2026 KICKOFF & THE SKIJOR CUP
November 11, 2025
Get ready for the NEXT LEVEL of competition!
Outpace! Outperform! Outsmart!
Skijoring is a sport of strength, agility and strategy.
A team of three heartbeats, one spirit.
In 2026, we anticipate 11 weeks of competition,
with over 40 races across 12 US states and Canadian provinces.
Our growth is intensifying and surging!
~ 2026 CALENDAR ~
Skijor USA remains the "GO TO" source
for everything SKIJOR including the most accurate
and comprehensive calendar with direct links to events.
Several dates still TBD are Banff and Skijordue.
Wisdom, MT is typically the 3rd weekend in February.
Some new races this year include:
Thayne, WY
Red River, NM
High River, AB
Three Forks, MT
Bangor, ME
Go to www.skijorusa.com
for dates and details.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While
Skijor USA
(founded in 2018)
is strategically involved with
skijoring's expansion in North America,
its counterpart
Skijor International
(founded in 2012)
is also actively working to expand the sport globally.
We have formed the
International Federation of Skijoring
and are currently forming partnerships with groups
in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland,
Poland, Austria and Australia.
If you are curious about the history of
the sport globally, and its Olympic roots and future,
go to www.skijorinternational.com
Stay tuned for some exciting news
and international events
coming down the track!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Announcing the
2026 SKIJOR CUP™ Points System,
a season-long leaderboard that tracks individual performance and earnings across ALL North American skijoring races
regardless of size or affiliation.
Culminating in the
Skijor Cup™ Championship Awards,
this is our sport’s answer to the NFR in rodeo or FedEx Cup in golf.
Who will ride, slide and gallop to victory in 2026?!
www.skijorcup.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ HOW IT WORKS ~
1 Point earned per every $100+ awarded.
Your winnings convert directly into points.
$100 = 1 point or
$950 = 9.5 points, for example.
All races on the 2026 circuit count
toward your individual division rankings as
rider, horse, skier or snowboarder.
(Exhibitions with no money awarded do not count).
Triple points will be awarded at official
2026 Skijor Cup™ events.
These races will be on strategic weekends
on which points for competitors in certain regions like
Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Alberta
could make BIG moves up the rankings chart!
Both Day Money and Overall Money count.
So rack up those points at events that offer both!
Rankings will be posted and updated throughout the season
on the Skijor USA website
as well as on satellite websites for each region.
We will list the Top 25 competitors and horses
from week to week per division.
If a race’s prize pot and breakdowns aren’t published,
competitors may submit their winnings for verification.
There is NO membership fee or card required.
We consider ALL competitors eligible
by virtue of paying entry fees to and
thus, qualifying to participate in all races and divisions
throughout our broad and expanding community.
ALL divisions will be part
of the ranking system.
"Pro", Open, Sport, Novice, Womens,
Snowboard, Switcharoo, Freestyle, Century
and so on.
If a race is run in the "D" format,
1D will be Open, 2D Sport, 3D Novice
and so on unless otherwise specified by the race.
If there is a 2D in Sport only, money will be
converted into points throughout that division.
If Youth Divisions do not offer cash prizes,
we will award points via placements or buckles.
Riders, Horses, Skiers and Snowboarders
in each division with the most points
at the end of the 2026 season
will be declared SKIJOR CUP™ champions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ DIVISIONS & RANKINGS ~
Scoring is individual —
horses, riders, and skiers/snowboarders
are tracked separately by divisions
which are determined by the individual race.
Points do not combine across divisions, but
competitors/horses can accrue points in multiple divisions.
We encourage all races to clearly identify horses
on their results spreadsheets/payouts.
They represent one of the three essential heartbeats
that makes up any skijoring team!
We also encourage races to "pay" the horse
since our equine partners are teammates, too, and
riders incur expenses for trailering, boarding, feeding and providing essential veterinary care for
our most prized skijoring athletes.
We may also add team rankings as patterns emerge,
though our experience has shown that
this can be problematic due to the frequency of changing teammates,
substitutions, changing divisions mid-season, or incomplete data.
Also, "teams" do not earn prize money,
individuals do.
We can work around this, however, by combining.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ STRONGER TOGETHER ~
This new system rewards
consistency, dedication, excellence, and performance
— while its transparency allows our growing community to see exactly how each competitor and horse ranks
week to week
and, finally, stacks up overall nationwide!
In our series,
every event, every division and every weekend counts!
