These racers enjoy horsing around on skis

BELLEVUE, Idaho – Six miles south of Bellevue, you take a left. Follow the icy road for about six minutes, past ranches on the left, cow pastures covered with snow to the right.

You are about to witness a love affair not seen since peanut butter and jelly. This coupling involves people on horses and people on skis.

“It started years ago,” Tyler Peterson said of a sport called extreme skijoring. The activity consists of horses pulling skiers at uncontrollable speeds.

“They’ve been doing it for hundreds of years in Europe. I think it started (in the United States) in Colorado and Montana.”

For someone who never has seen skijoring, it involves a melting pot about as diverse as New York City. Animals, peo-ple, food and culture are thrown into a pot. When simmered, they come out to just a normal Sunday in south-central Idaho, watching people on skis being pulled by horses at breakneck speeds.

A crowd of 150 to 200 lined the snow-packed, groomed course, an orange plastic fence being all that separated spectator from skier, horse and cowboy. Van Morrison blasted over the loudspeakers while people warmed themselves inside tents. Saddles, sweat shirts and hats were for sale. Grandparents, parents, friends and tourists munched on wings, hot chili and oversized sandwiches while sipping on $2 bottles of Budweiser.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Tim Irvin, who was visiting from Seattle. “I thought it’d be racing. This is better – slalom with rings. I’m just trying to soak it all up, have a beer and a hot dog.”

At the opposite end of the course, a group of people stood around a grill, keeping warm and making sure the meat didn’t get overcooked.

“It’s pretty crazy around here,” said Darren Moore, laughing. “The whole thing is pretty intense. When you’re watching guys go off jumps, flying around.” Moore was volunteering at the event, picking up beer cans and otherwise keeping the grounds clean.

“I would say basically it’s a rodeo on snow … an intense rodeo on snow. … It’s like riding a bull on snow,” Moore said.

Racers were hooked to a horse by a 33-foot-long pull rope connected to the saddle with a carabiner-type device.

Peterson stood at the start, communicating with another volunteer at the finish via walkie-talkie, giving racers the signal when to begin.

The PeeWee division skijorers were competing for fastest time, while more advanced (see: brave) entrants were required to explode off jumps and grab rings that dangled from makeshift contraptions.

Jane Drussel chatted with old friends while waiting for her granddaughter to make an appearance.

“I’ve never seen horses pulling people on skis before. I think it’s great though. Only if you live in a small community do you see things like this – we’re very fortunate.”

Drussel’s 8-year-old granddaughter, Rachael, saw no fear in participating in the extreme sport.

“I have snow machines at home that pull me with a rope,” she said of her preparation.

Her grandmother quickly added a side note. “It’s not really scary for her – she’s been skiing since she was 4.”