BOZEMAN — For the next two weekends, the arena at the Fairgrounds in Bozeman will be transformed into a competitive skijoring track.
"We've been competing together for almost ten years," said Josh Abbott and Colin Cook, two skijorers and the organizers of the Gallatin Skijor Invitational.
Cook and Abbott have been competing together in states like Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and more.
With their experience and love for the sport, they decided to come together and organize the first Gallatin Skijor Invitational.
"We're inviting everyone to come and enjoy this beautiful weather and skijoring," said Cook.
WATCH: First Gallatin Skijor Invitational brings horse-powered skiing to Bozeman
Skijoring is a winter sport where a skier is pulled by a tow rope that's attached to a horse. The name is a Norwegian word meaning "ski driving."
Competitors demonstrated the sport of skijoring at the second Olympic Winter Games in 1928, held in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Today, competitive skijoring races take place across the US in small-town communities, like Boise, Idaho, Logan, Utah, and now...Bozeman.
The first Gallatin Skijor Invitational will take place January 17-18 and again January 24-25.
"Just with the growth of the sport, we did two weekends so we could accommodate more teams," said Abott.
Abott and Cook will be competing at the Gallatin Skijor Invitational and said their favorite aspect of the sport is "the adrenaline rush" they get from competing.
They also mentioned that the warm weather and lack of snow have made it challenging to prepare for the events ahead.
"We took advantage of the cold temperatures last week, so we have a stockpile of snow," explained Cook. "But these temperatures have been detrimental to the pile."
Tickets for the Gallatin Skijor Invitational can be purchased online or at the gate on the day of the race.
