Skijoring event 'biggest' in world

Whitefish’s annual skijoring event has come a long way since Toni Matt was nearly tossed through The Toggery window on Central Avenue in the 1960s. What was a Winter Carnival spectacle of madmen then is now a real-deal competition featuring seasoned teams with big-time money on the line.

This year’s races at the Whitefish City Airport next to Armory Park are being touted as the World Skijoring Championships and the largest equestrian skijoring competition in the world, organizer Scott Ping said.

“We are the biggest in the world, we are the best in the world, and we have the largest payouts,” he said.

More than 100 teams will vie for part of a $20,000 purse, double the size of last year’s prize money. Ping expects to pull in more than 3,000 spectators each day.

“We have teams coming from all over,” Ping said. “Teams will be here from as far away as Colorado, Oregon and Wyoming. I even got a call from a guy coming from Minnesota. We’re bringing a whole new caliber of competitors.”

The Open division champion is looking at an $8,500 payout, Ping said.

To up the ante this year, Ping has been marketing the championships aggressively as he pushes to get the event in the national spotlight. The Weather Channel and ESPN could both show footage from the races, he said.

“We are trying to get Whitefish skijoring out there a little more,” Ping noted.

Yet, he says the race’s roots are still strong with the Carnival and the local community. Some of the money collected through parking fees and at the calcutta will benefit local nonprofits, like Wings Cancer Support and Human Therapy on Horseback.

Competition in the top division will be thick with veterans and champions, but Ping tells spectators not to overlook his team either.

“Keep an eye on me,” he said. “I’ve got the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden, and I took first and second place in Sandpoint.”

Ping will pull veteran skier Toby McIntosh.

Other teams that should be near the top include defending Open champs Tim Guest and Rob Alexander. They won by less than half a second last year.

Jamie Tripp, the defending Sport winner, is back again, too. Tripp has blossomed into skijoring celebrity status after appearing in numerous cowgirl and skijoring magazines, Ping said.

Sherry Graham will make the trip up from Leadville, Colo., to compete in the Open races. Graham’s top horse, Duke, died last summer, but she says she’s bringing a new horse that’s even faster. Graham finished third and fourth last year.

Skier Cody Smith will be looking to add another championship to his already packed trophy case. Smith, of Spokane, Wash., is a six-time national champion and took second place with rider Joe Scanlon last year.

The races are slated for Jan. 29-30 from noon to 4 p.m. both days. For more information, visit online at www.whitefishskijoring.com.