Gina Weymiller and the Wild Joy of Skijoring and Self Expression

Hey, this is Kat. I want to welcome you to the Adventure Paradox podcast. We'll get into it in just a minute. But first, I want to tell you about something super special.

It's happening April 7 to 17, 2026. It is the Spiritual Horse Seekers Summit. I'm going to be interviewing eight incredible guests on two live panels.

And I would love to have you join me. These folks are movers and shakers in the world of equine assisted learning, living, and making a life together.

You can find out more at theadventureparadox.com slash horse-seeker. Hope to see you there. Without further ado, let's get into our show. Welcome. Welcome back to the Adventure Paradox podcast. We finally have a ski-joring guest, my friends. I am so stoked. Those of you who have been following along know that I've been talking quite a bit about ski-joring, two of my loves, horses and skiing.

What could be more fun than bringing them together into an event called ski-joring? We have a rider with us today. And I have been following her in some Facebook groups for a little while. She is so funny. You're humor. I know I'm setting you up for that. Oh God, now I gotta be funny.

But really, you're humor and you're wisdom in the ski-joring community as you are touring. Just about trailers and parking and being trauma-bonded and all of these things, Gina Weimiller. You just had me at hello. I'll give you a proper introduction in just a moment.

But for those who have no idea who you are or where in the world you are, tell us where you are and how you are today.

I'm great. Thank you for the skiing. I'm actually I was raised in Alaska and moved to Idaho. I lived specifically in Idaho Falls about four years ago. And love it here. Horses make a lot more sense here than they did in Alaska. I'm not paying 18 bucks for a bail at Mount Felta. And I can actually ride my horse and the opportunities and I do manage shooting also. There's just so much more here for me than there was in Alaska. I miss the fishing, but otherwise I just let it here.

You can always go back and visit for the fishing, right? I didn't know you were from Alaska, actually. And I don't know if you've read Jewel's memoir about her narcissistic mother. But one of the things she talks about in that memoir is being from Alaska and being like really tough and gritty and getting into the industry. And at one point she was like, I went Alaska on her. She's like really moved.

And I get a kick out of that. I'd love to hear your take on going Alaska. I would love to read that. I'll have to look that up. It's a really powerful book. And I know we've had a little bit of a conversation about narcissism and moving through things and maybe we'll get to that today. But first of all, without further ado, a more formal welcome and introduction to Gina Weimiller. She loves in this order. God, grandkids, the rest of the kids after that.

She's a full-time employee in the tech industry and she has been a ski-joring competitor and advocate for the past four years. So it sounds like since you moved to Idaho Falls, she told me she needs to learn to say no because she isn't involved in so many other nonprofit boards. She just has such a big, beautiful heart. I'm so excited that you're here. And let's start with the first time you saw ski-joring and thought, I want to try to do that.

All right. I was trolling Facebook, a friend of mine, Tracy Khan, that I had gone to school since the third grade was living in Whitefish, Montana. This is well after high school college. And I saw she was very involved in the ski-joring community in Whitefish, which is a fantastic grace. I moved to Idaho and that was in September. And I think it was December when I said, hey, Tracy, I'm going to come up and watch and I'll help you guys out if you want.

I'm literally driving up there and she says, do you want to compete? And I was like, sure, I didn't bring the horse or anything. She goes, her husband, Steve had just had surgery and couldn't ride and they said, well, find you a ski or you can race and novice since you in here, both new.

I got there. Steve took me on, put me on his horse just to make sure I could ride because there's always a lot of variables and, oh, I can ride or I can fall off really well. And so we went out to that the next morning, got up, went to look at the track, met my skier. He had never skied before either, but he was fantastic.

Turned out he was a junior Olympian skier. We got out on the track and we ended up winning day one. We had really fast times faster than the sport times because the horse knew what she was doing. He knew what he was doing. I just hung on and went. Everything else is history as they say. We went on to win the novice buckles that competition won some money, won some horse blankets. I was like, this is easy.

