Horse put down after accident at ski race in Colorado
LEADVILLE, Colo. -- As thousands of spectators watched a skijoring team participating in the annual event in Leadville Saturday wreck which resulted in the horse having to be put down, CBS Denver reports.
According to witnesses and race organizers, the rider and skier were not injured but the horse broke its leg and had to be euthanized.
Organizers suspended the event Saturday following the incident but say it resumed Sunday.
Skijoring is part rodeo and part ski race.
One participant described it as "racing down the 835-foot course on ski behind ... a quarter horse with a 36-foot rope."
CBS Denver has heard from several of people on social media asking about animal safety during the event.
"It's a tragedy but it's part of going down the race course. We've never had this happen up here," said Tim McCarthy, Skijoring America board member.
Before the event resumed on Sunday, race officials checked the snow to make sure it wasn't too soft.
"Yesterday it got a little soft at the end and I closed the race after that horse fell," McCarthy said. "I'm not blaming it on the track, I'm not blaming it on the horse. I think there are a couple multipliers in here that we can look at."
There were no major problems on Sunday but one competitor broke his nose.