Skijoring races to another banner year

The 8th Annual Saratoga Skijoring Races were one for the record books with a huge turnout of spectators tailgating in the parking lot along with skiers and riders competing in different divisions.

Will Faust, one of the event organizers and co-founder of the Saratoga Skijoring races, said this year’s event was one of the biggest it has had so far.

“Saturday we had 688 paid spectators with 95 racers and 40 volunteers,” Faust said. “Saturday’s races seem to be the biggest turnout of them all. We had a total of 116 races with the same competitors who competed in the two-day event”.

Saturday and Sunday’s races started with Junior Division, Novice Division, Open 1 D Division, Open 2 D Division, and Open 3 D Division. Both divisions put on a great show and made it a competitive challenge.

Tim Evans, his rider Scott Martinez and Martinez’s horse P.G. won 1st place in Saturday’s Novice Division with a top score time of 26.97. Evans also finished in 3rd place with rider Ally Wackerman and her horse Dolly with a score time of 28.35 putting him in the top three. Evans also got another 3rd place finish in Sunday’s race with a score time of 24.74 with Martinez as his rider.

“Saratoga throws the best skijoring race I have ever been to,” Evans said. “This is the first time I got the fastest time of the day, so it was awesome. Last year I did not finish and it is so great I was able to have a fast horse this year.”

Martinez said this was his first ever time being a rider in the skijoring races. He said he is proud of Evens’s performance and getting top scores.

“We just went for it. This was my first time competing in this event,” Martinez said. “So I said to myself I am getting on and just getting going. I had such a blast and I can not wait to do it again”.

Lane Myers, his rider Allie Serafin and her horse Beetlejuice won 1st place in Sunday’s Novice Division with a top score time of 25.73. Myers also finished 2nd place right behind Evans in Saturday’s Novice Division competition with a score time of 27.5. Evans finished right behind Myers on Sunday with a time score of 24.36 with Wackerman as his rider.

“It was a lot of fun,” Myers said “I was out there without any expectations and I am just glad I had a good horse with a good rider. Some of the improvements I made was staying on my feet and getting a clear run”.

Serafin and her horse, Beetlejuice, made a big difference in getting Myers’ win on Sunday. She said she is amazed by Beetlejuice’s athletic ability.

“Lane did great and he told me he is a strong skier so he told me to go fast,” Serafin said. “Beetlejuice is used to racing and this is my first time being a rider at skijoring racing.I had such a blast.”

Andrew Keiss, who came in 1st place in Saturday’s 3D Division with a top time score of 21.25, did it with the help of his rider, Dori Fritz, and her horse, Sassy Girl. Keiss also got a 1st place finish in Sunday’s 2D Division with a top-time score of 19.47. He said this was his first time skijoring and was happy with what he accomplished.

“This is my first time skijoring,” Keiss said. “I am extremely happy and I had a good rider and a good horse. I love doing this and I will do this again.”

Fritz, who rides her horse Sassy Girl, said she was impressed with Keiss’ first-time performance and was happy with his two first-place finishes.

“He skied awesome,” Fritz said. “He told me to go fast and I did. Sassy Girl is an off-the-track thoroughbred and she loves to run. I have to work to get her to go faster and I never had a skier bail out on me.”

This is Fritz’s third time as a rider for the Skjoing races and looks to work with Keiss in further races. She also was the rider for Saturday and Sunday Junior Division 1st place winner Colton Legerwood. Legerwood ‘s Saturday score time was 34.55 and On Sunday Legerwood’s score time was 29.22. Fritz also helped Martha Faust finish 2nd place in Saturday’s Junior Division race with a score time of 46.60.

Twelve-year-old Kelsea Raymer, the youth division winner, said she loves to compete in the Skijoring races. This is her 8th competition and one of the best she has raced in.

“It was a lot of fun,” Raymer said. “This race was the fastest I’ve ever gone and I made it my goal to win my division and I did it with trying and hard work.”

Kelsea’s father Richard Raymer—one of the co-founders of the Skijoring races—said he is pleased with his daughter’s determination to be the best she can be. He said he was one proud father.

“I am beyond proud of Kelsea,” Raymer said. “She worked hard over the summer riding her horse and she got 1st place and her hard work paid off.”

The Raymer family competed together in the skijoring races, both as skiers and riders. Kelsea rode her horse, Dollar, with her sister Ashlyn Raymer as her skier. Ashlyn also had her dad as her rider with his horse Ringo. On Saturday, Ashlyn got 5th place with her sister as the rider with a score time of 63.31 and a 7th place finish with a score time of 74.81 with her dad as the rider. She went to compete in Sunday’s race with a 4th-place finish with her Dad. Her score time was 68.06. Ashlyn also finished 5th place with her sister as the riddler with a score time of 70.47.

For full results from the 8th Annual Saratoga Skijoring Races, visit www.saratogaskijoring.com.