Let's do this. Yeah. I love that though. And I love that you're on the podium. You're very first time. It wasn't the plan. You're just going to help out. Isn't this the classic, right? And God was like, no, actually, you're going to win. You're going to get hooked. You're going to be with another Olympian. Like this is the track, but let's back up a little bit because we know you just said he had never skied. He had never skied or he obviously had done a lot of skiing before that. And you had to ride in skied your

skier, but clearly to be able to get on a horse and do the riding required for ski jorp, which are pretty fast gauntlet and getting a horse into a starting date. What was your riding experience like prior to just saying, yeah, sure, I'll ride your horse and see what happens in the novice.

My experience was really just with adrenaline more than anything. And like I had never barrel raised. I've done some competitive trail rides because in Alaska, we're pretty limited. I'm not able to do. And so the adrenaline was really, I love to run my horse on the beach up there in Alaska and never had ridden one quite that fast. But again, you have a trust with that horse, that horse trust you, she takes care of you.

The start, and I now have learned this her owner, Steve, he was holding her head like cradling her head and talking to her and then when they said, course, clear, like literally opens the gate and let's her go.

I was like, okay, so we're off. And yeah, but just being an adrenaline rider, like I love the speed. I love jumping. I love swimming wall of the kind of adrenaline, things with horses. It suited me. Absolutely. Yeah.

Let's talk about adrenaline with horses and also working with their energy because we get really hot when we're running together. And then there might be a moment where, okay, race is over. We need to come down. I noticed, I was at Driggs. I think you were competing at Driggs. I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure. I thought I saw it. Yeah. So at the very end of the course, they go through the finish gate. Time is cut. They're figuring out, did you make different gates? All that stuff putting that together. But the horse keeps going. Right. The horse keeps going. There's a little bit of a run out.

And you have maybe a catch rider. I'm not exactly sure the term, but I'm trying to track what's that like at the finish and how do you work to energetically bring your horse down. And then what do you do personally to bring yourself down?

Yeah. I don't breathe for the whole 20 seconds. We're running. So at the end, I have to take some deep breaths because I haven't taken a breath.

And you're absolutely right. The horse is going to pick up on your energy, whether you're excited, whether you're angry, whether you're bummed or whatever.

I think stopping a horse is really important. But some of these horses are off the track. They're a brand. Their brains are where to keep going another lap or so.

So those riders are very skilled at getting them stopped in less than a lap.

But yeah, I'm taking that energy down. I always rely on my skier to tell us if we've got penalties or not, because as a rider, we don't necessarily get penalty unless we have a right ring that we.

And if we miss that right or we know it. So I'm trying to pull back a little bit and slow my horse down and let her know we're done.

My horse is pretty seasoned. So when we'll see those hay bales and know that she's done, but she just left run to so sometimes it's harder to get her stopped.

Speaking of the cat triters, we actually had in Bellevue, the cat triters were coming in and she was still pretty hot going and the cat triters were coming in on either side of us.

She was like, oh, we're still racing and she took off again. So I had to tell them, hey, yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Let's go.

But yeah, so the energy and if the gate and the start gate is really where you're managing that energy, because the horses are fern the most partly just want to go.

And they know what they're going to do and you're nervous because you're like, I know I'm not going to breathe for 20 seconds. My skier, please just hang on, please just make gates, please just give us a finished time.

And so I try very hard not to translate that energy to my horse, but they know I think there's no take a couple of deep breaths.

And then yeah, and then let her go.

How about your prayer practice? Are you dropping a knee before you get on? Like how do you turn it over before you stop reading?

Oh, I'm constantly talking to God. There is constant conversation. He's probably I know you're over here chit chat and I'll check in with you in a little bit.

But before during and after in the morning and at night, funny story, I in Bozeman, my horse came up lame.

And Bozeman races was Friday and Saturday. And so we went to mass on Monday morning, because we didn't have a race that morning.

And I didn't know at that point what was wrong with her if she had broken something if she just came up lame or what.

So we're sitting in mass and I'm like, God, if you make sure that she's okay, anything that I win comes to you.

I started winning money and everything went to God.

So I love it so much.

So good.

That's not a deal you're going to break. That's not a deal you're going to go back on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely got your priorities in order, right?

