Equestrian Ski Joring (5/13/2004) Ski joring is a fast paced sport that combines horsemanship with skiing. We all have one of them: that lone family member or friend who just can't get excited about horseback riding. Perhaps that person doesn't think it's thrilling enough. Perhaps he or she would rather fly up a track on a dirt bike or careen down the black runs at a local ski resort. No more excuses. Now there's a sport you can enjoy right along side (or in front of) your thrill-seeking friend or family member. It's called ski joring, and it's about as extreme as a sport can get. The sport of ski joring began several hundred years ago in Scandinavian countries as a way to travel during the long winters. Laplanders skied on Nordic skis holding reins attached to reindeer. In the mid 1950's, ski joring found its way to North America, where ranchers attached a long rope to the saddle horn of a horse that was ridden at high speeds down a long straight-away. Currently, the sport of equestrian ski joring has become a highly specialized competitive sport, where competitors must navigate a course of jumps, gates and sometime spear rings. Competitive ski joring competitions are currently taking place in more than five states in the USA, and in several countries worldwide. In some parts of the world, skiers are pulled behind dogs, mules and snowmobiles. Whatever the means, the sport of ski joring is growing rapidly, and is just as much fun for spectators as it is for competitors. On April 24th, 1999, directors from almost every major ski joring organization in the Country, rendezvoused in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to begin a process that would change the sport of ski joring forever. After several follow-up meetings, the North American Ski Joring Association (NASJA) was developed. For the first time in history, equestrian ski joring became a sanctioned sport! NASJA was conceived because of a very basic need to consolidate existing ski joring races into a circuit where competitors can earn points that go toward a National Champion Award. By developing criteria that all NASJA sanctioned events abide by, each competitor will have an equal opportunity at becoming the official National Ski Joring Champion. Earning NASJA points is simple: The Championship is based on a point structure from daily runs at sanctioned races. The points from daily runs at the sanctioned races will be added to the competitor's cumulative total. The NASJA member with the most points earned at sanctioned races throughout the season will be crowned the National Ski Joring Champion at an awards ceremony held immediately following the final day of racing. For more information about equestrian ski joring, visit the NASJA website at www.nasja.com.