Skijoring pronounced as ski-yoring, is a winter sport which involves a skier being usually pulled by a horse, or a pack of dogs, or a motor vehicle, through jumps and obstacles. Most of the races cover a distance of 5 km-20 km. The sport is believed to have originated as a mode of transport in Alaska and Scandinavia and now is held in Norway, US, Canada, Germany, Russia and in other countries where there is snow in winter.
The longest skijoring race is KALEVALA which takes in Kalevala, Karelia, Russia with a distance of 440 km and the second longest is the River Runner 120 which takes place in Whitehorse, Yukon, with a distance of 190 km. The top-ranked skijoring racing teams in the world are German Shorthaired Pointers, Alaskan Huskies, Pointer/Greyhound mixes or crosses between these breeds.
The governing body of these races in the United States and Canada is ISDRA (International Sled Dog Racing Association), and in Europe, it is ESDRA (European Sled Dog Racing Association). The IFSS (International Federation of Sleddog Sports) is the global governing body of the sport which sanctions World Cup races across the world and a world championship race every two years.