Yeah, and we are hopefully going to go out and get to meet your horse as part of the year of the horse adventure coach podcast.

So we'll do a little video or video podcast hopefully that'll work.

But let's hear a bit more about this horse because I know you've got a herd out there.

And who knows which one's going to want to hang out with us when we go out.

But what's your bond like with her?

Where did you find her and how did you know or discover that she's your ski drawer partner?

Hey cat here for a quick commercial break.

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It's actually been a little bit overwhelming and maybe too much to say in the middle of this interview.

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I got her from a ranch in Montana and I had just put something out.

So I have a little Mustang that I've done everything with when he's just not fast.

I say that, but he was one of about two thousand dollars for another rider this season.

That was great on them.

And so I put something out saying, hey, if anybody has a fast horse, I'd like to ski drawer with a little bit of a faster horse.

And so many ants from me from a ranch in Montana.

And so I got the trailer because that's how I shop for horses.

I bring trailers.

So I got up there and she's this big leg quarter horse.

And she had all kinds of attitude.

And I'm like, okay, yeah, I like this one.

She had been a cow horse working cow horse and they'd done some barrels with her.

So I knew she was pretty seasoned.

She was 10 at the time.

And so didn't really take anything.

I started her on mounted shooting as well.

And that's a whole nother sport.

But it usually takes the horse some more to desensitize.

And she just isn't that girl.

I mean, if she trusts that I'm getting her into something that's not going to be really stupid, she'll do what I like.

Yeah, she'll just do what I ask.

And she's a very fast ski drawer horse.

I have trouble like getting my skiers to not keep up.

But I have to check her off where the skiers can't go full out.

And we have to really work to create where to check her up.

She hates being checked up.

I'll see pictures of her that the photographers have taken.

And she's just all teeth and I'm completely up in her face and I hate it.

But also you got it there's times when we can't just go all out down the track.

And which is what she really love it.

Yeah, so I just figured out she likes to run.

She will trust me.

And she's one of those horses all around.

I put my boyfriend on her for trail rides.

The grandkids can tell her.

Absolutely.

And she's not going to not question you like a girl.

She might have a mayor person in special question what I'm thinking sometimes.

So what is this?

You have a gun and some balloons or we're out on the trail and there's no trail.

And I'm trying to push her through the woods.

And yeah, so she'll question me.

But ultimately she trust me.

So yeah, that trust is so key.

And the conversation of mayors is a favorite conversation here at the adventure paradox.

I actually wrote a chapter about it in my book.

But understanding marriage behavior and so fascinating because of all the domesticated animals.

Horses are one of the ones we don't fix mayors like we haven't figured out how to do that.

So we really get to witness their cycling and their personalities.

Would you like to say anything on marriageness especially since you just identified yourself as a mayor person?

I just think their work ethic is fantastic.

I have two guildings as well, two mares two guildings.

And I just think that the mayors have a much stronger work ethic.

They are they can be more difficult.

You can't make a blanket statement about any horse, right?

But I gender.

Yeah, no exactly.

And I have a Mustang who I have to work on his trust because he spent six years doing his own thing.

And then we pull him out and make him do things that he did not know that he was ever going to do in his life.

So sit on couches and.

I'm not in shooting and it's me door.

And yeah, these are not things he processed in his wild days.

So I think just their work ethic in general for mayors.

And also they make you work for a little bit more.

I think a mayor is going to really make you earn what you want from her and getting sometimes.

But I just think buildings are just more easy going.

And yeah, as long as you hold me and hug me and won't get along fine.

Like my mayors, I have one that's pretty emotionally affectionate.

Pepper's more standoffish.

She's just much more stoic.

Love it.

We could talk all day about horses because I love getting into it.

But also the paradoxes.

Any generalization, right?

We got to watch out for those.

But I love what you just shared about your perspective on your mayors and your Mustang sitting on a couch.

Were you doing some Mustang competitions?

I'm curious because we are big fans of the Mustang conversation too.

Yes.

And now I had lost my lifetime horse to call it.

And just out of curiosity more than anything went to a Mustang makeover in Oklahoma City,

one of the extreme ones where they give the trainer days to take a Mustang and make them a domestic Mustang, if you will.

