My Interview with Ski Jorer Trevor Merrill
Every winter, thousands flock to Leadville's historic Harrison Avenue to watch the heart-pounding spectacle of skijoring. While staying at The Silver Rose, skier Trevor Merrill shared his journey in this unique sport that combines the grace of horsemanship with the thrill of alpine skiing. I was curious to know more about the sport and Trevor graciously accepted my invitation for an interview.
How did you get into Skijoring?
I had always known about skijoring, but I had never seen an event until 2022 when I had the opportunity to attend the event in Leadville. At the time, I didn’t think it was something I would want to try; I just wanted to watch. However, after seeing the horses and skiers racing down Harrison Avenue a few times, I instantly realized it was something I wanted to pursue. As an adrenaline junkie, skijoring looked like the perfect way to satisfy that thrill.
I reached out to various events to learn more about the registration process. However, I discovered that to participate, I needed a team consisting of a horse and a rider. Unfortunately, I didn’t know anyone who owned a horse, and I had no idea how to find one. So, I joined all the horse-related groups on Facebook in Colorado and began sending cold messages to people, asking if they were interested and if they had a horse that met the event's requirements. A qualified horse must be comfortable running and not easily spooked by crowds, since events like the Leadville skijoring competition attract around 10,000 spectators.
I contacted about 40 people in total to find someone interested in skijoring with me. I received ten responses, some of which were rejections or uncertain replies. A few people showed interest, but their horses weren't a good match. Fortunately, a friend of mine in Wellington, Colorado, saw a Facebook post from a woman named Alexis, who was looking for a skier. Long story short, I connected with Alexis, and we met in Saratoga, Wyoming, for the Saratoga skijoring event. At our first event together, we won our division on Sunday.
Who is your team?
In Leadville, skijoring events have a unique format compared to other places. Participants sign up with a team, but then they are also randomly assigned to another team. For instance, Alexis and I finished in fifth place, while my random partner and I won second place and each received $550.
In most other locations, the typical procedure involves signing up with your own team, which usually includes a rider, a skier, and a horse. Changing any member of the team is considered forming a new team. Since Alexis and I have two horses, we actually have two teams.
Do the horses love to run?
Oh yeah, especially the fastest ones! Our horse, Princess, gets very antsy and excited when it's time to race. Alexis barely has to encourage her; just loosening the reins a bit is enough, and Princess takes off. She doesn’t need spurs at all because she loves to run. Even though she's an older horse at twenty-one years old, she never slows down. She loves to run. Although she's an older horse, at twenty-one years old, she never slows down.
How many events have you done?
In 2023, my pilot year, we only did two events. In 2024, we did five events. We wanted to do more, but getting to events outside Colorado is a lot of work. For example, we did Big Sky, Montana, which took 14 hours to drive there and 15 hours to return.
Have you had any injuries or close calls?
Luckily, no. However, I’ve seen some brutal injuries. One in particular happened in Leadville. A horse went down with a rider on its back. Luckily, the horse didn’t break a leg and recovered. If the horse breaks a leg, they must be put down. The rider broke a lot of bones, but he recovered as well.
What do you like about it?
I have been skiing since I was two years old, but lately, I’ve noticed that I’m no longer getting the same adrenaline rush I used to feel. Many of my skiing days have become more relaxed than I would like. However, skijoring presents a completely different experience that I find both challenging and fulfilling. It requires not only my skiing skills but also a whole new set of abilities. Skijoring has also humbled me as I've realized that being an excellent skier is not enough to do well in this sport.
What do you do for a day job?
I am currently employed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory located in Golden, Colorado. My area of expertise is sustainable aviation, where I work towards developing new technologies that can help reduce airport and aircraft pollution.
Trevor and his family were past guests at The Silver Rose of Leadville.
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