A cloud of white bursts into the sky as a charging horse speeds down the track, energy bursting with every hoofprint in the snow. On a length of rope behind, a skier navigates gates at breakneck speed while thousands of fans cheer on the action. Welcome to skijoring!
Joe Loveridge and Brian Gardner are lifelong friends who share an interest in skiing, horses, ranching, and Western heritage. In 2017, they combined those loves to bring skijoring to the American West. This winter, they’ll debut Pro Skijor across Utah, Idaho, and Montana.
Skijoring has its origins in Scandinavia, where Sami people in Lapland used reindeer to pull themselves over the snow on skis. The sport even saw a brief stint as an Olympic exhibition event at St. Moritz in 1928. Eventually, it migrated to the American West with scattered events across mountain resort towns.
Enter childhood friends Brian and Joe – two authentic Utah cowboys. Their decade together as patrollers at Sundance brought them closer together while opening snow-filled chutes in the pre-dawn light. Their passion for horses and working the land on their ranches today led them down a pathway with skijoring.
Their initial 2017 event in Heber City as a huge success. The sport grew quickly. In 2024, thousands lined West Temple in Salt Lake City for a skijoring exhibition as part of the Visit Salt Lake Winter Roundup, with Olympic champion Picabo Street on the microphone calling the action.
Today, a full-fledged pro tour will bring the sport to legendary Western mountain towns, with Utah stops in Heber City, Logan, downtown Salt Lake City, and the Utah State Fair Park. It all opens Jan. 16-17 with Skijoring Utah in Heber City.
Now, let’s head to the High West Whiskey Library for a fascinating conversation with Utah cowboys and skiers, Joe Loveridge and Brian Gardner.
2026 PRO SKIJOR SCHEDULE
January 16–17 - Skijoring Utah, Heber City, UT
January 24–25 - Gallatin Skijor, Bozeman, MT
January 30–31 - Skijoring Cache Valley, Logan, UT
February 6–7 - Skijor Boise, Boise, ID
February 7 - Visit Salt Lake Winter Roundup, Downtown Salt Lake City
February 21–22 - Teton Valley Skijoring, Driggs, ID
February 27–28 - Pro Skijor Frontier Finals, State Fair Park, Salt Lake City
“For me, personally, it's become more meaningful than I ever thought it ever would have from the beginning. Meaningful because two things that I love, skiing and horses, have been a very big part of my life. I actually make my living in ranching. And so, to be able to marry two things you're passionate about is just something I feel very fortunate about. And then, as we talked about earlier, I think that sharing the Western lifestyle and the Western heritage and kind of the the Western mindset and sharing that on a larger platform is something that is important to me. And so yeah, it's been an incredible journey that I'm very thankful for." - Brian Gardner
LAST CHAIR GUESTS
Joe Loveridge & Brian Gardner
Ranchers, skiers, cowboys – Utah natives Joe Loveridge and Brian Gardner grew up as friends with a host of shared passions. As skiers, they served together on patrol at Sundance. And in 2017, they decided to combine their passions to build a skijoring tour that blends horses and skiing, showcasing the heritage of the American West.