And Sarah have believed was his trainer and they came in second place in the Mustang makeover.

And they do these things before.

So at the end part of the deal with these trainers is they auction off the horses and some of that goes to the Mustang groups and some of it goes to the trainer.

And sometimes a trainer can buy the horses back.

And I just love this little horse.

I left his heart part of his routine.

They did like this game of thrones routine in the freestyle.

So part of his routine was sitting on a couch or a throne is what it was supposed to be.

And she had it on this beautiful white princess gown flowing around and they just did really well before the auction.

They have this little fun trick that they like to do of giving you free whiskey.

It had a little bit of libations and decided, yep, that was going to be my horse.

And the auction came along and I got him for a song really.

I'm a very social person.

So people had figured out I was from Alaska and I actually had people that I can hear saying no let her have the horse.

And it was like fantastic.

So they weren't bidding me up.

And that's what I got him for a song for 4,000.

It's not a song, but it was so far as horses go.

Yes.

And then the next morning, actually, so he came back down and I go to meet my horse.

And I see this little 14 one hand red rone sitting there and I'm like, okay, where's my horse?

Because the one I bought was 15, 16 hands easily.

And Sarah was standing there and she's this is Duncan.

And I was like, okay, I, yeah, he looks a lot bigger from up to much whiskey.

Yeah, the first thing I bought was the horse and the second thing was a whole bunch.

Gina, I love your style.

And I feel like it's a good segue into the conversation about style in ski drawing and fashion.

What would you say is going on with that?

There was like a fashion show.

I've known for a couple of years.

I've been following the Banff ski drawing film festival.

And then those girls and guys, they are turning up the volume on this as a fashion ski or situation.

There was a fashion show at lunch at the drinks.

What I wasn't able to stay for because my kids were done.

I would love to hear your perspective on the fashion piece of ski drawing and maybe horse culture in general.

But specifically what's happening in ski drawing is really interesting.

I love it.

I know Banff, there are several years ahead of us in this whole fashion thing.

But I love it for a couple of reasons.

The amount of self-expression it provides.

Like I do mountain shooting as well, but they're pretty strict on your clothing.

You have to be West period clothing, the guns, the gear on the horses, everything.

Ski George literally anything goes.

And I know so many amazing women that have really used it as a way of expression.

There's several women that have clothing sponsors that aren't getting them all dressed up.

If you've seen the gals in the corsets and whatnot, they have a sponsor that's making clothing for them.

We had one come in this year.

We're a lot of the woolly chaps and things we're coming from.

And it's a husband, wife company.

And so they've really been able to use ski George to launch their brand.

But more than anything, it's just giving everybody a chance of expression.

And I had fun with it this year.

I definitely recognize that I'm one of the older ones in the group.

I started at 56. I'll be 60 this year.

That's a whole other thing of it's never too late.

But I'm not going to put on the stuff that might 20 and 30 something friends are wearing.

Not because I don't think it's just not my style.

I'm much more.

In fact, the only reason I'm more in a hat right now is because I came from the gym and I didn't shower.

Because I don't know.

As far as I'm concerned.

Thank you.

And so yeah, the fashion has just been and the guys are starting to get into it.

Which is super fun.

And the start line are really at the race in general.

And it gives everybody a chance to interact and everybody's so complimentary.

Because it was really cold.

I have a pair of overall bibs with a fleece inside.

And so I put those on over a ramps dress and shirt that I had that was thick and stuff.

And the girls were just like, oh my god, that's so adorable.

And I was like, I'm not even trying.

So that's pretty awesome.

And then the first I love for coming from Alaska.

I've got a lot of fur coats anyway.

And for a while, we weren't allowed to wear fur.

And so it's fantastic.

That's come back.

And also normally not this year, but normally it's cold in skiing doors.

So being able to wear the big chaps or the fur coat and be comfortable is amazing.

We haven't been able to do that.

There were a lot of furs out.

Of course, this year as well.

But also the two shirts came out and there were a couple of skiers without shirts at all.

Short.

Yeah, it was crazy.

