2026 SHOWDOWN COMPETITOR INFO

HELLO COMPETITORS!

Welcome to the 2026 Best in the West Showdown! This year, there are important deadlines and changes to the competition, and it is crucial that you read ALL the information on this page. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us.

THE NEW COURSE

The 2026 Showdown will be held on Aspen Leaf Dr near Len Hill Park in Big Sky Town Center. Our course this year is approximately 600ft of straight track on snow-covered asphalt.

As always, our course will be designed and built by our expert course team, and will include all the challenge and technical aspects you’ve come to expect from the Showdown. More information about the course will be shared on this page in the coming weeks.

DIVISIONS & REGISTRATION

This year's race is capped at 140 TEAMS, and registration will be held via an invite/lotto system.

  • 35 OPEN

  • 35 SPORT

  • 20 SNOWBOARD

  • 30 NOVICE

  • 10 SWITCHAROO

  • 10 JUNIOR

  • A select number of invites will be sent out to competitive athletes who have participated in the Showdown in past years. These individuals/teams will have also exhibited excellent sportsmanship, a positive community spirit, and a strong commitment to the Showdown event and the sport of skijoring.

    Remaining spots will be open to the public, and awarded via live lotto drawings on our Facebook feed.

  • Team lotto registrations will open and close per the schedule on this page. You may register up to the maximum number of teams allowed per the Showdown Rules & Regulations. Duplicate team registrations, registrations for the incorrect division, or those that do not fall within the rules are not eligible for the lotto.

  • You must register a complete team in order to secure your entry in the Showdown. Changes to your team after initial registration may be submitted and reviewed by our race coordination team for approval.

  • At Registration, please have the following information ready:

    • Team name, Rider name, Skier/Snowboarder name, phone/email for both competitors, horse name

  • Lotto winners will be selected and announced via live drawings on our Facebook Feed (see dates below). Once our team has reviewed the winner list, any remaining spots will be awarded via a random draw. All competitors who are drawn will receive instructions on next steps.

  • All teams are required to pay for their entries and submit their individual registration by the deadlines outlined in the chart on this page. Any unpaid spots will be awarded to competitors from the lottery.

  • Big Sky Skjoring reserves the right to adjust, cancel, or move teams/registrations per the Showdown Rules & Regulations.

DIVISION INFORMATION

  • Capped at 35 Match teams.

    Teams are considered to be the highest skilled competitors with the fastest and most skilled horses. The Open class will consist of all match teams. Skiers are limited to 4 entries in the open. Horses and skiers/boarders entered in the Open cannot compete in the Sport or Novice.

    Competitors cannot enter an identical team (skier/boarder, horse, rider) more than one time.

  • Capped at 20 Match teams.

    Teams are considered to be the highest skilled competitors with the fastest and most skilled horses. The Pro Snowboard class will consist of all match teams. Boarders are limited to 4 entries in the open. Horses and boarders entered in Pro Snowboard cannot compete in Snowboard Lite. Competitors cannot enter an identical team (boarder, horse, rider) more than one time.

  • Single Match (Skiers limited to 3 runs)

    Capped at 35 Match teams

    Teams are considered to be intermediate level skill participants riding horses that may not have the experience to be in the Open Class. Sport class will consist of all match teams. Skiers are limited to 3 entries in the Sport class. Horses and skiers entered in the Sport cannot compete in the Novice Ski or Open. Competitors cannot enter an identical team (skier, horse, rider) more than one time.

  • Single Match (NEW THIS YEAR-1 entry limit)

    Capped at 10 Match teams

    Team members must switch spots from Saturday to Sunday. To clarify, if you ski/snowboard on Saturday, then you must ride the horse on Sunday and vice versa. The same horse must be ridden each day. The Switch-A-Roo class will consist of all match teams. Switch-A-Roo competitors will use the same gates set for the Sport Division/Pro Snowboard.

    Competitors cannot enter an identical team (skier, horse, rider) more than one time.

  • Match/Draw (Skiers limited to 1 match entry and will receive 1 draw run)

    Capped at 30 Match Teams (total of 50 runs).

    Teams are considered to be new to the sport, beginner level competitors riding horses that may be brand new to the sport. Skiers are limited to 1 entry in the Novice class. Horses and skiers entered in the Novice cannot compete in the Sport Ski or Open. Competitors cannot enter an identical team (skier, horse, rider) more than one time.

    All teams in Novice Ski will follow the 1 Match, 1 Draw format.  For every Match team entered there will also be a Draw team created. Entry Fee includes both runs. Teams will only race 1 time on Friday February 7,2025. The top 3 placing teams will have the option to compete in the Sport (for Novice Teams) on Saturday and Sunday if they choose. Teams that choose not to compete in the draw cannot match for a second run in the Novice.

  • Match Format capped at 10 teams. Skiers/boarders are allowed one run.

    Teams are considered to be kids not yet experienced enough for the Novice Class but who want to compete. This also helps build the sport for future years. Both the rider and skier/boarder must be 12 and under in order to be eligible for awards. There will be mandatory gates for this class and all teams will be in a match format. Junior Skiers/Boarders are allowed 1 entry. Junior riders may have up to 2 entries.