Colorado mountain town keeps ski joring tradition alive despite low snow year

Even with a lighter snowpack in Colorado's high country this winter, there was still enough powder in Leadville to keep one of the state's most distinctive traditions alive: ski joring.

For the uninitiated, ski joring pairs a skier with a horse and rider, sending the skier down a snow-packed track at high speed while they hit jumps, weave through gates, and snatch rings with a baton while being pulled as fast as a small car.

"It's an adrenaline rush," said rider Robert Tingley, who has been part of the event for years.

The sport has deep roots in Leadville, dating back to 1949. While the equipment has evolved, the excitement surrounding the competition hasn't faded. The coordination required is far more complex than the spectacle might suggest.

"We have a flowchart at home on skiers and horses and stuff like that," Tingley said. "It can be complicated, but it's only as complicated as you make it."

Skiers must not only stay upright at high speed but also navigate tight turns and collect rings along the course. Precision matters just as much as speed. One horse hit 39 mph.

"You can have the fastest horse on the planet," Tingley explained, "but if they can't get there, you can't be competitive by missing the gate or ring or stuff like that."

A successful run demands seamless teamwork between the horse, the rider, and the skier. It's a combination that captures the essence of Colorado: part mountain sport, part Western heritage.

"We're in the Rockies—snow," Tingley said. "What else are you going to do in Colorado with snow other than pull a skier down the track?"

On a bluebird day in the nation's highest incorporated city, Leadville once again delivered a uniquely Colorado spectacle with ski boots and cowboy boots, helmets and hats, all sharing the same track.