Rules & Regulations

AKEY TERMS

A1 Team. One horse, one rider, and one skier or snowboarder. In these rules, “skier” means skier or snowboarder unless stated otherwise.

A2 DNF (No Time). The run receives no time. The team’s other runs are not affected, but a team without a time on every race day of its division cannot place for Overall Money.

A3 Event Disqualification. The competitor is removed from all remaining runs of the event, on every team they are entered with, and forfeits all Day Money, Overall Money, and prizes for the event.

A4 Race Jury. The Head Race Official and the officials they designate (Start Judges, Finish Judge, field judges). The Race Jury makes all rulings, and its decisions are final.

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BGENERAL RULES & CONDUCT

B1 Competitor meeting. All riders, skiers, and snowboarders racing that day must attend that morning’s competitor meeting. Course inspection times for each division are announced there.

B2 Be ready. Races start on time.

B3 Impairment. Impaired competitors will not be allowed to compete, as determined by event staff.

B4 Performance-enhancing drugs. Prohibited. Random testing may take place on any race day, following the protocol of the on-site veterinarian.

B5 Minors. Any competitor under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign a consent form, and that parent or guardian must be present at signup and during competition.

B6 Sportsmanship. By registering, competitors pledge to treat their horse humanely and to treat fellow competitors, volunteers, and staff with respect.

• Yelling, swearing, or disrespectful language toward any volunteer or staff member results in Event Disqualification.
• Other unsportsmanlike conduct, including mistreatment of others, may result in Event Disqualification and/or a ban from future events, at the discretion of event officials.

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CHORSE WELFARE

C1 Fitness. Horses must be in sound condition for the demands of skijoring. The on-site veterinarians may scratch any horse for health or safety reasons, and any organizing committee member may require a veterinary exam before or during the race.

C2 Unsafe teams. The Start Judges or Head Race Official may remove any horse, rider, or equipment deemed unsafe, at any time.

C4 Report abuse. Anyone who witnesses abuse should report it immediately to an Event Official.

C5 Horse areas. Warm up only in the designated areas shown on the event map. Horses are not allowed in the event village or spectator areas.

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DSAFETY GEAR

D1 Gear by competitor. Only skiers and snowboarders have required gear. Everything else is strongly recommended.

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EREGISTRATION & TEAM CHANGES

E1 Registration deadline. Competitor teams must register by Monday, February 15, 2027.

E2 Submitting changes. All substitutions and changes must be submitted to Jenny Wade at Jenny@tetonskijor.org. No other Teton Skijor member will process changes or handle feedback from competitors.

E3 Before the deadline. Any team member (horse, rider, or skier) may be changed until the registration deadline on Monday, February 15, 2027 (E1).

E4 After the deadline. Substitutions are considered only for emergencies, such as injury, illness, or a horse that is unsound or scratched by the veterinarian. Requests go to Jenny Wade (E2) before the competitor meeting on the day affected. Approval is at the sole discretion of race organizers.

E5 Cancellations. Cancellations must be submitted to Jenny Wade (E2). Teams that cancel after Monday, February 15, 2027 will not receive a refund of registration fees.

E6 Eligibility still applies. A substitute must meet the division’s eligibility requirements and all run limits in Sections F and G.

E7 Changes between race days. A team with an approved substitution after its division’s first race day remains eligible for Day Money on the days it runs with the substitute, but is not eligible for Overall Money, since it is no longer the same team.

E8 Injury during the event. If a horse, rider, or skier cannot complete a remaining run because of an injury or issue sustained during the event, the field judges may approve a substitute for an exhibition run. Approval is not guaranteed, and exhibition runs do not count toward placing or payouts.

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FDIVISIONS

Every team includes a horse and rider. Horses are limited to 2 entries in any one division.

F1 One skill level each. A skier may enter only one of Open, Sport, or Novice, and a snowboarder only one of Snowboard or Snowboard Lite. Horses may not cross divisions other than Youth (F5). Riders may enter more than one division. The only exception is moving up (F4).

F2 Choosing a division. Enter the division that matches your skill. Novice and Snowboard Lite are for competitors new to the sport, not experienced teams that happen to be slower. Anyone who has won a lower division is strongly encouraged to move up.

F3 Race days.

• Friday (Day 1): Novice and Snowboard Lite. Each team runs twice, and its faster time counts.
• Saturday and Sunday (Days 2 and 3): Open, Sport, Snowboard, Women’s, and Youth, plus Friday teams that move up (F4).

F4 Moving up. The top three Novice teams may move up to Sport, and the top three Snowboard Lite teams to Snowboard, for Saturday and Sunday.