But no, love in the fashion.

It's giving so many opportunities to be small clothing companies to the riders to be expressive

of themselves for us to have an interactive talking point.

So we sit and talk a lot about that.

I shouldn't have done it in the start lane.

For sure.

It's funny too, because right now in part, I think thanks to Yellowstone and Heartland and shows like that that are bringing a little bit more cowboy culture mainstream.

I'll go out and come right out of the barn with my mud boots on.

And people will be like, those boots are awesome.

I'm like, these are balls.

Yeah.

It's really interesting.

And then there's so much creative expression and to your point, all of these folks that are coming through.

I'd love to hear a little bit more about sponsors.

You said you've had some sponsors this year.

What was that like?

And some of your favorite clothing companies you've been talking about.

Like, basically anything goes, which is so cool.

And you did say something.

I want to follow up on that fur wasn't allowed for a while.

Was that through ski juror?

What was that about?

No.

No, it was a cultural thing.

And really, I should say it's been quite a while, because I know in college, like I would just call it Seattle Pacific University.

And they would protest for some stuff.

And being from Alaska, that was a fun thing.

But so I just wasn't really politically correct for a long time to wear fur.

And it's okay now, even though a lot of them are faux fur.

There's still disputes.

But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And it's still expensive, no matter what.

Well, I'm all about the faux fur as well.

And you don't mind when a horse sneezes on you or you get mud kicked up when it's faux fur.

Yeah.

And just being true to yourself, whatever is right for you.

Let's respect each other's decisions too.

And heritage and etc.

Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, sponsors were imperative this year.

The prosky tour circuit.

This is the first year they did a circuit where it accumulated in points at the end.

And we had to qualify and race at the end.

And so it was a true circuit like what they would have in rodeo or or any other equine sport really going to a race is expensive.

I would say I spend about $1,500 between race fees, fuel, food, horseshoes or crazy expensive.

Because we do have special shoes we put on the horses and they're not like any other.

But we want to make sure the horses are safe.

And we have a good connection in Idaho community here.

My boyfriend's pretty well connected with some people because he's been here for a while.

And he's in media and he just knows a lot of people and he does a lot of charity work and whatnot.

So we just started talking to people.

We were able to get sold IV there from the gym that I go to.

And they were like, yeah, those athletes.

We'd love to support the athlete.

So we got them.

And then the global after Mountain West real estate.

Mel Biggs there was just a fan of the culture.

And like you were saying.

And so she beat luxury real estate is working up in the Driggs Victor Jackson whole area a lot.

She's, I think everybody's interested in this and wants to see.

So she's sponsoring us as well.

So we were able to get enough sponsorship money where this is the first year I didn't pay a lot of money out of pocket.

Didn't pay some because I had the vet bill and gave that money.

So I did have some bills that I wasn't expecting.

I mean, it was just a pretty standard season.

I talked to a lot of the other competitors about about what we did to get.

And it's mostly about relationships and helping support them.

But it was really more about relationships but getting them involved.

We trying to make sure they had a place at drinks and that we're making sure to pump them up in social media.

That kind of stuff is important for that reward.

So to speak for the sponsorships and letting them know how much we appreciated them and appreciated the support.

Because we do it because we love it.

But it would be a lot harder to do it.

Especially when you don't come away with cash every single some of the bigger racers that I know that are coming home with cash

goes right back into ski Jordan because they don't have sponsors yet.

So one of those things I am not saying no to is to help some of my fellow skis or folks find sponsors for next year and help them get into more races and stuff.

Like one of the clothing companies I was talking about westerly.

That's the husband and wife team that they outfitted a lot of racers this year.

Most of the woolly shoulders, the woolly chaps.

I wore a set of their super cute pink chaps with fringe that had hearts on them like very girly.

I came back but yeah, westerly is an awesome company awesome people.

And then locally here I have a girl.

She's got a vintage boutique which I love repurposing.

I love that whole previously loved kind of thing.

So just about everything I was wearing this year was from arm boutique and it was all pre-loved stuff.

So it was funny because I would go around like I had this one green vintage western with some stands on it.

And people are like, oh, I really like your smell like it is for sale.

