Women are dominating this rising co-ed sport. Meet the female champions of the “Skijoring World Cup.”
The up-and-coming winter sport of Skijoring came to a head at the “World Cup of Skijoring” on March 24th in Sun Valley, Idaho; and women dominated the racetrack.
Skijoring is one of a few sports where co-ed teams are the norm. In fact, it’s almost imperative that men and women team up to have a shot at the buckle.
Guys can get in and muscle it. Women out there are on gathered horses, being patient and observing. They make a plan for execution, more than an explosion. – Tara Bell
While women made up only 33 of the invited 86 competitors, they stood out as four out of the six first place buckle winners.
You’ll see more women riders than skiers in the circuit, with 24 women riders and nine women skiers at the Wild West Sun Valley Invitational, cruising the course in chic Western wear with accents of pink, fur, and leather fringe.
These cowgirls are as stylish as they are fierce competitors, but they are more than icons of Western fashion. Meet some of the top women skijorers, ranging from 16 to 58 years old. These women are athletes, academics, wranglers, business owners, and mothers, and they are having their way on the course.
Tara Bell
Tara Bell celebrated her 50th birthday at the World Cup, taking second place in the women’s division with her rider Gina Weymiller by one tenth of a second.
“That’s why these races are so competitive,” Bell said. “Every ounce of effort, planning, movement, wax on skis, it matters so much. It’s really anybody’s race at the end of the day.”
Bell raced for the Sun Valley ski team and was recruited to the U.S. Ski Team. She later competed in Division 1 for Montana State and competed in Skier Cross in ESPN’s X Games.
“I’m going to keep racing until I can’t stand up,” Bell said. “I’ve competed in the X games going 70 mph but there’s nothing like being behind that most majestic of animals. In those 20 seconds you wouldn’t believe the amount of adrenaline that goes through your body, I’m totally addicted.”
Rider Gina Weymiller and skier Tara Bell (PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark LaRowe)
Gina Weymiller
Weymiller and her horse Pepper pulled Bell across the finish line at Sun Valley; together they make a tough team to beat, consistently placing over the course of the season.
“The Wild West Showdown felt like the culmination of months of hard work and a chance to see our team of three fully dialed in,” Weymiller said. “We got to compete against some of the most incredible female athletes we’ve been battling all season.”
Weymiller showed up to her first race with years of riding experience, but no skier. She got matched with a racer, won the novice division, and hasn’t looked back.
What she loves most about the sport is the camaraderie and support, different from most team sports, especially equestrian.
“The commonality is the adrenaline,” Weymiller said. “Anything can happen, a skier can catch an edge and wipe out and you are done. A rider can pull the horse in the wrong direction. There’s only 33 feet of rope and if you drift too much you are going to pull the rope out of your skier’s hands. It’s a level playing field.”
“You can have the fastest horse but you are only going to be as good as your skier.”
Tayler Stobaugh
You may recognize Tayler Stobaugh from TikTok in her American Flag bodysuit barreling down the race course. She went from a hopeful spectator to the face of Skijor USA in just five years.
Stobaugh reflected on the growth of the sport, attracting ski athletes from nearby mountain towns.
“It hasn’t broken through to ESPN, but it’s getting out there,” Stobaugh said. “I don’t want to say skijoring is easy, because it’s difficult. Once you get the hang of it, and do it once, you catch the bug. It’s the adrenaline, the spectators cheering you on, and the community supporting you.”
Stobaugh recalled her big break when she was hauling her horse 786 miles without knowing if she would actually get to compete. An hour away from her destination, Stobaugh got a call from a skier who needed a last minute rider.
This particular race wasn’t just any skijor track; it included a 30 foot gap jump over a truck.
Tayler Stobaugh (PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark LaRowe)
“I didn’t know what I just signed up for,” Stobaugh said. “I had to get my skier over that jump, without missing it and without crashing.
“The horse was kind of an underdog, no one knew if we could do it. We go out, we are running, I see the gap jump, I pull my horse as close to the jump as I could. I kicked her, screamed ‘go bo bo.’”
Stobaugh’s horse, Little Bo Peep, launched forward, sending Stobaugh back in the saddle. Once they saw the end of the jump, Stobaugh looked back to see her skier clear the jump and the landing, letting out a victory yell.
Stobaugh is now well known within the skijor community, exclusively competing in the open division after working her way up through the lower divisions. She won her first buckle in 2023 and has since landed an interview on the Kelly Clarkson Show and a sponsorship from Montucky Beer.
“I just wear this American flag outfit and I run my horse fast,” Stobaugh said. “There’s not a lot of horse sports where you are allowed to go balls to the walls with your horses as fast as you can. I love letting that girl fly.”
Dylanne Free
At 16 years old, Dylanne Free placed second in the sport division at Sun Valley, pulling her brother Dayne Free. She first competed in 2022 when she was just 12, following in her dad’s footsteps.
“When I started I was doing it just for fun, then I got completely addicted,” Free said. “My new horse, Snowman, has proven to be an exceptional partner, and I’m excited to continue working with him this summer in speed events to prepare for an even stronger performance next season.”
Dylanne Free (PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark LaRowe)
Free is one of the few competitors juggling high school and track workouts while finding time to keep her horses in shape and travel to skijoring events.
While she didn’t take home a buckle at the world cup, Free has earned four buckles this season and consistently finished in the top four across all her races.
The Buckle Winners
So who won this year’s Skijoring World Cup? Kate Berman had an impressive first win in the open division with skier Harlin Collins, with a time of 20.30 seconds.
“It felt really amazing to get my first open win with the World Cup being hosted in my home community,” Berman said. “I couldn’t be prouder of my horse and skier.”
Kristen Beck and Joe Prescot first won a novice buckle together in 2018 and upgraded to a sport buckle this year with a final time of 21.24.
Beck hosts the skijoring competition in Red Lodge, Montana, and like many competitors, travelled long distances to compete in the World Cup.
Kate Berman (PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark LaRowe)
“Skijoring is a labor of love,” Beck said. “We put so much effort into preserving western culture with this intense, three heartbeat sport.”
Karli Lloyd and Anastasie Echeverria finished first in the women’s division at 22.06 seconds, just one tenth of a second ahead of the runners up.
The two have had their eyes set on the women’s buckle together for the last four years and were thrilled to finally win their prize.
