Ski Joriing & Crystal Carnival Weekend

March 6th and 7th 2010 is Leadville Skijoring!!

"Ski Joring is a competition where a horse and rider pull a skier at a fast pace through a course that has gates, jumps and rings. The skier is timed through the course, and penalties are assessed by missing gates or jumps, and by missing or dropping any of the rings."

Click here for registration information.
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Crystal Carnival Weekend

LEADVILLE CELEBRATES WINTER WITH 61st ANNUAL SKI JORING, AND CRYSTAL CARNIVAL, MAR. 5-7
Highlights include horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; a snowman-building contest for kids; sled dog, Nordic, snowshoe and mountain bike races; and broomball games

LEADVILLE, Colo. (February 4, 2010) — Winter is a cause for celebration in Leadville, Colo., the highest incorporated city in North America. At 10,152’, the residents have learned to make the most of their natural abundant snowfall and are gearing up for a weekend of ski joring and snow-themed activities. The Annual Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival events will take place Mar. 5 - 7, in downtown Leadville, and will include horse-drawn skiers racing over jumps on snow-packed streets; a snowman-building contest for kids; sled dog, snowshoe and mountain bike races; and broomball games.

Leadville has been hosting ski joring competitions since 1949. Ski joring, which entails a horse and rider pulling a skier down a snow-packed road over jumps while spearing rings in a timed competition, draws teams from all over the country. This year’s event will include four classes on Saturday and again on Sunday: the Open Class, for experienced competitive teams; the Sport Class, for beginners; the Legends Class, for experienced teams who are getting a little long in the tooth for the Open Class; and, new this year, the Snowmobile Class. The Open Class will feature a $1,000 added purse each day; the Sport and Legends Classes will each feature a $500 added purse each day. The entry fee is $70 per team in the Open Class, and $60 per team in the Sport and Legends Classes. Teams must prequalify the day of the event to compete in the Open Class. On Saturday morning at 10:30, kids can also try their hand at ski joring behind a snowmobile for just $5 a ride.

The Crystal Carnival, which commemorates the original winter sports festival held in Leadville in 1896, offers a not-your-usual-winter-weekend experience for the entire family. All events are free for spectators; some require fees for participants. The winners of the second annual Crystal Carnival Original Drink & Dessert Contest, which began Feb. 1, will be announced during the carnival as well. The contestants are: Cookies with Altitude, Doc Holliday’s, Szechuan Taste, Tennessee Pass Cafe and Wild Bill’s in the desserts category, and Bobbie’s Place, Doc Holliday’s, The Grill, Manhattan, Pastime Bar, Quincy’s, Silver Dollar Saloon, Tennessee Pass Cafe, and Zichitella’s in the drinks category.


Schedule of Events

Friday, Mar. 5
7 p.m. Harrison Avenue Knock-Out Nordic Sprints — 400-meter sprints under the lights, with cash prizes

Saturday, Mar. 7
All Day Free sledding on Dutch Henri Sledding Hill —Bring your own sled or rent a tube for $5 (snow permitting;
tube rental available noon – 5 p.m.)
8 – 11 a.m. Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
9 a.m. 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club
10 a.m. Kids’ Parade — Children (ages 5 – 12) are welcome to join in and will receive a free balloon
10:30 a.m. Kids’ Ski Joring — Kids can try ski joring behind a snowmobile for $5 a ride
11 a.m. Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale, then the Sports Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions
11:30 a.m. Snowman Showdown — Snowman-building contest on the Courthouse lawn for children age 7 and under
12:30 p.m. Book Signing and Presentation — Discover the history of the Ice Palace and Leadville’s first Winter Carnival with author Darlene Godet at the movie theater behind the courthouse
1 p.m. Shelter Dog Shuffle — Ski, snowshoe, run or walk with your shelter dog in this one-mile race at Mount Massive Golf Course to benefit the Leadville/Lake County Animal Shelter and Planned Pethood Assistance
1 – 9 p.m. Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults
5 p.m. Mineral Belt Mayhem — An 11-mile loop on Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail; registration and check-in at 5 p.m. at Cycles of Life, 309 Harrison Ave.; race starts at 7 p.m.; part of the Winter Mountain Bike Race Series

Sunday, Mar. 8
All Day Free sledding on Dutch Henri Sledding Hill — Bring your own sled or rent a tube for $5 snow permitting;tube rental available noon – 5 p.m.
8 – 11 a.m. Ski Joring — Registration at the Elks Lodge
8:15 a.m. Crystal Snowshoe Shuffle — 1.5-mile race on the Mineral Belt Trail at Dutch Henri Sledding Hill; registration at 8:15, race at 9; $15 fee; proceeds support Beta Sigma Phi community fundraising efforts
9 a.m. 3rd Annual Mt. Massive Mush — Presented by Mount Massive Golf Course and the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club
10 a.m. Golden Broom Broomball Game “The Guns vs. The Hoses” — The Policemen take on the Firemen for the coveted Golden Broom Award
11 a.m. Ski Joring Draw, Calcutta and Competition — Teams draw for time slots, followed by Calcutta Sale, then the Sport Class, Legends Class and Open Class competitions
11 a.m. Golden Broom Broomball Game — ALCO vs. Safeway
1 – 9 p.m. Lake County Ice Skating Rink — Admission $2.25; skate rentals are $1 for kids; $2 for adults