Brought to you by Publishers of The Your Valley Source & The Promised Land FREE TAKE ONE THE FREE Alternative Guide to Entertainment, Arts & News for February 2011 SKI JORING Page 2 Introducing Denver’s Best for the West Pages 9 - 12 Photo by www.sundayphotography.com GRAND JUNCTION Test Drive the All New 2011 Dodge 2500 Ram CHRYSLER • JEEP • DODGE 2578 HWY 6 & 50 Grand Junction (on the corner of motor & funny little street) 245-3100 • 1-800-645-5886 BADASS MEET THE REAL • THE MEET www.grandjunctionchrysler.com 0-5:30, Sat 9:00-2:00 • Service: Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30, Sat/Sun Closed Sat/Sun 7:30-5:30, Mon-Fri Service: • 9:00-2:00 Sat 0-5:30, 7:3 Fri - Mond Parts: • 8:30-5:00 Sat 8:30-6:00, Mon-Fri Sales: www.grandjunctionchrysler.comMEET THE • Sales: Mon-Fri 8:30-6:00, REAL Sat 8:30-5:00 • Parts: Mond - Fri 7:3BADASS0-5:30, Sat 9:00-2:00 • Service: Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30, Sat/Sun Closed 245-3100 • 1-800-645-5886 • 245-3100 (on the corner of motor & funny little street) little funny & motor of corner the (on 2578 HWY 6 & 50 Grand Junction Grand 50 & 6 HWY 2578 CHRYSLER • JEEP • DODGE • JEEP • CHRYSLER GRAND JUNCTION GRAND Test Drive the All New 2011 Dodge 2500 Ram 2500 Dodge 2011 New All the Drive Test RoadTrippin’ The SOURCE Ski Joring What, you may ask, is Ski Joring? it today was born. Ski Joring is a competition where a horse and rider pull a skier at a Leadville Ski-Joring Rules 2011 fast pace through a course that has If you plan to sign up for com- gates, jumps and rings. The skier petition, you need to know the fol- is timed through the course, and lowing: penalties are assessed by missing You may choose to sign up as a gates or jumps, and by missing or Matched Team, which automati- dropping any of the rings. The com- cally requires you also to be in the petitors race for cash prizes, and draw. You may choose to enter the teams are made up by a random draw twice after signing up in the draw before the start. Matched Team, depending on num- The Leadville Ski Joring event ber of horse-runs. has been going on in Leadville 1. Match Teams are allowed as since 1949, and is one of the premier follows: Skiers - one run; Horses - events of its kind in the country. Ski one run; Riders may ride one time Joring is always the first full week- each on different horses if they bring team is DQ’d. Division or both, but NOT Sport. cantle (under strain). Connection of end in March, and this year it will be more than one horse. 13. Both ski tips and boots must Skiers in the Legends Division must the pull rope to the saddle will be go through (around to inside) gate be a minimum of 40 years of age, to the centerline of the horse with a or jump markers, including finish have competed in ski joring for at carabiner type device. and start gate, otherwise it is con- least 10 years, have no medical dis- PENALTIES sidered missed, and penalties are abilities, have a minimum of 60% Penalties will be added to running applied. mental capacity, have 50% of their times as follows: 14. A Skier who “jumps” the start natural teeth, and test negative for 1. Missed Jump (4 Seconds) gate and does not start the clock will sexual enhancing drugs. 2. Missed Gate (4 Seconds) not be allowed a rerun or re-start. 19. All Skiers registering in the 3. Missed (or dropped) ring - 2 Team is DQ’d. Open Class must be prequalified Seconds per ring 15. A skier will be granted one to ski in the Leadville Ski-Joring by 4. Dropped baton before finish - 2 restart if he lets go of the towrope past experience. NOTE: Alcohol Seconds before tripping the start gate. consumption prior to competition 5. Rings knocked off by rider - 2 16. Horse and rider have a maxi- is grounds for disqualification for Seconds per ring. There is no penalty mum of four minutes from the time that competitor, and ultimately that for rope or horse hitting jump marker or the “Course Clear” signal is given team (including horses)! gate marker. Skier will be given credit for from starter to cross the starting line 20. No refunds of entry fees or rings not in place on standards during with skier, otherwise team is DQ’d. Calcutta monies will be given if his run, i.e. wind, snowball from horse, If rider chooses, he may leave the horse, rider or skier is not able to or any other natural cause to make ring start area before the four minutes compete due to injury or other rea- fall. NOTE: Rider hitting ring is NOT a held March 5-6 in Leadville. It’s a 2. Draw teams will be chosen by are up and calm the horse. Rider sons. This applies to later runs on natural cause! good idea to book your room well in random draw at registration each and skier will be allowed one restart same day. Baton must be held in hand and not advance if you’re planning to either day. Match Teams will be drawn at when their name is called again. 