If you would like to buy it off of my back, you can.

I'm wearing a sports bra here.

Yeah, she's got fantastic stuff and she's just a little boutique here and I know how it falls.

But hopefully we generate some conversation for her and yeah, she's fantastic.

Well, we can include links to all of your sponsors in the show notes so that people can go and do some shots.

I don't know if you have affiliate codes or anything like that but we can certainly give them all a shout out.

And what's your vision like going forward specifically for ski drawing?

If you could look back and yes, probably we won't be here 100 years from now.

But on this time, what would you hope happens with ski drawing?

I know there's a conversation about getting it into being an opener for the Olympics.

But what would you say your big vision would be for ski drawing for the next 100 years?

Some people love the crowd.

They like the energy.

They like a lot going on.

Others were called to deep silence.

Don't get me wrong.

I love the party too.

But I really love getting into the deep stillness available in nature.

And this is why I live outside of Jackson Hole Wyoming.

If you feel called to Jackson Hole Wyoming, whether it's winter, you might be a skier like me.

Or it's summer.

You want to ride horses or get out into nature with wild flowers and waterfalls.

Please reach out.

I would love to do a VIP day with you and create an incredible adventure paradox right here outside of Jackson Hole Wyoming.

You can find more info in the show notes below.

The thing I've always loved about ski drawing is the inclusivity.

There's all different classes.

There's all different horses.

There's even ponies that run like in the Buckaroo class and things like that.

So I love that it doesn't exclude unless you don't ride or ski.

I guess those two.

Even then you can come volunteer because all of the races are volunteer.

And so even that.

So if you want to get involved in skis or you can no matter what.

So I hope that continues on.

I hope that trend continues on and the welcoming atmosphere that everybody has.

I love the pro ski drawer circuit this year because it did bring some bigger better.

We've had races on the cowboy channel and whatnot.

But never to this point where my family was able to watch everything.

Yeah, the sponsors coming in the kind of.

I've been a college athlete.

I've been an athlete most of my life that to have that.

Oh, you're an athlete.

It was fun, especially at my age.

I'm going to be 16.

And so it was fun having that like special treat.

Then I guess I don't know if you call it that or not.

But it's your chance for three months.

First of all, you get through winter really quickly.

So just a little bit of feeling like you're part of something feeling like you're part of this.

Giant organization and family.

And even this year because of the pro ski drawer circuit where we ventured more into Utah.

Because we're typically in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming.

So many more friends and so many more contacts.

And just amazing people just even venturing into that.

So for the future of skis or I don't want that to go away.

I hear horrible things about barrel racing.

And I don't know anything about it.

And so I don't know what's true and what's not.

But I want skidger to stay focused on the family.

He focused on.

He draws a family.

Our kids doing I used to pull my son before he started having babies.

And now he's too busy.

But I used to pull my son and skidger.

And there's a lot of like father daughter teams and father son teams and mother son.

All of this stuff that goes on with having a sport.

That doesn't really exclude anybody unless you're mean.

Oh, guys could go.

Yeah.

And you can be as serious about it.

We've got these off the track thoroughbreds.

They have sponsors.

They have dedicated skiers.

I'm mid range.

I have some amazing dedicated skiers.

I have sponsors.

If I don't get a check or a buckle or whatever.

I'm pretty happy that we finished and everybody's alive.

Yeah.

And then you've actually been a really just in it for fun.

And just part of the hey, let's see what this is.

And so I don't want that to.

I love the fact that it's getting to a more professional level.

And hopefully we'll keep that culture along the way.

In fact, there's two races in March that John Hyde, who's an old soul and skidger.

And he's putting on one in Du Bois and one in Boulder.

So the season isn't done yet.

And those are more hometown races.

So you'll go there, everybody has a tailgate spot.

And the bigger race is you have to buy a tailgate spot.

Now, these races, everybody has a tailgate spot because we're all backed up to the track.

And everybody volunteers and everybody participates.

And it's hand timers.

And those are good hometown races.

I love those two.

So cool.

We got a wrap up, which I hate because I want to keep talking to you about ski drawing.