Furthermore,
every competitor and horse that wins money is recognized!
We award both "experienced" and "emerging" talent.
At the end of the season,
Skijor USA will award additional money and prizes
to the top finishers in every division!
It is still to be determined if this will be at a
Skijor Cup™ event or announced at another event.
Our goal is to determine regional leaders in the future,
and then, have a true national championship runoff.
For details go to www.skijorcup.com
For sponsors looking to support the series,
or competitors and organizers with questions
please contact Loren at (646) 209-0229
or loren@skijorusa.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ WHY IT MATTERS & MAKES SENSE ~
At the end of last season,
Skijor USA conducted a detailed survey,
and the 2026 Skijor Cup™ is in direct response to
YOUR valuable feedback.
For example,
Do you want a universal point system?
65% Yes
23 % No
6% Yes with commentary
6% Not sure or Would be difficult
Should a point system be based on individuals, teams or both?
78% Both
10% Individuals
8% Teams
2% Points don't work, money does
2% Not necessary
Would you like teams, finishes and winnings viewable?
70% Yes
14% No
16% Doesn't matter / either way
Do you like Day Money?
98% Yes
2% No
Are you happy there are multiple races on weekends?
91% Yes
4% No
5% Comments such as
It makes it difficult to attend races I have previously done.
As the sport evolves we need a point system.
How many miles should separate races?
44% 250
18% 350
4% 500
Is a mandatory Friday appearance an added burden?
62% Yes
19% No
19% It should be optional or
it depends on town and venue.
Do you support the idea of a true national finals with qualifying criteria?
81% Yes
10% Yes, with comments such as
events structured the same, when sport has
matured enough, with added money and no entry fees,
location should change every year.
9% No
Should there be a Pro Division as well as Open?
53% No
33% Yes
14% Other comments such as Not sure
In our series, the "name" of the division doesn't matter.
We will be tracking Open, Sport, Novice, etc.
"Pro" is a "self-proclaimed" status
and simply mimics the traditional divisions.
However, it may isolate a self-selected few competing
in a small number of regional events.
Our series will incorporate "Pro",
though it could impact "Open" competitors who decide to
split their entries between the two divisions
at various races.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ SO HOLD YOUR HORSES ~
Having more race choices
and
a universal point system means
less travel and stress for the horses,
less time off of work,
is better for the family and the pocketbook,
and is healthier for the sport.
The Skijor Cup™ is designed to
Unite the Community
(All events are included.),
Encourage Loyalty
(Return to races you have supported in the past
and earn points this season.)
Promote Safety
(High course standards are prioritized and
trailering horses over long distances is discouraged.)
Support the Autonomy of ALL Races
(You remain independent of any sanctioning body.)
Ensure Fairness
(We respect the right to protest penalties within a prescribed period
and to present evidence to support your claim.)
Our survey says:
Top rule that is not enforced
28% Ability to protest in a timely manner
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ SOCIAL MEDIA ~
Skijor USA
has launched new social media pages
on Instagram and TikTok.
Our team of designers is hitting it out of the park
with engaging posts and videos
that are sure to attract a fun audience
and propel our sport forward.
Check them out!
Like, follow and share!
https://www.instagram.com/skijor.usa/
https://www.tiktok.com/@skijor_usa
If you have content you are willing to share,
contact maya@skijorusa.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Our Facebook page
will continue to provide lots of news
and share posts from many skijoring events.
https://www.facebook.com/skijorusa/
A YouTube channel is also
in the works and will be launched soon!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ VETERANS DAY ~
We gratefully acknowledge
the dedication and sacrifice of our veterans
serving currently, having served and those who
made the ultimate sacrifice giving their lives
fighting for our country and the principles it upholds.
God Bless America.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ 'TIS THE SEASON ~
For gratitude, gifts and new calendars!
We would like to acknowledge
the talent and continued support of photographers
Mark LaRowe and Justin Treptow.
You will see both of them throughout the circuit this season.
Please consider contacting them for any of your post skijor season
needs such as weddings, graduations or family occasions.
mark@marklarowephotography.com
(406) 577-6122
justin@infocusphotoco.com
(970) 880-0180
Mark has produced new calendars for 2026.
Choose from two gorgeous collection of images.
Cowboys & Cowgirls of Montana
and
Scenic Montana
https://marklarowephotography.com/2026-calendars
JOR ON!
Loren Zhimanskova,
President, Skijor USA, Inc. & Skijor International, LLC