Core Divisions
- PRO: Elite teams with fast horses, advanced riders, and top-tier speed and technical skill. Intended for athletes and horses with significant skijoring or ski racing experience.
- Sport: Strong, experienced competitors developing toward PRO. Horses typically have competitive speed but not yet consistent PRO pace.
Non-Core Divisions
- Women's: Female skier and rider division. Skill levels range from intermediate through elite.
- All-Around (Switch-a-Roo): Rider and skier swap roles - each rides once and skis once. Skill levels range from intermediate through elite.
- Snowboard: Dedicated division for snowboard athletes. Requires excellent edge control, line choice, and rope management at speed.
Tour Membership
Tour membership (PRO Card) is optional. You can enter any stop without joining the Tour and still win that event's buckles, prizes, and cash payouts. Tour membership is only needed for season points, rankings, and Championship Finals eligibility.
Division Entry and Crossover Limits - Rider
How team limits work: Participation limits refer to the number of registered teams a horse, rider or skier/snowboarder may compete on at an event. Each team generally receives two competition runs: one on day one and one on day two. An official-approved rerun belongs to the same registered team and does not count as another team or use another team-entry allowance.
- Up to eight registered Tour teams per event
- Up to four teams combined in PRO and Sport; riders may split those teams between the divisions, subject to horse and skier eligibility
- Up to four additional teams combined across Women's, Snowboard and All-Around
Skier and Snowboarder Team Limits
General limit: four teams per event. Skiing and snowboarding share one allowance. A person's skier/snowboarder teams are counted together whether they compete on skis, a snowboard or both.
- PRO, Sport or Snowboard exception: A skier/snowboarder entering PRO, Sport or Snowboard may compete on up to six teams total per event, including eligible Century entries. No more than four of those teams may be combined across PRO, Sport and Snowboard. The remaining entries may be any eligible combination of Women's, All-Around and Century within the six-team total. PRO/Sport crossover remains prohibited as a skier. Each team must meet the applicable division and horse/skier pairing rules.
- Snowboard allowance: Snowboard teams share the four-team PRO/Sport/Snowboard allowance with any PRO or Sport skier entries. Eligible Women's, All-Around and Century entries count toward the same six-team total; switching equipment does not create a separate allowance.
- Without PRO, Sport or Snowboard: Enter up to four teams combined across eligible Women's, All-Around and Century divisions. The six-team exception applies when entering PRO, Sport or Snowboard.
- Community only: Enter up to four teams combined across Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century, subject to age, skill, pairing and horse eligibility.
- Century crossover is permitted: A person competing as a skier or snowboarder in a Tour division, including PRO or Sport, may also enter Century at the same event if the rider and skier/snowboarder have a combined age of at least 100. Century entries count toward the same applicable four- or six-team skier/snowboarder limit, not a separate allowance. All horse and pairing limits still apply. Century remains a Community division with no Tour points or cash payouts.
- Novice crossover is prohibited: A person competing as a skier or snowboarder in a Tour division, including PRO or Sport, may not also compete as a skier or snowboarder in Novice at the same event. Century is the only exception to the Tour/Community crossover restriction; Lil Buckaroo eligibility and restrictions are unchanged. These rules apply whether or not a team holds a Team PRO Card.
Examples: One Combined Skiing and Snowboarding Allowance
Tour example: Sally may ski on four PRO teams and two Women's teams, provided every team meets the eligibility and pairing rules. Women's teams must have both a woman rider and a woman skier. Sally has used all six skier teams and may not add another skier or snowboarder entry.
Snowboard example: Johnny may enter four Snowboard teams and two All-Around teams. That is six skier/snowboarder teams total.
Mixed-equipment example: Johnny may enter three Sport teams, one Snowboard team and two All-Around teams. The Sport and Snowboard entries share the four-team allowance, and the All-Around entries use the two additional opportunities. Johnny may not enter four Sport teams plus four Snowboard teams plus two All-Around teams.
Community example: Bobby may enter two Novice teams and two eligible Century teams, or four Novice teams. His total is four Community skier/snowboarder teams. All horse limits, pairing restrictions and division eligibility still apply.
