Increased turnout expected for carnival skijoring competition

Horses, riders and skiers will converge on Whitefish this weekend for the seventh annual Winter Carnival Skijoring competition.

Organizer Scott Ping expects a turnout that could exceed last year’s.

“I believe we’re going to have over 200 contestants” including skiers and the horseback riders who pull them, Ping said. “Last year we were at 174, and I think we’ve doubled our novice division this year.”

Ping said a practice course at his Whitefish-area ranch has attracted an increase in newcomers to the event, which involves riders pulling skiers through a course of jumps at mixed speeds.

Last year there were 12 teams in the novice division and Ping expects 25 to 30 teams this year.

Novices compete for noncash prizes, while the advanced divisions compete for a prize purse that will total about $10,000.

Ping said the full turnout won’t be known until Friday’s registration at the Great Northern Brewing Co. from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Competition willl be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Whitefish Airport off of Armory Road.

Past events have attracted as many as 3,000 spectators in one day, Ping said, but that turnout always depends on the weather.

The event concludes Sunday night when prizes and awards are given out at the Craggy Range bar in downtown Whitefish.