider Matthew Graves landed somewhere in the middle of the novice category with a combined time of 42.53 seconds. It was Cuell’s first time competing, but he and Graves are experienced skiers and horseback riders. Cuell said he was happy with their time even though they missed the last jump.

“I think if we had been able to walk the course first it would have been good, but I’m happy with how we performed,” Cuell said.

Tenny Bird, 9, and Indie Bird, 10, said that they were competing because they were inspired by their mother, Ashley Bird, who has been a skijoring competitor for years. Indie, who sat atop her pony, Biscuit, said she was “excited but nervous.” In part, she was worrying about her saddle, which leaned slightly to the left. 

Indie and Tenny wore matching Western-print jackets with Indie in Flared cowgirl-style jeans, boots and a white helmet and Tenny in practical snowpants with a bright, hot-pink helmet. When asked about their strategy for the race, Tenny said that it was easy — “to go fast.” 

The girls named their team the Fast Fliers, and Indie’s saddle did end up leaning too far to the left during the race. Just one team out of a handful, named the Pistols Powder Bandits, finished both heats of the ponies division. 

Ashely Bird competed in the century division on Friday and Saturday. She and her skier, Don Rubisch, achieved a combined time of 76.47 seconds. 

Pro riders like Young have made it clear they have no intention to stop competing, but novice riders like Cuell, the Woulfes and the Birds have caught the skijoring bug as well. When asked if they enjoyed their time, each had the same answer: They’ll be back again next year.

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