Century crossover example: A competitor may ski in Sport and also in Century when his Century team meets the combined-age requirement. Four Sport teams plus two eligible Century teams use the six-team maximum. Two Sport teams, two Women's teams and two All-Around teams are also permitted when every team is eligible. None of these combinations permits a Novice entry or PRO/Sport crossover.
Role-Specific Human Limits
The eight-team limit applies to horseback riders. Skiers and snowboarders are limited to four teams as a general rule, or six under the PRO, Sport or Snowboard exception above. These are role-specific limits, not a universal eight-team allowance for every human competitor. A person participating in both roles must follow the applicable rider and skier/snowboarder limits.
Example: Different Horses for Each PRO Team
Bobby may ski on up to four teams in PRO, but may not ski behind the same horse more than once in that division. Four PRO entries therefore require four different horses and four separately registered, named teams. Changing the rider does not allow Bobby to enter behind the same horse twice in PRO.
Horse Participation Limits
Four teams total: A horse may compete on no more than four registered teams combined across PRO Tour and Community divisions at one event, except for an approved Lil Buckaroo exception.
PRO Tour divisions: PRO, Sport, Women's, Snowboard and All-Around.
- A horse may compete on up to two Sport teams OR up to two PRO teams, but may not compete in both PRO and Sport.
- Additional eligible Tour or Community entries count toward the same four-team combined limit.
- A horse competing in PRO or Sport may not also compete in Novice.
- A PRO or Sport horse may also compete in Century if eligible, provided the four-team combined limit is respected.
Examples: Sharing the Four-Team Allowance
Trigger the horse may compete on two PRO teams plus two Women's teams; two PRO teams plus two All-Around teams; or two PRO teams plus one Women's team and one All-Around team. Eligible Snowboard entries count toward the same four-team allowance.
Trigger the horse may compete on two Sport teams, one Women's team and one eligible Century team. That uses all four teams. Trigger may not add a Novice team.
Horse and Skier/Snowboarder Pairings
PRO Tour: The same horse and skier/snowboarder may compete together on only one registered team per division in PRO, Sport, Women's, Snowboard and All-Around. They may compete together again in another eligible division, provided all participation and crossover limits are respected. Changing the rider or team name does not permit a second entry with the same pairing in the same Tour division.
Community: The same horse and skier/snowboarder may compete together on up to two separately registered, named teams per division in Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century. The four-team combined horse limit and all applicable competitor limits still apply.
Tour example: Sally may ski behind Trigger the horse on one Sport team and one Women's team, but not on two Sport teams.
Community example: Bobby may ski behind Trigger the horse on two Novice teams and two Century teams, provided both are eligible. That uses Trigger's four-team combined allowance.
All-Around Entries
An All-Around team counts as one team entry for the horse. For each human participant, it counts once toward the applicable rider allowance and once toward the applicable skier/snowboarder allowance, because both people ride and ski. Swapping roles does not create another horse entry or exempt either person from a role, division or pairing limit. The eight-team limit is a rider limit; the applicable four- or six-team limit applies to skier/snowboarder participation.
Lil Buckaroo Exceptions
PRO Skijor officials may approve additional Lil Buckaroo teams beyond a horse's four-team combined limit to give young competitors an opportunity to participate. Approval is subject to the horse's fitness, condition and welfare.
Example: Trigger the horse is entered on three Novice teams and one Century team. Officials may approve an additional Lil Buckaroo team, allowing Trigger to participate on five teams total. The pairing and competitor limits must still be respected.
Your Horse's Welfare Comes First
These are maximum limits, not a recommendation that every horse should compete on the maximum number of teams. We trust owners and riders to know their horses and make responsible decisions about their conditioning, health, recovery and ability to participate safely.
If you know Trigger the horse should compete on only two teams, enter only two teams, even when the rules permit more. Consider preparation, travel, course conditions and recovery when planning entries. Reduce participation or withdraw your horse whenever its condition warrants it.
PRO Skijor officials and the attending veterinarian retain authority to rest or withdraw a horse when there are concerns about fitness or welfare. No placing, payout or championship takes priority over the horse's health, care, safety and well-being.
Advancement from Sport to PRO - Effective for 2027
Promotion follows the horse and the skier independently. A horse or skier must advance to PRO for the following season if, during one PRO Skijor season, it or they meet any of these requirements:
- Compete on the team that wins first place overall in Sport at the PRO Skijor Championship Finals.
