A new winter event is coming to Grand Lake in March, and it combines skiing with horse riding. On March 8 and 9, skijoring will take place in downtown Grand Lake, according to the event website.

Skijoring is a winter sport where a horse and rider pull a skier through various obstacle courses over snow. It requires skill and coordination from the rider and the skier. The Grand Lake Skijoring event website calls the sport a “testament to human and animal collaboration” and a “celebration of winter sports culture.”

Skijoring enthusiasts Delphine Eytel and her husband, Steve Eytel, are the organizers of the Grand Lake event. The two live in Fairplay and started working with Grand Lake staff early this year to plan for the event.

Delphine Eytel said Grand Lake town staff were eager for the chance to offer more winter entertainment as well as attracting more visitors to the town.

With well-known skijoring events in Steamboat Springs and Leadville, the sport is beginning to gain more attention nationwide.

“We see a lot more people getting into it. It’s nice because it just changes it up a little bit for winter sports,” Delphine Eytel said. “A lot of people just ski, but not a lot of people use their horses in the winter.”

Steve Eytel called it the perfect mix of “the hippies and the cowboys.”

The plan is to make it an annual event by stabilizing contestant numbers and increasing fans of the sport. Delphine Eytel said she is hopeful that the event will bring excitement to the town.

Volunteers are needed to help run the event, so anyone who is interested in lending a hand can email grandlakeskijor@gmail.com.

Online registration opens Feb. 10. For more information, an event schedule and rules, visit GrandLakeSkijor.com. Dogs will not be allowed at the event.