High noon – first horse on the avenue. 

So reads the schedule for the first of two days of ski joring racing in Leadville, Colorado. A town nearly two miles above sea level that at times feels caught between its mining roots and a growing outdoor economy. 

During the first weekend of March, the state highway (and main street of the town) is closed and snow is trucked in (if it’s not already there) to lay a 4-block racecourse where horses and skiers compete together, charging at full speed down a snowy street while a skier zips and zags between jumps while also trying to snag hanging loops. Fastest time wins with deductions for missed jumps and rings. Speeds can reach 40mph and the fastest runs take well under 20 seconds. 

Ski joring, or in Norwegian, skikjøring, translates roughly to ski driving with skiers (and an occasional snowboarder) being pulled by horse, reindeer, dog, or even snowmobile. Originally used out of practicality to get around snowy landscapes, today it is most associated with recreation and racing.

This year, either due to the sunny warm weather, or just word getting out, it was a jam-packed event. Thousands lined the street, hung out windows, and lined rooftops. The Venn diagrams you can draw are endless: Skiers and cowboys. Coors Light drinkers and craft IPA drinkers. Urban and rural. Democrats and Republicans.

No other event I’ve been to in Colorado has had such the colliding of groups that you don’t always see standing shoulder to shoulder. All to cheer on and celebrate a meshing of cultures in a small mountain town.

For more information visit the official website or a recap of this year’s event in the local paper.

All photos from March 2025, during the 77th Annual Leadville Ski Joring.

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