WISDOM — The runway at the airport in the Big Hole Valley is quiet and covered in snow on a warm and sunny day in late January, but in a couple of weeks it’s going to be filled with spectators, horses, and skiers.
"I’ve been a part of skijoring ever since I can remember, honestly," says Brianne Coon, a rancher and life-long skijoring participant in the Big Hole Valley.
Coon says her entire family has participated in the sport of skijoring over the years and she's excited to be one of the 30 participants who are already signed up for the event.
"I used to ski when I was a little kid and my mom would pull me on the skijoring track," says Coon.
Her mom would pull her behind the very horse she’ll ride in the competition that takes place over two days on Feb. 24-25 at the Wisdom airport. Beyond participating in the event that is so central to her family’s winter activities, the event itself is central to Wisdom’s winter identity.
"It brings a lot of people when there aren’t very many people around and it’s big fun," says Diane Havig, one of the event organizers.
Aside from being a fun activity, the event is a big boost to the local economy that welcomes droves of tourists in the summer months but sits pretty quiet in the dead of winter.
"We get people who come and stay in the community, stay in the housing and they eat dinner and they buy drinks at the bar, buy gas and it’s also just something that pulls the community together," says Dennis Havig.
Havig says he and about 30 volunteers work to build the track that includes several jumps. The event sight also separates the audience from the horses which can get a little squirrely during the three-hour event.
During breaks, Havig says there's an opportunity for audience participation with dog races and kid-friendly events. Local food vendors will also be at the site and after the event a band is set to play at the bar where Diane says people dance the night away.
"It’s fun. People just love to come out. You know, It’s been winter for a long time and people are just kind of holed up inside and, so this is just a nice fun thing to do especially for the locals," says Brianne Coon.
But what about the competition? Is it all fun and games or is Brianne competitive?
"I mean—I would like to say no. Once I get there I’m like, “Yes! I’m gonna win!”"
There’s still some room to sign up for the event; registration closes on Feb. 1. You can also sign up by calling Diane Havig at (406) 925-3573 or email bigholeva@gmail.com.Entry fees are $60 per team and skiers will be paired with horses if they are solo.
Organizers say if they can’t get enough snow they will have to cancel the event and they will make the announcement on February 15.
