Scary fun

Jason Decker, of Brighton, Colorado has the perfect description of what it is like to race on skis behind a horse. “It is so fun and so scary at the same time.” The exuberant Decker has been racing in Saratoga for the last five years. “I missed the first year,” he said.

He seems to be a fan favorite as he is recognizable with his bright plaid snow-pants and his jovial spirit at the end of each race. Decker is also one to jump in and help get the track ready on race day morning.

Decker said he got into the “coolest and dumbest” rodeo sport from a “hold my beer moment.” A friend of his had a railroad track on his property and asked Decker if he wanted to ski behind him while his friend drove the snowmobile. Of course, Decker went for it and loved it. He would use the snowmobile for practice before getting behind a real horse. 

Decker admits skijoring is quite different as he is skiing behind a 1400-pound horse with pent up energy and ready to race rather than a snowmobile. In his first race, he beat his friend who introduced him at Leadville. He has been hooked since. He is good too, as he brought home several awards from the weekend. At the end of each race, he whoops and hollers, then waits for the time and whoops and hollers some more while raising his arms to rile up the spectators.

Decker brought in fast times on Sunday as he placed first, second and fourth in the Open 1-D division. With Janelle Urista as the rider, he earned fourth place with a time of 19:88 seconds. His second-place finish was with Skylar Ball as the rider with a 19:56 second time and his first-place time was 19:45 with rider T.J. Simmons.

Simmons and Decker also brought in a first-place time in the Open 2-D division on Saturday.

It would not be enough as the combined times for both days are used to earn the belt buckle. Simmons would get the buckle, but it would be for his teamwork with Kevin Wilder of Telluride. Their combined times won by .11 seconds.

Wilder has been competing for three years and this was his first year in Saratoga. He is competing in four races this year – this year adding Saratoga to Ridgeway, Meeker and Leadville. Wilder said he felt pretty good about his win especially since it was a new event for him.

Simmons said it is a team effort. “It is the only rodeo sport other than team roping that is a team event.”  Simmons grew up in Riverton, Wyoming, but now lives in Ordway, Colorado. 

Simmons has been riding in skijoring since 2016. He loves coming to Saratoga. “It is a great event, a great community and the course was awesome,” he said. He would like to see Saratoga do what Leadville does and bring the skijoring event downtown. “It adds a while different element, people drive by and see the event and stop.” With the event currently held at Buck Springs Arena, it is a bit off the beaten path.

Simmons said the Leadville race draws a big crowd—2,000 to 3,000 people per day—and the downtown shops are open for people to go into during the race.

In the Novice division, Rawlins’ resident Dori Fritz competed in her first race this year. She had intended to race last year but didn’t get registered in time. She also missed the first deadline this year but jumped on it when it opened for racers the second time.

Her horse, a thoroughbred, is named Mama Sassy Wench; Fritz calls her Sassy Girl. The black horse had a little trouble on the course as she was ready to race, Fritz said. She has used her as a working horse and in barrel racing, so pulling a skier was a little different for the horse. Fritz, who has been a spectator in the past, said it was an adrenaline rush to race this year.

Jed Moore, another novice, is one who has been coming back to Saratoga for four years. He skies in the novice competition, but rides in the open division. One of the few competitors that rides and skis.

Saturday, Moore grabbed fourth place with Brooke Smith as his rider and then second place in the Open 1-D as a rider with Kevin Wilder as his skier.

Sunday, Moore and Smith improved their standings to third place in the novice division, with Moore taking first place with Caitlin Garcia as his rider. Moore grew up in Cheyenne, but lives in Rangely, Colorado now. Garcia is studying equine science at the University of Wyoming. She also trains horses and works at the Munroe Ranch east of Riverside in the summers.

Moore ended up placed second and third overall for both days. Third place was with Garcia and second place was with Smith.

Saratoga’s Ben Spaulding took first place in the novice division with Olivia Leviton as his rider with a time of 26.88 seconds.

In the Junior division, Corky Stevens, as the rider, and Jackson Copasz took first place with a time of 33.63.

Corky Stevens has been a rider for Juniors for several years and helped Hannah Cheesebrough take a fourth-place finish overall in 45.:47 seconds. This is the third year Stevens and Cheesebough has competed together.

Placing second and third respectively were Richard Raymer (rider) and Edgar Faust (skier) and Cody Cox, as the rider, and Beckett Spaulding as the skier. 

For more results, see pages 14 and 15.