- Compete on the team that finishes first in the official Sport season points standings.
- Win first place overall in Sport at two or more different official PRO Skijor qualifying events during the same season.
2026 results determine 2027 eligibility. Horses and skiers who met any of these requirements in 2026 must compete in PRO beginning with the 2027 season. The same requirements apply to subsequent seasons.
Once advanced, that horse or skier may not compete in Sport at future PRO Skijor events, even with a different teammate, horse, rider or team name. The requirement does not apply to the rider.
Qualifier wins are tracked separately for each horse and skier. Two overall qualifier wins count even when earned on different teams. For the season-points requirement, the relevant result is membership on the official first-place Sport team; points from different teams are not added together.
The two-qualifier requirement applies whether or not the teams hold Team PRO Cards. Only official, finalized overall Sport results at PRO Skijor qualifiers and the Championship Finals count. One qualifier win alone, fastest-time day-money wins, Community results, exhibitions and results at races outside the official PRO Skijor Tour do not trigger automatic advancement.
Promotion takes effect the following season. A horse or skier meeting a requirement during the season may finish that season in Sport, including the Championship Finals, subject to eligibility and safety rules.
Why Horses and Skiers Advance, but Riders May Cross Over
A qualifying Sport result demonstrates the skier’s competitive ability and the horse’s speed and performance. Their advancement remains with them when they join new teams. An experienced rider may also be training or developing younger or newer horses, so the rider may compete in both PRO and Sport, provided each horse and skier is eligible for its division and all entry limits are respected. A rider’s experience alone does not require every horse they ride to enter PRO.
Examples: Promotion Stays with the Horse and Skier
Sally wins the Sport Championship Finals with Jack riding Trigger the horse. Sally and Trigger must advance to PRO the following season. Sally cannot remain in Sport by skiing behind a different horse, and Trigger cannot remain in Sport by pulling a different skier. Jack may still ride an eligible developing horse in Sport.
Johnny wins Sport at two qualifiers with different partners. Johnny must advance the following season. Each horse’s results are checked independently: a horse that has only one qualifier win and meets no other promotion requirement has not automatically advanced under this rule.
Community divisions compete for first-place buckles and awesome prizes from our sponsors. They do not receive cash payouts, earn Tour points or qualify for the Tour Championship Finals. Standard Community divisions are Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century. Additional Community divisions may be offered at an event as specified on its registration page.
Lil Buckaroo: The rider and the skier or snowboarder must each be 12 years old or younger. Both teammates must meet this requirement. Teens age 13 or older must enter Novice rather than Lil Buckaroo, subject to Novice eligibility requirements.
Century: The combined ages of the rider and the skier or snowboarder must total 100 years or more. Johnny is 58 and Sally is 42; their combined age is 100, so they meet Century's age requirement. Eligible PRO, Sport and other Tour competitors may also enter Century, subject to the shared team limits above. Century entries do not earn Tour points or cash payouts.
Pairings: The same horse and skier/snowboarder may compete together on up to two separately registered, named teams per division in Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century.
Limits: A horse may compete on four teams total across Tour and Community divisions combined, subject to approved Lil Buckaroo exceptions. Community-only skiers/snowboarders may compete on up to four teams combined across Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century. Eligible Century crossover with Tour divisions is permitted within the same applicable four- or six-team skier/snowboarder limit above. Tour competitors may not also enter Novice as a skier/snowboarder at the same event; other Community crossover remains restricted. The same person may use skis, a snowboard or both within that four-team allowance. Community riders may compete on up to four Community teams, subject to their applicable eligibility and participation limits. The eight-team rider maximum applies to riding participation; it does not increase the four-team Community skier/snowboarder allowance. Approved horse exceptions do not automatically change a human competitor’s limits.
Separate Tahoe Community Sport, Women's and Snowboard competition does not form part of the Tour Championship field. The two-team pairing allowance above applies specifically to Lil Buckaroo, Novice and Century.
Emerging Talent Invite: Stand out in a Community division and you could be invited to showcase at the Championship Finals. $2,500 in prizes set aside for invited JFF teams.