• Placings come from Friday’s final results (K5).
• Moving up is optional. Confirm with Jenny Wade (E2) before Saturday’s competitor meeting.
• The team must be the same horse, rider, and skier or snowboarder.
• The team does not count toward the division’s team cap. Otherwise, all rules apply, and it competes for Day Money and Overall Money like any other team.

F5 Horse entries. A horse may enter one division plus Youth, with no more than 2 entries in any division. Moving up (F4) is the only other exception. Daily run limits are in G1.

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GRUN LIMITS

G1 Daily limits. These apply across all divisions, in addition to the per-division entry limits in Section F. Every run counts, including both runs a Novice or Snowboard Lite team makes on Friday (F3).

G2 Repeat pairings. Within a single division, the same skier and horse may be entered together only once, and the same skier and rider no more than twice.

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HRUNNING THE COURSE

BEFORE YOUR RUN

H1 Course inspection. Depending on snow conditions, as determined by the Course Marshal, skiers may wear skis during inspection. Riders may walk their horse down the track once, start to finish.

H2 Timing chip. The skier is responsible for picking up a timing chip before the run. If a chip is worn but malfunctions or falls off, the team is timed with the backup system.

H3 Timing zones. Timing equipment is buried at the skier start and skier finish. Horses must stay clear of these marked areas at all times.

START

H4 Start time limit (the Sparby Rule). After “Clear Track” is called, the team has two minutes to stage and start. If time runs out, the team leaves the start area and gets one more attempt at the end of the division. Novice and Snowboard Lite teams have three minutes instead of two.

H5 Early rope drop. If the skier drops the rope before crossing the start line after the horse and rider have clearly started, the team gets one restart.

ON COURSE

H6 Gates. A skier must take both ski tips and both boots around each gate. A snowboarder must take the board tip and both boots cleanly around each gate.

H7 Rings. A ring counts as caught only if the skier carries it through the finish.

FALLS AND LETTING GO OF THE ROPE

FINISH

H9 Recording a time. To record a time, both of these must be true at the finish line:

H10 Equipment failure. Competitor equipment failure does not earn a re-run.

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IPENALTIES

All penalties and disqualifications in one place, grouped by result. Rule numbers refer to the sections above.

I1 Time penalties.

I2 DNF (No Time).

I3 Event Disqualification.

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JEQUIPMENT

J1 Ropes. Teton Valley Skijoring provides ropes, and competitors are welcome to bring their own. Any rope not supplied by Teton Valley Skijoring must be inspected and approved by the Start Master or their designee before the race. Ropes must be:

J2 Knots. The only knots allowed are one single knot at the very end of the rope and any knots needed to secure the rope to the carabiner or saddle attachment point.

• Ropes are checked at the start. Any other knot must be removed before the team starts.
• A knot that forms accidentally during a run (for example, when the rope is tossed or tangles) is not penalized. It must be removed before the team’s next run.

J3 Saddle attachment. The rope attaches behind the saddle. The attachment must be secured to the saddle’s primary rigging rings with a non-elastic attachment so the pulling rope, including any quick release, is within 6 inches of the cantle. The Start Master or their designee may inspect attachments before the race; any over 6 inches must be fixed before the run. Quick-release shackles are highly recommended.

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KPROTESTS & VIDEO REVIEW

K1 At the finish. Protests about a team’s own run must be raised with the Finish Judge immediately after the run, before the skier leaves the course. (Best practice: DO NOT LEAVE the course until you are sure of your time and any penalties.)

K2 After reviewing footage. If a team sees something on the official event broadcast or replay after leaving the course, it may file a protest about its own run with the Head Race Official within 15 minutes after the last run of that division.

K3 What counts as evidence. Official event footage (production, broadcast, and timing cameras) and a team’s own GoPro footage may be used for review. Other personal or spectator video is not accepted.

K4 Jury review. The Race Jury may review official footage at any time before results are final, with or without a protest, and may add or remove penalties.

K5 Final results. Results become final once the protest window for the division closes and results are posted. No protests are accepted after that. The Race Jury’s decision is final.

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LPRIZES & PAYOUTS

L1 Day Money. Paid on each division’s times for each day it races: Day 1 (Friday) for Novice and Snowboard Lite, using each team’s faster run (F3), and Day 2 (Saturday) and Day 3 (Sunday) for all other divisions. Each day is paid separately (F3).

L2 Overall Money. Paid on each team’s combined Day 2 and Day 3 times within its division. A team needs a time on both days to place (A2), and a team with a substitution after Day 2 is not eligible (E7). Novice and Snowboard Lite race one day, so they pay Day Money only.

L3 Prizes. Unless otherwise specified, buckles are awarded to the overall winner of each division. In Novice and Snowboard Lite, the buckle goes to the Friday winner.

L4 Payout. Prize money is paid at the end of each race day. Location and time TBD.

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