But if you were to identify and I know one of them.

But one of the major challenges in the ski drawing industry.

And I'm just going to call this one out because I witnessed it this year with the weather.

Which was so strange.

And we don't know.

God's always in charge of the weather.

But it was interesting to see Boise.

And I wasn't there, but to see that they made a sand track next to a snow track.

And some of sort of the creative ways.

And then you can make a slightly longer season, maybe even into April and so on.

What would you say along with maybe the weather?

Some of the biggest challenges you're seeing in the sport of ski drawing right now.

The venues are always a challenge.

That's how you saw the ski juper.

Right.

Because when they had to move that venue out of Salt Lake City in the Camus Utah.

To try and at least get more of a place where the snow would set up.

We ran on dirt and everything, every place with drugs.

Everybody comes with these giant trailers.

Some people are living in them.

Some people come with their little rested out trailers.

And that diversity within the sport.

But we knew that there wasn't going to be a lot of parking at the actual venue.

And then the place where the horses are stalled.

Was a couple miles down the road.

And most of the parking they wanted to have for spectators and VIPs and vendors.

And things that actually are generating income for the race.

So we knew.

And that's pretty typically a challenge.

Even in drinks.

My boyfriend I were talking about.

Do we get one in those little mini bikes?

So we can go back and forth.

Because there's a lot of running back and forth between your trailer and all that.

So the venues are always a challenge.

Honestly, some of the best ones are out in some farmers field.

Where everybody just pulls in and parks.

And then you go when you run.

And yeah, but being able to accommodate the spectators.

You can't have.

I think we had 6000 at drinks.

And even more than that.

Our first race in Heaver.

We had even more than that.

I can't remember the number.

Oh, and Boise.

Boise was our biggest.

For sure.

But Boise even.

That was in an actual rodeo ground.

So there was a place to put the track and bleachers and places for the vendors and all that.

But we were still.

All in.

Yeah.

We still need ski dover to go between.

Yeah.

Between the track and our trailer.

And I don't even know that we looked at the weather as a challenge until it got dangerous for horses.

Weather is really more just one of the variables.

And that makes the track different for the horses and for the skiers and for people to stand watch.

So it really weather is variable.

That's part of it.

Yep.

Yep.

God's control of that.

We're not going to.

Always has been.

So if you can be upset about it, take it up with him.

Not anyway.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh.

Okay.

We do have to close out.

But I think the last thing I want to say because I have had people come to me.

And this is always again part of it when you're working with animals or you're working with adrenaline.

Or these sports that really involve a level of risk.

Right.

But what's your take on safety?

And I know some have been canceled, right?

Fifty first.

Like, what's your take on that in the ski drawer industry?

Absolutely.

They actually canceled day two of, I want to say it was heaver because of safety.

Safety is the first and foremost thing.

Nobody that does this wants to see anybody hurt.

We had by far more skiers hurt than horses in here.

And that's just out of the competitiveness.

I had a skier crash and took him out for this season.

But it's because he didn't want to let go.

And then he got pulled.

Yeah.

It again, back to that everybody has not everybody.

A lot of people run in specialized shoes so that the horses have traction.

There are people with PEMF, with cryotherapy, with beamer blankets, all of, like,

you go after a race and all of these horses are getting vitamins and they are so well taken care of.

And it's not only about making sure they're ready to race, but also just their safety,

making sure that the next day they're ready to perform and everybody warms up.

I can't say enough about this sport and the horse safety.

I want to say the same about skier safety, but that's really self-imposed, right?

Yeah, those humans have to decide for themselves.

Yeah, that's not a problem.

Yeah, but my horse, she's my heart horse.

I'm probably too attached to animals because I have one horse I can't do anything with.

But they're in it for the long haul.

I don't flip horses or anything like that.

They're part of my family.

I don't know.

Not unusual.

That's something I found throughout.

And it won't be tolerated.

It kind of like I said, mean people won't last.

If we see someone beating on a horse or mistreating them.

If they're not like a meeting, and even in most of the rules, you'll read that if we see excessive whipping or anything like that,

they'll be disqualified.

