Local man to enter World Skijoring Championship
<p>Jason Helvey rides his horse Blue while pulling skier Jerad Wilhelmsen through a series of jumps.</p>
TROUT CREEK – On a brisk Friday afternoon, Jason Helvey takes to his homemade track to condition his two horses, Aspen and Blue in the joys of skijoring.
With only a week’s worth of practice, Helvey plans to enter the 2013 Whitefish Winter Carnival World Skijoring Championships.
The competition takes place at Whitefish and will be from Jan. 25 - 27.
The rules are simple – one rider and one skier take to the track, which stretches approximately 800 feet in length. The track, which is in the shape of a horseshoe pattern consists of three jumps, all about five feet in height. Before each jump, gates are put in place, steering the skier either to the right or left side. The fastest wins.
Helvey’s horses are equipped with barium-studded shoes and snow pads to help ease any slick conditions.
“It’s a good time and a good excuse to ride your horse in the winter,” said Helvey. “Plus the money is pretty motivating.”
Over the last couple years in competitions, Helvey has racked up $1,000 in prize money.
Typically a winning run is in the 15-second range, a range Helvey hopes he can succeed during the competition.
He plans to enter into the sport class division during the competition, although he said it depends on who ends up skiing with him.
Helvey has yet to narrow down a skier for this year’s competition, but if all goes well he will have one before he heads to Whitefish. If not, Helvey is not worried because he can find one up at the race.
The sport class is a division of the second highest skill. Sport class is considered to be an intermediate level skill. If Helvey places first in this competition he would be required to move up to open class for the following year.