ST. PAUL – The Wild West Skijoring, hosted by the St. Paul Ag Society earlier this month brought riders and skiers back to the track.
Despite the event originally being scheduled for Family Day long weekend, the event went ahead without a hitch on March 2, drawing an enthusiastic crowd.
The event was also an opportunity for equestrians to bring out their horses for some fun, winter activity, and skijoring is an activity “that’s out of the ordinary,” explained Doug Drolet, one of the organizers of the event, and a past president of the St. Paul Agricultural Society.
“Usually, we go trail riding [or] we work cows . . . and [skijoring is] something different for us and our horses to do,” he said. “We make a connection with the people that are skiing behind us.”
Originally introduced to the community by Ray Suvak in 2019, the event was later taken over by the Ag Society and moved to the Ag Corral, said Drolet
The event is now typically held during the Town of St. Paul’s annual Shiver Fest, though unpredictable weather often forces last-minute adjustments, such as a couple of weeks ago, when the event had to be postponed due to extreme cold.
It was around minus 30 at the time, according to Drolet. “We can't run our horses in that [weather].” Humans may be able to dress up for the cold, but horses are different.
When horses sweat a lot due to significant physical activity, they must be properly cooled down to avoid health issues, and in extreme cold, “You just subject them to sickness,” added Drolet.
Thankfully, the weather on the rescheduled date was favourable, and Drolet was glad that the event put smiles on people’s faces.
Sean Dolan, president of the ag society, agreed. Skijoring relies on good weather, and weather is always a “hit or miss.”
But “I feel like it was a successful day,” he said. “It's fun for the kids, [it] gets people out, [and] it's just great community building.”
Dolan also thanked everyone who supported the event. “We can't have these events without the spectators, the sponsors, and the volunteers.”
With the event wrapped up, the Ag Society now prepares for its next big event. The Spring Bull-a-Rama is set for March 22, and Dolan invites the community to come out.
“We're going to have a great show.”