21. Towrope (furnished) of 33 feet secured to arm or placed under cloth- participate or be a spectator—the random for position each day, along 17. Substitute riders or skiers for a must be 1.) attached to saddle horn ing. available rooms fill up fast. with Draw Teams. Sport Division is run will not be allowed for any rea- on front of saddle by braided loop Protests must be made immediately Draw Only. son after the Draw has been posted. and run on either side of rider— following run to Course Director at History of Ski Joring 3. Match Teams and Draw Teams If a competitor cannot make the run rope cannot run under the saddle; or Finish before next team has competed. in Leadville will compete for same monies as for any reason, that run (team) is 2.) attached directly to the primary Decision of judges is final! Two close friends, Tom Schroeder one race in the Open Division. DQ’d. rigging rings of the saddle construc- Photos by and “Mugs” Ossman, sat in a booth 4. Horses are limited to three runs 18. Legends Division Skiers may tion with a non-elastic material. www.sundayphotography.com at the Golden Burro Café discussing maximum per day. choose to ski in the Legends or Open Attached within four inches of the upcoming winter festivities known 5. Horses cannot “jump” as Crystal Carnival in Leadville, CO. Divisions. The year was 1949, and the task at 6. Riders may ride any number hand was to come up with some- of times, including twice on same thing new to add to the event list horse. for the festivities. Over several cups 7. Riders may ride in different of coffee and plates of pie, the two Divisions, as long as a different decided to take a trip to Steamboat horse is used in each Division. Springs and see if they could bring 8. Skier may enter more than once, back any ideas from the Steamboat depending on number of horses. Springs winter carnival. 9. Skier may ski behind same Steamboat was where Schroeder horse twice in same day, depend- and Ossman first witnessed the ing on the results of the draw. sport of Ski Joring, a horse-and- 10. Skier must use a baton to pick rider pulling a skier. The sport they up rings (baton and rope will be fur- saw in Steamboat was the basis of nished) what they decided to do, but they 11. Skier must have hold of tow- could not understand why anyone rope across finish, otherwise that would want to go that slow! Mugs team is DQ’d. raised quarter horses for speed, and 12. Skier must be in control, and Tom, being the feisty Irishman and in an upright position (no part of skier he was, knew that there was skier’s body touching the ground), not a horse alive fast enough to and on at least one ski when cross- “lose” him on a pair of skis. They ing finish line, or team is DQ’d. went out to the Ossman Ranch just Both ski tips and boots must pass north of town and first tried it in over finish line between finish gate the pasture in the deep snow, and markers. Rider must be on horse 2 the sport of Ski Joring as we know when skier crosses finish line, or 6. The Boston Globe is read by 10. The San Francisco Chroni- This year we will people whose parents used to cle is read by people who aren’t experience 4 run the country and did a poor sure if there is a country or that job of it, thank you very much. anyone is running it; but if so, unusual dates... Now that’s 7. The New York Daily News they oppose all that they stand 1/1/11, is read by people who aren’t too for. There are occasional excep- 1/11/11, Funny! sure who’s running the country tions if the leaders are handi- 11/1/11 & 11/11/11..... and don’t really care as long as capped, minority, feminist, athe- now go figure this out..