Skijoring, or skikjøring in Norwegian, means “ski driving”, and it originated in Scandinavia, where reindeer pulled skiers for transportation.

Competitive skijoring first started in the Nordic Games in Sweden in 1901, and by 1949 a slower carnival event version was introduced to the United States in Colorado.

Today, the western US largely dominates the sport. Each year, the Skijoring World Championship is held in Whitefish, Montana, and dozens of races happen in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. Abroad, Switzerland, France, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia all have their hand in the sport, too.

It was once an exhibition sport in the Olympics, but it’s mostly a thrill sport for the people involved. The top teams receive prize money and rodeo belt buckles.

In the midwest, equine skijoring is less common, with skijorers harnessing themselves to one or several dogs instead. Oftentimes, people skijor on cross-country trails with their personal pup for an outing and not a competition.