But more than that socially, they'll be pushed out.

Totally.

Yeah, I think in closing, and I want to make sure anybody who's listening to this knows how to find you.

We never even got to 1911 equine.

So let's definitely talk about that because I know that's something that you're a founder of.

But anybody who's listening to this who wants to continue following you and your journey or connecting with you,

how do you want them to find you?

And we'll put this on the show notes, but let us know of social media handles you like or Facebook groups or websites, anything like that.

Yeah, thank you for that.

1911 equine, I was initially running it as a for profit organization.

And then I realized I'm not making profit because I keep giving things away because I want to help people who have horses that maybe can't help or maybe can't afford it.

$80 cryo session, but the horses need that help, right?

So I turned it into a nonprofit.

So it's 1911 equine on the internet and on Facebook, although I haven't really gotten that super active yet.

On Instagram, I'm hairspray to bear spray because that's a little Alaska thing of I put my hairspray on and then I go out and I need the bear spray.

So hairspray to bear spray.

And yeah, Gina Maria on Facebook, if we're connected, there's so many Facebook groups for ski drawing and there's some really great social media channels out there for ski drawing and you'll.

Eventually be able to find people and I don't think there's anyone that I know where somebody couldn't blindly reach out and say, hey, I really want to get involved show me your saddle rigging that won't help out with that.

Yeah, I love the culture of ski drawing. It reminds me a lot of the culture of driving horses because so many people are involved who's going to head the horse who's going to hold the cart who's going to and then.

You want everybody to be okay because you head out with everyone in the carriage horses and humans.

Yeah, I love it so much. Oh my gosh, okay, I know we're about to hop off and then we are going to maybe go meet a horse and do a live stream.

Thank you so much for everything you shared the final vision I had as you were talking in the beginning about your first ski door experience ever was your friends husband who was the owner.

Having this like heart to heart conversation with his horse and then letting him go and I watched a pulling competition this summer in drags part of the fair and I watched the winning team same thing.

He went up between his pair and he had this moment it was like this beautiful prayerful connected moment and then they won of course they won you of course you won.

I love that so giving credit where credit is dear I don't know if you have any last thoughts but I was just so moved by that opening story and so touched by you and your work and just so grateful that you came on to share with us.

I appreciate that I think it's something really my only last thought would be that I am older and I started this only four years ago in my mid fifties.

And if somebody's out there thinking about oh I miss that boat I miss that opportunity it's not ever too late and to learn that connection with horses really especially women I think when we do get to be a certain age and people reach out to me of I don't know how to get into this or just start just I don't know what to take on a trail ride let's talk about what the minimal things you should have on a trail and just go to a barn and ask to groom the horses because that's going to connect you and even if you're afraid to ride and a lot of people.

As they can only our mortality starts to set in and maybe we don't want to jump on a horse but you can still have that connection and still equine therapy is a real thing it is an absolute real thing.

And so I would encourage people of any age to get into that in any capacity and yeah anyone's welcome to reach out to me on the 19 11 equine dot com or hairspray and a bear spray or Gina Marie on Facebook anyway.

Thank you so much Gina and listeners you've probably already heard about this but since Gina just shouted it out we are doing a spiritual horseseeker summit in April with some of the brightest minds in the equine assisted learning field and it starts on the ground sometimes it starts before you're even with the horse just having that thought of the adventure and moving towards it so you're inspired by this smell the horse.

I wish I could have a grandbaby coming so I'm not able but I would love to come and I will.

Oh you can be a fan we'd love to have you in the audience.

Absolutely and thank you so much listeners if you loved this please share it with a friend leave us a review subscribe and until next time adventure on.

Oh man that was so fun! If you dug it please do leave us a review you can scroll all the way down to the bottom of Apple Podcasts and you will see a place if you are on the show notes where you can leave a review I read all of them.

And I would love to invite you to the spiritual horseseeker summit which is happening in April you can find out more like how to be a VIP at theadventureparadox.com slash horseseeker and if you write me a review I will send you a free gift so don't forget to send me a screenshot the adventure paradox at gmail.com is the best way to find me.

Thanks so much and until we meet again adventure on.